William Hill Becomes FA Cup Official Sponsor

Successful UK land and online betting giant William Hill has signed a two and a half year deal that has seen it become the main sponsor of the FA Cup football competition, as well as the England national football squad until the World Cup.

Under the terms of the FA Cup sponsorship deal, William Hill will be the 'official betting partner' of the FA Cup, starting from this weekend which marks the third round of the top-rated English knockout football competition, and the 'official supporter' of the English national football team right up until the final whistle of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

The FA Cup sponsorship is a major coup for William Hill, considering that the football competition is the planet's oldest, dating all the way back to 1871. As part of the Will Hill FA Cup sponsorship, the leading betting and gaming firm will be able to enjoy a number of promotional, advertising and image opportunities.

FA Sponsorship a Great Opportunity for Will Hill

Said William Hill CEO Ralph Topping, 'We've been looking for sponsorship opportunities from which we can reward and engage with our customers for the events they most enjoy. As such, this deal with The Football Association will help us to achieve our objectives of developing the prominence of our brand and increasing market share in all our business channels.'

Topping went on to say that he expects the next two and a half years to be an exciting time for football in the UK and that he couldn't be more pleased that William Hill is now associated with both the FA Cup and the England national football side.

'Our FA Cup official betting partner status complements our existing partnership with the Scottish Football Association and our sponsorship of the Scottish Cup, with which we are already extremely delighted,' he continued, 'It becomes a welcome addition to our quality range of sponsorships within darts, snooker and racing.'

However, the sponsorship is a symbiotic one, as the FA Cup will also greatly benefit from being associated with one of the UK's best known and favourite betting brands in William Hill, a firm whose betting shops have been a welcome fixture up and down British high streets for decades.

Will Strengthen FA Cup Communication Platform

This was reiterated by Football Association Head of Sponsorship, Peter Daire, who said: 'We are delighted to have William Hill on board, which has a strong track record in sports sponsorship and a considerable online and high street presence that will enable us to strengthen our communication platforms for England and the FA Cup.

'In return, William Hill will benefit from an association with two of the highest-profile football sponsorship properties in the world,' he said.