SPFL names Ladbrokes as sponsor in ₤ 4m bet9ja's welcome offer
The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has announced that wagering company Ladbrokes will be its main sponsor from next season.
The two-year deal, thought to be worth a little over ₤ 4m, consists of rights throughout all 4 leagues and 42 clubs.
While it did not reveal any figures, Ladbrokes stated the deal was the most significant of its kind in Scottish football.
The SPFL has lacked a sponsor since 2013 when the league was reorganized.
The Clydesdale Bank sponsored the Scottish Premier League till its contract expired 2 years back, choosing not to renew the ₤ 2m-per-year bet9ja's welcome offer.
Funds from that were divided in between 12 clubs.
The brand-new deal will lead to the Scotland's leagues become called the Ladbrokes Premiership, Ladbrokes Championship, Ladbrokes League 1 and Ladbrokes League 2 at the start of the brand-new season in August.
An "definitely delighted" SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster informed BBC Scotland: "It is the biggest single ever title sponsorship offer of this promotion code nature in Scotland in 125 years of the Scottish Football League.
"So it's extremely substantial, I believe, financially.
"It's a deal across the whole of the SPFL - the first deal of its kind - and all 42 clubs will benefit through the ladder system set out in the rules.
"On all those levels, I believe it's fantastic news for all clubs in Scotland."
The brand-new deal takes the total SPFL prize-money fund to ₤ 20m.
Next season's Premiership champions will receive an additional ₤ 268,000 as a result, with the Championship winners receiving ₤ 45,000 more.
At the bottom end of the scale, the group finishing bottom of League Two will make their club an additional ₤ 3,600.
"As much of a financial difference, there is a pride problem here," said Doncaster.
"To have a league sponsored with a company like Ladbrokes - a hugely appreciated blue-chip UK business - who want to sit alongside you and develop the game in Scotland is extremely considerable also.
"Everything matters and, if you talk with specific clubs then I believe they'll see it slightly different methods.
"But, from our perspective, it's a deal that benefits all 42 clubs and includes to the eminence of the league in general."
Doncaster was conscious that the SPFL had gotten some criticism for the years without a title sponsor.
"It has not been the most convenient time to go out and sell a title sponsorship," he stated.
"We are aware of some of the monetary problems that have impacted some of our member clubs over that duration.
"But the yohaig code truth is that we have had a number of big brands who desired to partner with us.
"We have had various deals over the yohaig code period that we have actually turned down, but the clubs' position, which we think has actually been vindicated, was they wished to wait for the ideal brand at the right cash."
Ladbrokes chief executive Jim Mullen added: "We like football so we are thrilled to be working with the SPFL on one of the very best opportunities in British sport."
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