Stake.com dodges Indian football sponsorship ban with media-led deal

Stake News will be the club’s new principal partner in a multi-year deal that will see the business sponsoring the Mumbai-based club’s first team match and training kits in the 2022-23 season and possibly further.

Stake News will also feature on matchdays and at the team’s training facility. In addition, the operator will be integrated into the club’s digital communication, with fans being able to follow team updates on the operator’s Indian website.

Stake News bears the same branding as cryptocurrency casino brand Stake.com. Online sports betting is generally not legal in India, barring certain exceptions, and online betting brands would not be permitted to sponsor football clubs.

Stake.com has sponsorship deals with Canadian rapper and singer Drake, English football teams Everton and Watford, as well as the UFC.

Kandarp Chandra Mumbai City FC CEO said the club was delighted to partner with Stake News. “Through the recent years, our focus has remained on bringing the fans closer to the club, both physically and digitally.

“Stake News’ support will help us accentuate our intent of engaging with our fans not just online, but on ground as well in what will be the first time we see fans return to the stadiums after two years. On behalf of Mumbai City, I would like to express my gratitude to Stake News and we look forward to building a successful relationship with our new principal partner.”

Akhil Sarin, director of acquisition at Stake News, added: “Stake News is delighted that Mumbai City FC has signed us on as their principal partner for the upcoming season. We fully bought into the club’s plans for expansion and can’t wait to see our branding on the shirt.”

He continued emphasising the value of the partnership for the business’s brand strategy.

“This partnership will give us an opportunity to build a community of sports enthusiasts in India by bringing resourceful news and driving key awareness within the global sports market.”