Just months after a deal with Norwich City fell through, BK8 have forged an agreement with another English club. The Asian betting company are now the official global betting partner of Championship side Huddersfield Town.
The deal runs for the rest of the current 2021/22 season. The BK8 logo will be seen on the non-match day training kit and the match day perimeter boards. European Managing Director of BK8 is Michael Gatt. He says the company are “absolutely delighted” with the deal that has been made with Huddersfield Town.
Then he added that “we (BK8) are thrilled that they have been able to see the positive changes we have made as a brand in recent months to make this possible.
At the start of this season, the company, who were formed seven years ago, signed a deal with Premier League Norwich City. A few days later that deal was scrapped after controversial marketing materials of a sexual nature were found.
BK8 said they would “listen to the voices of the fans in the communities we serve and recognise when we are wrong.” Part of the funds that were intended to be used for the Norwich sponsorship deal was instead donated to charity.
Bk8 Stricter compliance measures
Speaking in September, the European managing director said that the “unacceptable” materials came from a third-party affiliate that are no longer working with BK8. He added: Stricter compliance measures are now in place company-wide, meaning several levels of approval need to be obtained if anyone wants to become an affiliate of BK8.
We should have been much more sensitive, and, with hindsight, there is no doubt we could have handled the situation so much better by communicating more effectively with [Norwich City] and seeking advice from communication and marketing specialists.”
Huddersfield spent a lot of time talking to BK8 with the aim of understanding their values. Their chief executive, Mark Devlin, said that BK8 have “made a lot of positive moves in recent months.” He is confident that they will continue the kind of work that they have carried out with former England footballer Kelly Smith and her charity. This he says, “bears testimony to their efforts.” He hopes that the deal will grow in the years to come.
The Championship side are the latest football team that BK8 have forged links with. They also have partnerships with Valencia Athletic Bilbao, Elche, Mallorca, and Villarreal. This deal with Huddersfield was brokered by Outlast Sports. Their CEO, Salauddin Sinnakandu, sees this as “the next phase of the brand’s strategy to engage in the football market in the UK.”
