The Watford F.C. organization will change its business approach after announcing that it will stop using gambling companies as its primary shirt sponsorship for the next season.
The release of meeting minutes from the Watford Supporters Board and club officials meeting led to public knowledge of the decision that had been made about Watford sponsors. The Watford club officials said that they would begin searching for a new Watford shirt sponsor who would not have any connections to betting companies. The current Watford sponsor is MrQ which has appeared on Watford shirts for the last three seasons.
The club officials acknowledged that some fans feel uneasy about the Watford shirt sponsor's gambling partnerships which include betting companies. Still, Watford explained that betting brands often provide much larger deals than companies from other industries.
The meeting notes establish that gambling companies provide sponsorship revenues that exceed the sponsorship revenues from most other business sectors. Watford announced that it must maintain its betting business relationships because it needs more time to terminate all betting contracts. The club continues to search for a new sponsor because it expects that both football regulations and public perceptions will evolve.
The discussion represents many football teams in England who are currently undergoing changes. English Football League clubs currently assess their Watford sponsorship agreements, though the league has not yet implemented any restrictions.
Soon after the supporters’ meeting became public, Watford officially announced a new long-term partnership with BOXT. The agreement means BOXT will become the next Watford sponsor across all levels of the club. The deal also ends MrQ’s time as the main shirt partner.
Watford described the partnership as a major step forward for the club. The club announced through its statement that its new Watford sponsor partnership exists as more than a simple business contract. The club identified BOXT as a non-betting organization that operates according to family-based home values. Watford said those ideas closely match the identity of the football club and its supporters.
Paul O'Brien expressed his support for the partnership. He described the new agreement as an extension of their shared values. O'Brien stated that the company intends to act as more than a simple logo that appears on their uniforms. He stated that BOXT intends to maintain its partnership with community events which will involve both the club and its fans.
The new agreement is also being seen as an important moment for the future of football sponsorship in England. Over the past decade, gambling companies have become one of the biggest parts of football sponsorship across British football.
Many clubs relied heavily on money from betting brands because those companies were willing to pay more than sponsors from other industries. This made gambling partnerships a major part of modern football sponsorship deals.
Growing public concern about gambling advertising in sports has changed the conversation around football sponsorship. Football organizations have all increased pressure on clubs to rethink these deals.
Watford’s move is now being viewed as part of that wider change in football sponsorship across the sport. BOXT has already worked with Watford before this latest deal. During the previous season, the company appeared on the back of the club’s shorts and also joined several community programs.
One of those projects included donating a free boiler to a participant in the club’s Golden Memories program. The company also provided tickets for supporters and local charities.
BOXT's Angus Struthers said the company was proud to deepen its relationship with Watford. He added that the values of the club strongly match the company’s own approach.
The club also confirmed that MrQ will remain connected to Watford as a commercial partner in another role while they showed their appreciation to the former Watford sponsor.
As English football continues to adjust to new rules and shifting opinions, Watford’s latest move could become another example of how clubs are slowly reshaping the future of football sponsorship.
