The sponsorship agreement between the Zambian Premier League (ZPL) and Betway Zambia has sparked debate in Zambian football after four clubs, Power Dynamos, Mufulira Wanderers, Prison Leopards, and Nkana, all requested an exemption from the agreement.
This came after Gal Sports Betting Zambia (GSB), the four clubs’ sponsors, announced the termination of their sponsorship deals with the Super League clubs due to conflicting agreements.
“We, the undersigned football clubs Mufulira Wanderers, Nkana, Power Dynamos, and Prisons Leopards, collectively referred to as the ‘Galsport Betting Sponsored Teams,’ hereby submit this letter to express our concerns regarding the recent sponsorship agreement between the Zambian Premier League (ZPL) and Betway Zambia,” read in part the letter by the four clubs dated May 6, 2024.
On October 19, 2023, Betway Zambia announced a ZMK10 million annual deal to become the ZLP’s official betting partner.
“The landmark deal with the recently delinked ZPL from the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) will see Betway acquire rights in the MTN Super League as the official betting partner,” said FAZ in a statement.
What do the four clubs want?
The four GSB-sponsored clubs are opposed to displaying the Betway logo on their jerseys and installing sketching boards.
They are also against displaying the Betway logo on the centre circle before kick-off, and holding matchday promotions for the company within their respective stadiums which is part of the Betway-ZLP agreement.
“As contracted partners with GSB, we have a commitment that includes the prominent display of their logo on our team jerseys and replicas, billboards and sketching boards in stadiums and match day activations within the stadiums as the sole betting company. These contractual obligations are valued at a combined total of $220,000.00, and any breach of these agreements would have significant financial implications for our clubs.
“In the spirit of fostering a conducive environment for the growth of Zambian football, we believe that accommodating our request for exemption until the expiration of our contracts with GSB would be mutually beneficial. It would demonstrate a commitment to honouring existing contractual obligations while allowing for the continued development and prosperity of all parties involved,” added Mumba Mwila, appointed secretary of the clubs.
What else has been said ?
Kabwe Warriors, who have a sponsorship contract with 1XBET, another betting company, have revealed that they did not benefit from the Betway-ZPL agreement and are consulting with their sponsors on how to proceed.
“When this issue came up we asked the ZPL and we were told there was exclusivity. Even the four clubs that wrote to ZPL were aware from the start but we will see how it goes. We wouldn’t want to breach the contract with our club sponsors,” Kabwe Warriors president Mutale Ng’andu was quoted as saying by the Zambia Daily Mail on Thursday.
He added, “We have been receiving money from other sponsors like MTN and SuperSport but we have not received anything from Betway. So we won’t do something that our club sponsors, 1xBet, will dim to be a breach of contract.”
The ZPL has yet to issue a statement on the matter.
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