Hollywoodbets has landed a chance to have its brand name emblazoned on the front of an English Premier League (EPL) football club’s jersey.
Hollywoodbets has become the Brentford Football club’s main sponsor, and as part of the agreement, their name and the distinctive purple star will feature on the front of the club’s shirt for the next two football seasons.
The Hollywoodbets brand, which announced its association with the West London club on August 4, will capitalize on the EPL’s enormous global fanbase.
Hollywoodbets’ global exposure begins in earnest on Friday (9 pm), when Brentford hosts Arsenal in the season-opening EPL match.
Devin Heffer, Hollywoodbets marketing and communications manager, speaks with Carol Tshabalala, a sports broadcaster, about their sponsorship of English Premier League side Brentford FC.
Last year, a chance LinkedIn discussion between a Hollywoodbets official and a Brentford executive began communication between the two clubs. Brentford, nicknamed “The Bees,” competed in the Championship League, England’s second division, in the 2020/21 season, and moved to the EPL after winning the promotion play-offs.
Brentford will be making their 74-year comeback to England’s top flight when they face Arsenal on Friday. The irony is that Brentfort’s extended exile from top division football was precipitated by a 1-0 loss to Arsenal in 1947.
After barely missing out on promotion in the 2019/20 season, it appears that Brentford’s chances have improved after Hollywoodbets took over in November 2020.
The team was already on a three-match winning streak at the time, but that streak was extended to 18 games, resulting in their promotion.
Brentford CEO Jon Varney stated, “Hollywoodbets has gone on a journey with us.” They will gain the benefits of playing in the EPL, which hosts the world’s largest sporting events.”
Heffer stated that they were “fortunate” to be a part of Brentford’s winning journey and that they now had a “immense worldwide potential to extend their presence.” He believes that Hollywood’s recent expansion into the United Kingdom and Ireland will have a significant impact on their South African operations.
Hollywoodbets mobile began 22 years ago with a single betting establishment on Sandile Thusi (previously Argyle) Road in Durban. Their flagship location in Springfield debuted two years later. Currently, the firm has a nationwide presence thanks to its 86 betting shops.
Heffer stated that Hollywoodbets arose from a firm named “Winning Form,” which began producing racecards for horseracing in 1984. He said that Owen and Suren Rampersadh, their chief executive who joined the company in 1986, were “at the core of things and working behind the scenes.”
He feels that the legalization of sports betting after 1994 opened new avenues, and that when soccer betting took off around 2006, they upped the standard by leading the way with their mobile and internet betting facilities.
Heffer stated that they were enthusiastic about sport and community development, which led to their support of different athletic codes and organizations.
