£60m-a-year Premier League decision emerges as Leeds United hit by latest development
Leeds United are one of a number of Premier League clubs whose deals with bookmakers accumulate to £60million a year, according to the Daily Mirror.
It was confirmed on Thursday (13 April) that Premier League clubs had agreed to introduce a ban on front-of-shirt betting sponsorship.
It’s understood clubs will have until the start of the 2026/27 season to renegotiate their current agreements and that betting sponsors are still allowed on sleeves.
The Mirror report (pg 62, Friday 14 April) that Southampton, Everton, Fulham, Leeds, Newcastle and West Ham have deals worth up to £60million a year with gambling companies.
For the best
This may come as a hammer blow to many Premier League clubs, but the decision had to be made. For too long, gambling companies have been prominent. The ban on sponsorship will hopefully see a reduction in the number of younger people gambling.
Luckily for Leeds, they have been given a long period of time to renegotiate with their current shirt deal. Furthermore, they aren’t the only club in this position, with nearly half of the Premier League housing a gambling firm as a front-of-shirt sponsor.
From Leeds’ perspective, there will probably be a change of tact in terms of their sponsorship and current brand deals when the 49ers eventually take full control of the club. American companies tend to think slightly differently and we could see an increased level of commercialisation at Elland Road.
Nonetheless, it’s a move that everyone would rather happen sooner rather than later, with the end of the 2022/23 season the ideal time for Andrea Radrizzani to relinquish control.
In other Leeds United news, Ian Wright cannot believe his eyes after footage surfaces of a Leeds player on social media.