SPFL names Ladbrokes as sponsor in ₤ 4m offer
The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has announced that betting business Ladbrokes will be its main sponsor from next season.
The two-year offer, thought to be worth a little over ₤ 4m, consists of rights across all 4 leagues and 42 clubs.
While it did not expose any figures, Ladbrokes stated the offer was the biggest of its kind in Scottish football.
The SPFL has been without a sponsor considering that 2013 when the league was reorganized.
The Clydesdale Bank sponsored the Scottish Premier League till its contract expired 2 years earlier, electing not to restore the ₤ 2m-per-year offer.
Funds from that were divided between 12 clubs.
The new offer will result in the Scotland's leagues end up being called the Ladbrokes Premiership, Ladbrokes Championship, Ladbrokes League 1 and Ladbrokes League 2 at the start of the new season in August.
An "definitely delighted" SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster told 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 considerable, I believe, economically.
"It's an bet9ja's welcome offer throughout the whole of the SPFL - the first offer of its kind - and all 42 clubs will benefit through the ladder mechanism set out in the rules.
"On all those levels, I think it's great news for all clubs in Scotland."
The brand-new offer takes the total SPFL prize-money fund to ₤ 20m.
Next season's Premiership champions will get an extra ₤ 268,000 as a result, with the Championship winners getting ₤ 45,000 more.
At the bottom end of the scale, the group finishing bottom of League Two will earn their club an extra ₤ 3,600.
"As much of a monetary distinction, there is a pride problem here," said Doncaster.
"To have actually a league sponsored with a business like Ladbrokes - an extremely appreciated blue-chip UK company - who wish to sit along with you and establish the game in Scotland is hugely substantial as well.
"Everything matters and, if you talk to individual clubs then I presume they'll see it somewhat various ways.
"But, from our point of view, it's an offer that benefits all 42 clubs and adds to the status of the league in general."
Doncaster understood that the SPFL had received some criticism for the years without a title sponsor.
"It has not been the easiest time to go out and offer a title sponsorship," he stated.
"We are well conscious of a few of the financial issues that have actually affected a few of our member clubs over that duration.
"But the reality is that we have had a number of big brand names who wanted to partner with us.
"We have actually had various offers over the period that we've turned down, however the clubs' stance, which we believe has actually been vindicated, was they desired to await the right brand at the ideal money."
Ladbrokes chief executive Jim Mullen added: "We enjoy football so we are thrilled to be working with the SPFL on one of the finest chances in British sport."
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