The EFL Championship is rapidly becoming one of the most attractive destinations for betting brands seeking prominent sports sponsorship opportunities in the UK.
Smarkets-owned brand SBK has confirmed a new partnership with Millwall FC, placing the SBK logo on the back-of-shirt and shorts for the 2026/27 season.
The deal signals a clear trend of betting operators turning to the Championship as Premier League front-of-shirt sponsorships are now off limits for gambling brands.
Millwall FC, based in Southeast London, is the latest in a growing list of Championship clubs to secure a sponsorship agreement with a betting operator this season.
The restriction on Premier League front-of-shirt deals has made the Championship considerably more valuable for UK-focused betting and gaming brands looking for mass visibility.
Historic clubs in the second tier of English football now represent strong branding real estate, with audiences running into millions across broadcast and digital platforms.
Beyond England, BoyleSports has also secured a deal that will see its logo appear across Premier League coverage, putting the BOYLE branding in front of one of the most watched football audiences in the world.
Portugal is proving to be a significant battleground for betting operators, with Betano partnering with FC Porto, one of only two Portuguese clubs ever to have won the Champions League.
Betano is currently ranked second on the Blask Index in Portugal, sitting just behind Betclic, and the FC Porto partnership is expected to help the brand push for greater market share domestically.
Betclic, meanwhile, has secured the naming rights to Ligue 3 in France for the next three seasons, a move the company hopes will grow the profile of the competition both locally and internationally.
Superbet has strengthened its position in Serbia by partnering with Red Star’s handball and volleyball teams, a logical move given that Serbia ranks among the firm’s key markets outside its home territory of Romania.
Red Star’s regular participation in European competition adds an international dimension to the Superbet deal, extending the brand’s reach well beyond domestic Serbian audiences.
Across all of these deals, the broader pattern is clear: betting brands are diversifying their sponsorship strategies, targeting leagues and clubs that offer strong regional relevance and growing broadcast audiences.
