Leeds United sign deal as clubs play game to cash in – Finance Expert
We’re delighted to welcome football finance expert Dr Daniel Plumley as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Leeds United...
Dan Plumley has insisted that clubs are playing games with betting sponsors as Leeds United left SBOTOP behind to sign a deal with BOXT.
Betting companies have been banned from front-of-shirt sponsorship from 2026, with clubs starting to sign short-term deals to cash in before that comes into play.
Leeds had other betting companies on the table to sponsor their new shirt, but decided against as they signed off on their partnership with BOXT instead.
“You’ve got clubs playing that game at the minute,” he exclusively told MOT Leeds News.
“The ban is coming into play in 2026, I think, so you’ve got every club looking at the balance of whether they sign a short-term deal before the ban, whether they look to use betting sponsors in other ways.
“Some clubs are playing that game and some will not look to entertain betting partners. A lot of deals are done on a short-term basis so you’ve still got clubs who will look to cash in on that in the next couple of years.”
Leeds have been hit by the double whammy of losing their valuable sponsor with SBOTOP, albeit the right call given the upcoming ban, and relegation to the Championship.
Dropping from the Premier League will see the exposure lower and therefore any added value, although they will be happy with what they’re getting.
This narrative is certainly something to watch over the next couple of years, though.
In other Leeds United news, a double exit is now on the cards after the latest £190m news at Elland Road