Betting brands to miss out on naming rights deal at London Stadium

Owners of the London Stadium are expected to steer clear of betting companies when selecting a naming rights partner for the multi-use stadium.

The Daily Mail reports that the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) is keen to avoid a conflict between Betway, which sponsors main venue tenant West Ham United, and a rival gambling brand.

The English Premier League football club carries Betway branding on the front of its playing shirts and the company’s logo appears on various surfaces inside the venue during West Ham home matches.

The LLDC had hoped to announce Vodafone as the naming rights partner for the London Stadium, but a six-year deal with the telecommunications giant fell through.

Indian conglomerate Mahindra is known to have held talks over a possible deal, while electronics manufacturer Samsung and the Heineken brewery have also been linked with taking on naming rights to the venue.

This summer, the stadium is hosting both the World Athletics Championships and World Para Athletics Championships, and a spokesperson for the LLDC has said that the organisation will use the two events as a platform to showcase the benefits of sponsoring the venue.

“The London Stadium is being showcased to a huge global audience this summer, through concerts, the World Para Athletics Championships and the upcoming World Athletics Championships,” the spokesperson said. “This builds on the global impact that our first season of Premier League football has generated.

“As a result we, are talking to a range of new contacts on the back of these events and will formally renew our bid for a naming rights partner once the Premier League season gets back underway.”

Image: Gerard McGovern