Birmingham City, the football club partly owned by Tom Brady, has secured a partnership with Coral as its new shirt sponsor. This agreement comes as English Premier League (EPL) teams face a ban on showcasing gambling sponsors on their jerseys for this season.
Coral, a leading betting brand in the UK, is part of the Entain group, which also holds a 50% stake in BetMGM, the online gaming division of MGM Resorts. Tom Brady serves as a brand ambassador for BetMGM.
Notably, this marks the first time in Coral’s 97-year history that it has become a front-of-shirt sponsor for a football club. Although Coral has sponsored Birmingham City for the last two seasons, it has not previously appeared on the team’s jerseys.
Bejay Patel, Managing Director at Entain for the UK and Ireland, expressed pride in the partnership, stating, “We are very proud of the partnership we have developed with Birmingham City Football Club and delighted to take this relationship to the next level. This is the first time in Coral’s history that we have become a front-of-shirt football sponsor, and who better to do that with than Blues, a club that shares our long history and our passion in putting fans first.”
The EPL's decision to eliminate front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships has led clubs to explore new avenues for partnership deals, although these agreements typically yield lower revenue. The previous season saw 11 out of the 20 EPL clubs featuring gambling companies on their shirts, while some continue to collaborate with betting brands for sleeve sponsorships.
As a result, Championship clubs may become increasingly attractive to gambling brands as sponsorship opportunities arise. This trend could help address the financial disparity between the two leagues; EPL teams generate on average £120 million ($160 million) more than their Championship counterparts.
For the upcoming season, seven Championship clubs will display gambling companies on their front jerseys. Among them, Midnite will sponsor Wolverhampton, Sheffield United, and Middlesbrough.
All companies sponsoring Championship shirts hold valid UK licenses. Alongside Coral and Midnite, Bet365 (Stoke), Mr.Q (QPR), and Boylesports (West Ham) have also signed sponsorship agreements; West Ham was able to renew its deal after its relegation from the EPL.
However, the situation in the EPL is different, as several teams maintain sponsorships with companies that do not possess UK licenses, such as Everton’s renewal with Stake.
Entain has advocated for regulations to eliminate unlicensed sponsors from appearing in football-related advertising. Entain CEO Stella David remarked, “Premier League clubs are being sponsored by criminal gambling firms. The Independent Football Regulator can stop this tomorrow by simply acknowledging that unlicensed gambling companies targeting UK customers through English football are breaking the law – plain and simple.”
Earlier this month, the government announced its intent to consult on unlicensed sponsorships, with the possibility of a ban by next season. Although Entain welcomed this consultation, they urged the EPL to proactively implement a voluntary ban on advertising and sponsorships linked to unlicensed operators by the 2026-27 season.
Despite the push for regulatory change, it appears that clubs like Everton, which recently renewed its partnership with Stake, may resist such restrictions. Eight other EPL teams continue to engage with 8xbet, despite the company lacking a UK license.
