Hull City today unveiled African online betting firm SportPesa as their new sponsor in a deal they say is “the most lucrative in the club’s history”
The record breaking “multi-million pound” partnership will see SportPesa adorn City’s home, away and third shorts for three seasons. The deal will also see City travel to Africa for a game with a Kenya select side.
Executives from the Kenyan company flew in to England at the weekend and are in hull today for an official launch, although against a backdrop of Steve Bruce’s shock departure from the club on Friday. Today Bruce wrote a letter to fans in the Hull Daily Mail to thank them and saying he left “for the sake of the club”. City have yet to respond to the comments.
Simon King, commercial manager at Hull City Tigers, the company which runs City, said: “We are delighted to form a three-year partnership with SportPesa.
“SportPesa are so much more than a betting brand, this is a company with a huge footprint across grassroots sport in Kenya, as well as the rest of Africa.
“The deal is by far the largest in our history and a sign of our ambition to grow our Club and become a household name in our sport globally.”
City said as “Africa’s Number One sports betting platform”, SportPesa has become a significant investor and operator in the online gaming industry having successfully transitioned from a pioneer in a little known industry in Kenya, to become both a market leader and ‘super’ brand that is changing lives all over their home country in the space of just over two years.
The company already sponsors Kenyan football, including the Kenyan Premier League and two of its senior clubs, current champions Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards. It is also heavily involved in community sports.
Ronald Karauri, chief executive officer of SportPesa, said: “This is a big milestone for SportPesa as it marks the scaling of a Kenyan brand into the global market. The SportPesa platform will now be available in the United Kingdom and later in the year present in several African countries. One year from now we will have presence in at least four continents.”
“Even as a global brand, staying consistent with our core values that centre around grassroots sport and community development will replicate the success SportPesa has enjoyed in Kenya.”
“Part of our deal will see The Tigers be the first English Premier League team ever to come to Kenya to play a select side as part of our campaign towards having Kenya compete in the World Cup for the first time in 2022.”
Both parties said they would like to thank Sam from Samson Sport Consultancy Ltd for his help in bringing the two parties together.
For more information on SportPesa, visit www.sportpesa.com.