Man Utd, Fabrizio Romano, Cardiff Rugby

This week’s Sponsor Spotlight sees three very different partnership plays, but all point toward the same trend – betting brands having to get smarter about visibility and long-term association with sport.

From a media-driven football partnership, to deep local rugby roots in Wales, to what could become the Premier League’s blueprint for the post-front-of-shirt ban on gambling sponsorships, this week’s deals show how operators are adapting their strategies ahead of major regulatory and commercial shifts.

Time2play: Here We Go…

Time2play.com has pulled off a left-field partnership by teaming up with Fabrizio Romano – arguably the most influential football journalist in the world.

The collaboration arrives just ahead of the World Cup and the excitement of the summer transfer window, giving Gentoo Media-owned Time2play access to Romano’s enormous football audience, transfer expertise and reputation for breaking news.

Romano has a seismic following – 27.6 million to be exact – on X, as well as over 43 million on Instagram, which is some going for a journalist and makes this writer think he needs to get his numbers up…

His “Here We Go” catchphrase has turned him into one of football’s most recognisable media personalities, and securing that level of association will instantly elevate Time2play’s profile among football fans.

Transfer news, match predictions and football analysis will be written every week on the Time2play site by Romano.

DragonBet doubles down on Wales with rugby sponsor

DragonBet has continued its rapid expansion across Welsh sport after securing a major long-term agreement with Cardiff Rugby, which is celebrating its 150th year in existence.

The deal will see the operator become both official betting partner and official kit partner through to the end of the 2028/29 season, with branding featuring prominently on Cardiff’s kits and throughout the Arms Park.

DragonBet will also sponsor Cardiff Rugby’s digital content output, including team sheets, signings and re-signings announcements, while receiving extensive matchday advertising rights.

There is also a noticeable emphasis on responsibility within the agreement, with DragonBet branding excluded from junior replica kits and both parties committing to community and responsible gambling initiatives.

It is also a sentimental sponsorship for DragonBet Co-Founder, David Lovell, who explained: “Cardiff Rugby has been part of my life since I was a boy, standing on the terraces and supporting my local club, so this partnership is a genuinely special one for me personally.

“To now see DragonBet partnering with a club that means so much to me, particularly at a time when there is such positivity, energy and momentum around Cardiff Rugby, makes it even more exciting. 

“As the club celebrates its 150th year, it feels like a brilliant moment to come together and support the next chapter of such an iconic rugby institution.”

Betway and Manchester United may have nailed PL blueprint

Manchester United’s reported training kit sponsorship agreement with Betway could become one of the most important gambling partnerships in modern Premier League history.

According to reports, the Super Group-owned operator is close to finalising a deal worth around £20m, despite the incoming ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsors from the 2026/27 season onwards.

The significance here is not just the size of the agreement, but the structure.

While gambling brands will disappear from the front of Premier League shirts, there are currently no restrictions around training wear, sleeve sponsorships, digital partnerships or LED advertising. 

Betway appears to have recognised that visibility is still available, just through different assets.

And for a club the size of Manchester United, training kit exposure could actually represent exceptional value. 

Training content dominates social media output, pre-match coverage and global football media distribution. This has already been seen through a similar deal between Tottenham Hotspur and BetMGM. 

The move could ultimately trigger a wider shift across the Premier League as betting operators search for alternative routes into football sponsorship without breaching the incoming voluntary ban.

Spotlight rankings: Who’s standing out?

1. Betway / Manchester United: If completed, this could prove to be one of the most influential gambling sponsorship deals in football. Betway may well set off a trend for how operators maintain elite football visibility after the front-of-shirt era ends, and other betting brands will be watching closely.

2. Time2play / Fabrizio Romano: This is a huge statement partnership for an affiliate brand. Romano’s audience reach and credibility in football media are almost unmatched, and the deal gives Time2play immediate relevance heading into one of the busiest football periods of the 2020s.

3. DragonBet / Cardiff Rugby: A very strong, but relatively small in comparison, regional partnership that makes sense for both sides. DragonBet continues to cement itself as one of Welsh sport’s most active commercial supporters, while Cardiff Rugby gains a long-term local partner with genuine roots in the city and sport.