Chelsea Football Club in England Ponders Severing Ties with Sponsor Parimatch
The effort is being made to create a rift between sports teams and gaming operators in the UK, which could possibly affect British soccer institutions, such as Chelsea FC.
Following Ukraine's decision to close down several gaming businesses with Russian ties, including Parimatch, concerns have been raised.
In response, the English Premier League (EPL) has suggested a self-imposed ban on jersey sponsorships by gaming operators, aiming to address the issue in the upcoming government gambling white paper.
Several teams are in favor of this idea and could potentially be compelled to distance themselves from gaming. Parimatch, with its EPL presence, could create complications for the teams involved.
Parimatch Takes a Bite of English Soccer
Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a decree against 280 companies and 120 individuals, reportedly with ties to Russia, violating international sanctions and Ukraine’s own regulations.
Parimatch, a Ukrainian sports betting company, was among the targeted entities, although it remains unclear how the company violated the sanctions. Notably, Parimatch has been a sponsor of three English soccer clubs.
Although Parimatch reportedly stepped away from its sponsorship with Chelsea FC in March of last year, it still reportedly maintains ties with the team and displays its logo at Stamford Bridge, the team’s stadium in London.
Chelsea seemingly wasn't aware of Ukraine's action against Parimatch until contacted by The Daily Mail for comment. The team stated it is currently assessing the situation and will make a decision soon.
Chelsea's owner is American billionaire Todd Boehly, who also co-owns MLB's L.A. Dodgers and the NBA's L.A. Lakers. Boehly bought Chelsea, along with other investors, after former owner Roman Abramovich, one of Russia's wealthiest men, was forced to sell due to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine and subsequent international sanctions.
Chelsea Not Standing Alone
Chelsea isn't the only EPL team to find itself in a difficult situation. Aston Villa, Leicester, and Newcastle all have partnerships with Parimatch, with Newcastle signing its deal last September.
Neither of these clubs responded to inquiries about potentially terminating their agreements with Parimatch before deadline.
Should they decide to separate, there could potentially be four soccer clubs in search of non-gaming sponsors. Given the current UK sentiment towards gambling sponsorship in sports, it might be easier for them to withdraw completely—assuming they can find sponsors ready to pay as much as the gaming companies.
Some media sources also claimed that Sportradar was among the sanctioned companies in Ukraine. This sudden revelation shocked everyone, including Sportradar.
The list included a company called Sportradar, but referred to Sportradar LLC, a Russian-based betting operator. It was not referring to Sportradar AG, the Swiss-based sports technology company.
The two entities are entirely separate and have no connections, as confirmed by Sportradar AG to the press. It's likely that the Russian company was trying to capitalize on the global sports data firm's reputation and recognition.
