Ladbrokes and Betfred in FA sponsorship shoot-out

Current sponsor William Hill withdraws from negotiations over agreement which expires in July

Ladbrokes and Betfred are in the running to replace William Hill as one of the English FA’s headline sponsors, eGR Digital Marketing understands.

According to sources, William Hill has withdrawn from negotiations over extending its agreement for a second time after the operator had become the first bookmaker to sponsor the football governing body back in 2012.

It is understood the FA has demanded a significantly higher rate than that paid under the current agreement, which is due to expire after the European Championships in July.

However, the increased price-tag is not thought to be a barrier to the likes of Ladbrokes and Betfred, both of which are understood to be keen to replace William Hill.

Should Ladbrokes secure the deal, it would mark the second time its CMO Kristof Fahy had brokered an agreement with the FA, having led William Hill’s successful negotiations back in 2012.

William Hill, Ladbrokes and Betfred all declined to comment on this story. The FA was unavailable for comment.

The news comes after William Hill last year extended its sponsorship agreement with the Scottish FA for a further four years.