Business: Betfair to sponsor English cricket

Tuesday, online bookmaker Betfair announced it has signed a deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Test Match Grounds to become the organizations’ official betting partner. The deal comes only months before the start of the English cricket season, which will feature the much-anticipated npower Ashes Test Series against Australia.

The new deal will grant Betfair the use of the ECB logo on its collateral and will see the betting exchange featured prominently on perimeter boards, tri-vision sight- and replay-screen advertising, product sampling and promotional activity at all eight Test match grounds. In a press release, the company said it will use the new advertising space to increase brand awareness and to “(help)… reward existing customers both in the U.K. and internationally.”

“This summer’s cricket sponsorship launches an integrated campaign to underpin Betfair’s standing as sports fans’ betting company of choice,” Betfair director Lee Cowles said. “The npower Ashes Series will be the biggest sporting event of the summer, and provides the perfect platform to take our growing brand to a wider consumer market.”

The company also said it will continue to sponsor the “Betfair Blimp,” which provides Sky Sports with aerial footage of the npower Ashes Series.