Liverpool FC Bucks the UK Trend, Signs up Interwetten as Sports Betting Partner

Posted on: May 9, 2022, 09:24h. 

Last updated on: May 10, 2022, 12:00h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

Amid a push to separate sports teams from sports betting in the UK, Liverpool FC is heading in the opposite direction. It already has deals with betting operators, but just added another through a tie-in with Interwetten.

Liverpool FC
Liverpool FC players celebrate during a recent victory against Villareal. The UK soccer club is partnering with sports betting operator Interwetten. (Image: FirstSportz)

The UK’s gambling scene is undoubtedly going to become more restrictive in the very near future. The continued push to widen the gap between sports and sports betting is finding more support. Sponsorships, advertising and more are no longer as welcome as they once were.

Liverpool FC (LFC) is following its own path and isn’t going to become part of the herd. It already has partnerships with operators in the gaming space and is going to include another. It announced that it has now partnered with sports betting operator Interwetten.

The new partnership includes a number of benefits for the operator, including offline promotions and branding on Liverpool’s digital channels. It is reported to be a long-term relationship that “puts fans at the core” of the joint engagement.

Sports and Sports Betting Walk the Same Line

Interwetten hopes the new partnership will help it fulfill its goal of delivering “emotional brand experiences,” as well as entertainment opportunities for soccer fans. However, the move comes at a tenuous time for the UK sports betting industry, which is losing support from soccer teams across the country.

Still, Liverpool, which just qualified for the Champions League final later this month, is happy with its sports betting partnerships and initiatives. The latest arrangement follows one it created with 188Bet in September of last year.

That three-year partnership with 188Bet gives the soccer club extensive exposure in the Asian market. Here, Liverpool consistently ranks as one of the most popular Premier League teams in the region, according to data from content provider Ganassa. Manchester United may be at the top of the charts in Asia, but Liverpool has a strong following in China, Japan, South Korea, and more.

Liverpool Gets in on NFTs

Liverpool enjoys making moves that will set it apart from the rest of the pack. Another example is its decision to embrace non-fungible tokens (NFT). This past March, in partnership with Sotheby’s, it launched its first official NFT collection, “The LFC Heroes Club.”

The collection features 24 Liverpool men’s soccer team players. The illustrations, available through two types of digital collectibles, will “bring their individual and superhuman characteristics to life.”

Research from the club found that almost 25% of 18-34-year-olds would be very likely to participate in an official NFT offer from the club. As a result, the launch was “a great chance to offer fans something truly special and at the same time give back” to the charity, according to the club’s senior VP of digital, Drew Crisp.

Together we have created a new digital art collection, which celebrates LFC heroes and leverages our web3 technology to enable the club’s passionate and global supporter group to be a part of this exciting initiative for the long term,” stated Sotheby’s MD for EMEA and executive lead for Sotheby’s Metaverse, Sebastian Fahey.

Fans were able to purchase a randomly-generated Heroes Club NFT during the initial sale. The LFC Foundation, the club’s charitable arm, receives half of the proceeds from that sale. It also receives 10% of future resale royalties and 10% of LFC Limited Edition Heroes sales.