South Africa’s Premier Soccer League has announced that Betway, the online sports and gaming company, is the premier division’s new title sponsor.
This comes as DStv ended its sponsorship of mainly the professional league — formerly the DStv Premiership — one year earlier than expected.
The premier division of football will now be known as the Betway Premiership.
“This is a massive boost for every lover of football in this country,” said Chairman of the Premier Soccer League, Dr Irvin Khoza. “Our partnership with Betway confirms our league’s standing as one of the best in the world and heralds a wonderful future for our game. Betway’s energy and enthusiasm will have immediate impact across all facets of the game, and on behalf of the PSL, I am proud to welcome them on board as title sponsor and partner.”
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The agreement is an initial three-year deal, with the option of a two-year extension on conclusion. Should the PSL and Betway see the agreement through to the five years, it would total a Betway investment of approximately R900m.
“Football is a fundamental part of South African life,” said Betway Africa Chief Executive Laurence Michel said. “It really is in our blood and has been for generations. We are incredibly proud to be the title partner of the Betway Premiership. It further demonstrates not only our respect of the history of the league, but our vision for the development for its future. The PSL aligns with our values as a brand that commonly champions great South African success stories,”
According to Michel, the Betway Premiership will lean heavily on the legacy and rich history of local football’s top league.
“We appreciate how much football has done for people and for our country,” he said. “As we begin this partnership, we want to acknowledge and celebrate what the game has accomplished in the past. We also want to enhance the game as it stands today and, most importantly, we want to help build an even better future for the next generation of footballing stars from this country. We are so excited by what this partnership will do for football fans in South Africa. As a brand, we are known globally for our sponsorships of the world’s biggest clubs and tournaments and that experience is going to play a huge part in driving the PSL forward.”
This partnership further reaffirms Betway’s commitment to the South African sporting industry. It is the latest addition to an enviable sporting partnership portfolio, which spans a number of sports. Those properties included the Betway SA20 cricket competition, the Betway Summer Cup horse racing event, and the brand’s associate sponsorship of the world champion Springboks.