Landmark Deal with W88 Marks Major Commercial Milestone for Sunderland AFC

Sunderland AFC has taken a major step forward in strengthening its commercial partnerships with the announcement of a landmark deal with W88, a leading name in sports betting and online gaming.

Over the past several years, W88 has formed partnerships with a number of well-known Premier League clubs.

These include Aston Villa, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Fulham, and Wolverhampton Wanderers—highlighting the brand’s growing presence and influence within the world of English football.

This latest agreement, which will be activated outside of the United Kingdom, gives W88 the opportunity to further expand its visibility on a global scale.

As part of the partnership, W88’s branding will be prominently featured across Sunderland’s official playing kits—including home, away, and third shirts—as well as on all adult replica versions throughout the entire 2025–26 season.

This marks a significant step in the brand’s strategy to reach football fans around the world through high-profile exposure.

Ashley Peden, Chief Commercial Officer, said the partnership with W88 marks the club’s biggest commercial deal ever and will play a key role in helping them compete in the Premier League.

“We are delighted to be partnering with W88, who possess a proven track record of establishing successful partnerships with elite sporting organisations, including Premier League Football Clubs,” Peden said via press release.

“The agreement represents the largest commercial deal in the Club’s history, and it will contribute significantly towards enabling the Club to compete in the Premier League.”

A W88 spokesperson expressed excitement about partnering with Sunderland AFC, praising the club’s rich history and seeing the collaboration as a great opportunity to engage overseas markets ahead of another thrilling season.

“It’s an incredible honour for all of us at W88 to be partnering with Sunderland AFC, a Club with such a storied history throughout the last 150 years,” said in a W88 Spokesperson via press release.

“Following an incredible return to the Premier League, we see SAFC as the perfect partner to activate within our overseas target markets, and we can’t wait to be collaborating with them ahead of what promises to be another exciting season on Wearside.”

The announcement kicks off what promises to be an exciting summer for SAFC’s business side, as Sunderland looks to grow its global network of partners and create even better experiences for fans—both at the stadium and around the world.

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Liverpool’s Bold New Move: The Game-Changing Partnership Set to Revolutionise the Club’s Future

Liverpool Football Club has kicked off a major new era by signing a multi-year global partnership with Trimble, a leading technology company set to revolutionise the club’s infrastructure and day-to-day operations.

The partnership will debut with a massive redevelopment of the Liverpool FC Academy — a project that promises to transform the way future Reds stars train and develop. The upgrade will feature a new full-size indoor pitch, an outdoor pitch with stands, and state-of-the-art medical and sports science facilities designed to nurture the club’s next generation of talent.

Using Trimble SketchUp®, the redevelopment will create a world-class environment for young players to learn, train and thrive. This collaboration ties directly into Liverpool’s broader vision to drive innovation, boost performance, and ensure its facilities continue to meet the demands of the modern game.

Beyond the infrastructure improvements, Trimble’s brand will also feature across Anfield and LFC’s digital platforms — reaching one of the largest audiences in global sport. With more than 215 million social followers, 12 million YouTube subscribers, and a staggering 583 million cumulative TV viewers across all competitions during the 2024/25 season, Trimble is set to gain enormous worldwide visibility.

Ben Latty, Chief Commercial Officer at Liverpool, said:
“Trimble’s technology and expertise will play an important role in how we continue to evolve our facilities to meet the needs of the modern game – starting with the redevelopment of our Academy.

“Innovation has always been central to the club’s approach, and this partnership brings a fresh perspective to how we design and deliver spaces that support our players, staff and fans. We’re delighted to welcome Trimble to the LFC partnership family.”

Rob Painter, President and CEO of Trimble, added:
“Our collaboration with Liverpool Football Club is a pivotal step in expanding our global reach.

“LFC, much like Trimble and its dedicated customers, embodies excellence and a relentless passion for continuous improvement. We’re confident that this unparalleled exposure will propel the brand further with extended global resonance.”

Liverpool’s latest move isn’t just another sponsorship deal — it’s a statement of intent. By joining forces with Trimble, the club is doubling down on innovation, investing in the future, and ensuring its young stars have the best possible platform to shine for years to come.

Launceston City Launches Inclusive Facility Upgrade

Launceston City FC has announced that work has commenced on a new refurbishment for the club’s change room endorsed by the Play Our Way program.

Built in 1979 by the club’s volunteers, the facility’s new refurbishment will include a new roof, a multipurpose and education room, a parent room, renovated changerooms, an undercover walkway, and a new entry.

Launceston City FC Director and lead strategic lead for the project, Jesse Woodroffe, spoke to Soccerscene about what the refurbishment will do for inclusivity and equality around the community.

“What it does is shows that we are a club for everyone, and having a standalone designated facility that’s prioritised for women and girls, sends a signal that sport is for everybody and gone are the days where there isn’t equal access,” she said.

“We are seeing a great shift nationwide in equitable access to facilities, grounds and change rooms; certainly, it wasn’t that way a few decades ago.

“Our hope is that we can offer this room and these facilities out to other groups or NGO’s as well.”

Launceston City aims to complete the refurbishment by April next year in order to have the new change rooms available for the upcoming season.

The project is supported under Stream 1 of the Australian Government’s $200 million Play Our Way Program and aims to deliver modern, inclusive changerooms for women and girls in Launceston’s community.

The Play Our Way Program

The Play Our Way Program is designed to remove barriers to participation, reduce discrimination, and promote equality in sport by funding local initiatives and ideas.

An input of experts across the sport sector and key Australian government agencies helped design the program, including an expert advisory panel of women with experience in community and professional sport.

“Play our Way is an opportunity for local governments, community organisations, the not-for-profit sector and sporting organisations to seek funding for localised solutions and improvements,” said Minister for Communications and Sport, Anika Wells, in a press release about the program.

“The program will be available for all sports, but it is anticipated soccer, as the highest participation sport in Australia, will need significant resourcing in the wake of the greatest Women’s World Cup ever.”

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