English Premier League (EPL) side Sunderland have a new sleeve sponsor, in the shape of sports betting and crypto casino site Shuffle.
A multi-year deal between the two parties was unveiled yesterday, with the Shuffle logo to be present on the sleeves of the Sunderland men's team's matchday shirts from this weekend (when they play champions Arsenal) onwards.
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The deal stretches across the Premier League, as well as the domestic FA Cup and League Cup competitions, and the UEFA Europa League, in which pan-European competition Sunderland will compete for the first time this season.
Aside from the central sleeve sponsorship element, the two parties will also work together on collaborative content, fan experiences, digital activations, and influencer marketing, Sunderland have said.
While betting and casino brands are now barred from appearing as front-of-shirt sponsors at EPL clubs (which resulted in Sunderland having to jettison their partner in that respect, W88) as of the start of 2026-27, there are no regulations preventing them from taking sleeve sponsorship inventory.
For the last two seasons, the north-eastern club had Serios Group, the data solutions provider, as their sleeve sponsor (that deal has now been extended but downgraded).
Other key partners include Hummel (kit supplier), with no brand as yet in as the new front-of-shirt partner.
Scott McCubbin, Sunderland's chief commercial officer, commented: "Shuffle is an exciting, ambitious global brand and we are looking forward to working closely with them as they continue to build their profile and pursue their ambition to become a market leader."
Noah Dummett, co-founder of Shuffle, added: "Sunderland has a strong presence among Premier League fans around the world, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be aligned with the team and supporters as they push to the top.”
Elsewhere in the world of EPL teams' sponsorship deals, Sunderland's bitter local rivals Newcastle have extended their deal with online gaming and betting heavyweight LeoVegas Group.
That multi-year extension, announced earlier this week, will see the BetMGM brand serve as the UK and European betting partner of Newcastle.
Again, the ban on betting brands taking front-of-shirt sponsorship inventory has not impacted them snapping up other club rights.
The initial commercial relationship between Newcastle and LeoVegas began in September 2023, with this extension having been valued by GlobalData Sport at $3.5 million annually.
One activation set to come out of the partnership in 2026-27 will be the BetMGM Half-Time Challenge, in which fans have the chance to win a trip to Las Vegas by competing.
Newcastle's front-of-shirt partner, as of a deal unveiled in mid-June, is Knox Hydration, while their kit supplier is Adidas.
