Aston Villa will bank £40million from their new front-of-shirt deal, but it is the very last time they will be able to cash in on an arrangement of this kind.
Villa announced in April that Greek-based online betting platform Betano would replace BK8, another online betting brand, as their principal sponsor from the start of next season.
The Telegraph report that the two-year deal is worth £20m per season to Villa, making it comfortably the most lucrative kit deal in the club’s history.
Villa, who are on the brink of securing Champions League football in 2024-25 under Unai Emery, have also penned a deal with Adidas to supply their kits from next season.
The club revealed record commercial revenue of £41m in their last set of accounts, and they will top that figure again next term – likely by a significant margin.
But the £40m Betano deal marks the last time that Villa will be able to cash in from this particular income stream.
Premier League bans gambling sponsorship
In April last year, the Premier League collectively voted to ban front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship from the beginning of the 2025-26 campaign.
That means after Villa’s agreement with Betano ends, they will be unable to sign a new deal with any online betting brand.
Gambling sponsorship has continuously been the most lucrative source of income for teams outside the so-called ‘Big Six’, with clubs able to extract more money from the industry than any other.
And while clubs will still be able to sign other forms of gambling sponsorship besides front-of-shirt, there are concerns behind the scenes about the vacuum that will be left by the ban.
Villa on course for all-time best income
While it remains to be seen how Villa will fill the void left by the ban, the club are in a strong position financially at present, especially on the commercial front.
The Betano deal is worth around £8m per season more than the previous deal with BK8.
Meanwhile, although the value of the new deal with Adidas is yet to be confirmed, it will also represent a significant step up from their previous arrangement with Castore.
Coupled with money from Champions League participation and enhanced matchday income and TV cash, Villa will easily surpass their turnover record, which was previously set at £183.6m in 2022.