Aston Villa Football Club has signed a deal with BK8, which will see the company become the club’s new front-of-shirt (FOS) sponsor.
The deal is valid for the next three seasons – until the end of the 2025/26 season – and has stated that it will give back to charity as part of the deal.
BK8 has worked with mental health charities to promote awareness in the past two years.
Speaking about the brand’s charitable aims, BK8 EMEA Managing Director Michael Gatt said: “We are really delighted to be able to announce our support for local charities as part of our exciting new partnership with Aston Villa.
"Being able to give something back to the supporters for their dedication is a hugely significant part of the reason we want to be involved with a prestigious institution, which is what Aston Villa Football Club are.
“As a brand working in football for the last few years, we have committed to working closely with our partners’ local community initiatives and ensure we continue our commitment to delivering on our ambitions in this area.”
An Aston Villa spokesperson said: “Through this partnership with BK8, we look forward to exciting collaborations together that will help to grow both brands, particularly within Southeast Asia.”
The deal comes after Premier League clubs voted to get rid of FOS gaming sponsorship ahead of the publication of the UK’s gambling reform White Paper.
The ban will come into force from the 2026/27 season, meaning that Aston Villa is free to make the deal with BK8.
The move caused Villa’s Chief Executive, Christian Purslow, to speak publicly about his displeasure at the ban, highlighting that it is harder for clubs outside the ‘big six’ to financially compete, stating earlier this year: “The commercial reality is that to teams outside the top six, such sponsors offer clubs twice as much financially as non-gambling companies.”
