Aston Villa ends W88 sponsorship after one season

Premier League outfit Aston Villa has confirmed that its principal sponsorship agreement with Asian operator W88 will come to a “natural end” at the close of the 2019/20 season.

The pair’s relationship started in June 2019 and marked a record-breaking commercial partnership for the Midlands club, following its promotion to the top-flight of English football.

In a statement, Aston Villa said: “The online betting and gaming site’s deal saw them appear on the front of all first-team kits during the 2019/20 season and their partnership with Aston Villa will come to its natural end. The club would like to thank W88 for their support over the past 12 months.”

Aston Villa has replaced W88 with a new, multi-year partnership with UK-based online car retailer Cazoo, which also recently supplanted Kenyan bookmaker SportPesa as the principal sponsor of fellow Premier League side Everton.

When discussing the arrival of Cazoo into its sponsorship stable, Aston Villa praised the fact that all replica kits will feature the same shirt branding.

Nicola Ibbetson, Aston Villa CCO, said: “Alongside several planned activations and fan engagement activities, all generations of Villa fans will be able to wear replica shirts that faithfully resemble those of their on-pitch heroes with the Cazoo branding appearing on all replica kit.”

Replica youth and children’s kits are not allowed to be adorned with gambling advertising, instead leaving a blank space. In the past, Premier League clubs have replaced gambling advertising on children’s kits with charities and local initiatives.

Source: Aston Villa