The EFL and Sky Bet: setting the standard for partnerships in sport
Rick Parry, Chair
| English Football League
Since 2013, the EFL and Sky Bet have built one of the most recognisable, enduring and purposeful partnerships in British sport – with its commitment to social responsibility, investing in communities and making a difference receiving the greatest acclaim
A shared commitment to social responsibility
There has been increasing criticism about gambling operators’ presence across football, but the EFL and Sky Bet have taken great care and pride in centring their work around responsible gambling, with a shared commitment to putting the protection of children and other vulnerable individuals at its very heart.
This is codified through a Memorandum of Understanding, which prohibits advertising in family areas of stadiums or advertising to young fans; dedicating advertising inventory to safer gambling messaging and campaigns; and funding a player education programme focused on the potential dangers of gambling which has subsequently benefitted more than 10,000 players, staff and parents.
This approach was highlighted in the Gambling Review, which concluded that there was opportunity for others to learn from the EFL and Sky Bet’s work. It also helped inform the Code of Conduct for Gambling Related Agreements in Sport introduced by DCMS last year, in partnership with sport, to help ensure that gambling sponsorships are delivered responsibly across the sector.
Supporting EFL Clubs
As Official Title Partner of the EFL, Sky Bet has enabled the investment of record sums into EFL Clubs and competitions – a key part of the League’s overarching purpose of making Clubs financially sustainable.
Commercial partnerships are integral to that aim, helping the League to redistribute more to its Member Clubs. This was never more true than during the Covid-19 pandemic, where Sky Bet’s support was vital to the resilience of Clubs in the absence of matchday income.
Those who have followed the journey of the Football Governance Act will be acutely aware of the financial headwinds facing EFL Clubs. In the first 11 seasons of the partnership up to the end of 2023/24, Sky Bet invested more than £70m into the EFL and has committed even greater levels of support up to 2028/29 – backing which enables Clubs across the divisions to invest in their success, facilities and local economies.
Investing in communities
The partnership’s most recent renewal, in June 2023, saw a new commitment to community investment in the form of the Sky Bet Building Foundations Fund, worth a total of £6m across the course of the partnership agreement.
Successful bids for funding have included a new community football centre in Middlesbrough, a disability football programme in Wigan and a scheme to reduce social isolation through volunteering in Norwich.
Last season the partnership found another new and innovative way to engage both Clubs and supporters and make a lasting difference in communities. Working alongside the British Heart Foundation, the Every Minute Matters campaign led to more than 300,000 people learning vital CPR skills and a new community fund to widen access to defibrillators in areas of high deprivation.
These investments might not grab the front-page headlines, but their value is critical.
A lasting impact
The EFL and Sky Bet have set the standard for socially responsible partnerships in sport, delivering significant long-term benefits for Clubs and their wider communities.
From our work over more than a decade in partnership together, it is an impact that extends far beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch. EFL Clubs, and particularly those in the lower tiers, will rightly have concerns about anything which stands to threaten this support in the future.
