There is no doubt football is a money game these days, and sponsorship has become a huge part of that. This money helps both leagues and clubs generate more revenue and expand their commercial business. In Scottish football, sponsorship revenue has grown steadily over the past few decades, and in this article, we'll explore its evolution and what it looks like today.
Banking and Big Deals
One of the landmark sponsorship deals in Scottish football came relatively recently in 2007. Clydesdale Bank agreed to sponsor the SPFL in a deal that was worth £2 million per year for four years. This acted as an important financial boost to the league but also highlighted the growth of the league in attracting such a major sponsor. The sponsorship was able to raise the league's profile, while the money was reinvested into the game. Following that, the league has had major investment from the gaming sector, bringing even more visibility to the league.
Record Deals and Major Partnerships
In 2021, Scottish football received a further boost when it announced a sponsorship with Cinch, an online car marketplace. This 5-year deal was said to be worth £1.6 million. The sponsorship covered the country's top four divisions and included on-shirt sponsorship. However, the deal was cut short after three years due to a dispute with Rangers, who cited a conflict of interest with an existing sponsor they had.
Club Level Deals
It goes without saying that the two biggest clubs in the country attract the biggest sponsorship deals. It used to be the case that due to the intense rivalry of their fans, both clubs carried the same sponsor on their shirts, but those days have passed. Celtic recently extended its sponsorship with Adidas, signing the biggest kit supplier deal in their history. Deals like this reinforce Celtic's standing not just in Scotland, but around the world as one of the most historic on the planet, especially synonymous with the Irish and Scottish Catholic diaspora.
Rangers have partnered with legal firms to sponsor their training wear, while they also worked with Ticketmaster for official ticketing services. Around the country, revenue is a lot smaller; however, clubs like Hibs and Hearts collaborate with financial services and lifestyle companies, while Aberdeen has had both local and national sponsors on their shirts and in their stadium.
Sponsorship opportunities can be found in the most unlikely of places. Falkirk, for example, joined forces with Buzz Bingo to add sponsorship to the digital substitutions board. The online gaming company, which offers gamers a wide range of slot games as well as other options, aimed to take advantage of the visibility that board gets during matches. This deal reflects how smaller clubs can still provide assets for sponsors as sponsorship revenue streams become more diversified.
Across the country, both sponsorship with leagues and clubs have multiple benefits. Money can be put into building academy structures, community programmes and infrastructure development. The league is continuing to develop, and as it does, sponsorship revenue figures will grow even more.
Rangers are on a Rohl
- Motherwell (A) - February 11
- Hearts (H) - February 15
- Livingston (A) - February 22
- Celtic (H) - March 1
- St Mirren (A) – March 14
- Aberdeen (H) – March 21
- Dundee United (H) – April 4
- Falkirk (A) – April 11
An eight-game unbeaten run has pushed Rangers up to second in the standings, but staying there may be easier said than done.
Danny Rohl’s side will fancy their chances of winning at Livingston, but visits to Motherwell, St Mirren and Falkirk all have the potential to be tricky.
A home victory over Hearts would blow the title race wide open, but they have failed to beat them in two previous meetings this season.
Each of their other three fixtures at Ibrox have the potential to be banana skins, particularly the clash with Celtic on March 1.
Given what is at stake in that clash, it would be no surprise if the game finished all-square, which would boost Hearts’ title hopes.
Celtic cannot rely on past glories
- Livingston (H) - February 11
- Kilmarnock (A) - February 15
- Hibernian (H) - February 21
- Rangers (A) – March 1
- Motherwell (H) – March 14
- Dundee United (A) – March 21
- Dundee (A) – April 4
- St Mirren (H) – April 11
- Aberdeen (A) - TBA
Celtic are the betting favourites to win the title with all bookmakers – a status that has undoubtedly been afforded to them based on their previous achievements.
However, they have yet to beat Hearts or Rangers this season and have shown little to suggest they are capable of snapping that streak.
Interim manager Martin O’Neill is a shrewd operator, but the damage done under previous bosses Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy will be tough to overcome.
Celtic’s pre-split fixture list is not overly favourable, while the Europa League knockout round play-off tie against Stuttgart in February adds a further layer of difficulty to their task.
The Hoops strengthened their squad during the winter transfer window with several loanees, but that is unlikely to be enough for them to retain the title.