Kieran Maguire: West Ham could now strike £60m replacement deal as talks begin
There is every chance that West Ham could strike a primary sponsorship deal with a new company that is worth as much as their current arrangement with Betway.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the Hammers’ hunt for a new front-of-shirt partnership.
West Ham have displayed Betway’s branding on their shirts since the 2015-16 campaign, and the current iteration of the deal is worth £60million over its six-year lifespan.
The contract still has three years to run but a source told Football Insider last Tuesday (10 January) that the club is exploring the possibility of terminating the deal early.
Premier League clubs are under pressure to agree to a self-imposed ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship ahead of the publication of a government white paper which is due to address the industry’s relationship with football.
But Maguire does not believe the Irons will struggle to find a lucrative replacement deal outside the gambling sector.
“West Ham have a lot of positives to offer a commercial partner,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“Therefore, while it will be difficult to match the value of the Betway deal, that is not to say it will not be impossible.
“Karren Brady and her team do know the market well. They have a vast network of commercial entities with whom they can potentially deal.
“West Ham have a state-of-the-art stadium and are a London club. They are a club with a great history and heritage.
“You can see why they would be an attractive partner for both betting and non-betting sponsors going forward.“
In other news, expert claims Gianluca Scamacca “letting his manager down” amid “terrible” West Ham development.