By Benoit Karl · Published 23 August 2026
BK8 has sponsored several English and Spanish football clubs since 2021, most visibly a high-profile Aston Villa shirt deal that lasted only one season before being replaced. Its football history also includes a Norwich City sponsorship cancelled within days, deals with Crystal Palace, Burnley, and Huddersfield Town, and partnerships with five La Liga clubs. As of this page’s last update, BK8 does not hold a front-of-shirt deal with any Premier League club.
Which football clubs has BK8 sponsored?
BK8 has signed sponsorship deals with at least eight football clubs across two countries since 2021: Norwich City, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Burnley, and Huddersfield Town in England, and Athletic Club Bilbao, Elche, RCD Mallorca, Valencia, and Villarreal in Spain’s La Liga, where BK8 was reported as their “Official Asian Betting Partner.”
The scale and visibility of these deals varied widely, from full front-of-shirt sponsorship at Aston Villa to smaller regional or LED-board partnerships at other clubs. Not every deal has been reported in full detail, and the exact sponsorship tier of some smaller deals is not confirmed here.
Why did BK8’s Norwich City sponsorship end after days?
Norwich City cancelled its one-year, £5 million principal sponsorship deal with BK8 within days of announcing it in June 2021, after BK8’s social media promotion for the deal included sexualised imagery and video content that fans and media described as inappropriate for a football club sponsorship.
Norwich asked BK8 to remove the material, then terminated the agreement roughly three days after the initial announcement, later apologising to fans for the partnership. The club subsequently signed Lotus Cars as its shirt sponsor. Norwich’s previous sponsor, before the BK8 episode, had been the gambling brand Dafabet.
What happened to BK8’s Aston Villa shirt sponsorship?
Aston Villa announced a three-year principal and front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with BK8 in June 2023, despite objections from fan groups given BK8’s history with Norwich City. Reported annual values for the deal vary by source, ranging from roughly £8 million to £12 million per year.
The deal did not run its full three years. In April 2024, Aston Villa confirmed that Greek betting brand Betano would replace BK8 as front-of-shirt sponsor from the 2024/25 season, in a two-year deal reported at around £20 million per year, roughly double what BK8 had been paying. BK8’s tenure as Aston Villa’s shirt sponsor therefore covered only the 2023/24 season.
Does BK8 currently sponsor any football club?
Not as a front-of-shirt Premier League sponsor, based on the sources available for this page. Betano’s Aston Villa deal ran through the end of the 2025/26 season, after which the Premier League’s ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship took effect for 2026/27; Aston Villa’s new front-of-shirt partner for that season is Visit Rwanda, a non-gambling brand.
Whether BK8 retains any of its smaller club deals (Crystal Palace, Burnley, Huddersfield Town) or its La Liga partnerships at the time of reading has not been independently reconfirmed for this page, since sponsorship deals of that size are not always publicly announced when they end. Readers should treat any current-club claim as needing a fresh check against the club’s own channels.
How does BK8’s football sponsorship history compare with its MotoGP deal?
BK8’s football deals were shirt and secondary sponsorships of individual clubs, several of which were short-lived or replaced within one to two seasons. Its MotoGP title sponsorship of Gresini Racing, by contrast, began in 2025 and was extended in 2026 through the 2028 season, a longer and more stable commitment than any of BK8’s football deals to date.
The football deals nonetheless established BK8 as an active sports sponsor in Europe before its move into motorsport, and the pattern of short club tenures at Norwich and Aston Villa is relevant context for readers evaluating the brand’s sponsorship commitments generally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does BK8 currently sponsor a Premier League club?
No, not as a front-of-shirt sponsor. Its last Premier League front-of-shirt deal, with Aston Villa, ended after the 2023/24 season when Betano took over, and the Premier League has since banned front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship from the 2026/27 season onward.
Why was BK8’s Norwich City deal cancelled?
Norwich City cancelled the deal about three days after announcing it in June 2021, after BK8’s promotional content for the sponsorship was widely criticised as sexualised and inappropriate for a football club partnership.
How long did BK8 actually sponsor Aston Villa?
One season. A three-year deal was announced in June 2023, but Aston Villa replaced BK8 with Betano from the 2024/25 season, cutting the original agreement short.
Which Spanish clubs has BK8 sponsored?
BK8 was reported as the “Official Asian Betting Partner” of five La Liga clubs: Athletic Club Bilbao, Elche, RCD Mallorca, Valencia, and Villarreal.
Is BK8’s MotoGP sponsorship connected to its football deals?
Both are sponsorships by the same BK8 brand, but they are separate commercial agreements with different teams and sports. The MotoGP deal with Gresini Racing has run longer and was extended through 2028, unlike BK8’s shorter football club partnerships.
Sponsorship dates, club names, and deal terms on this page are drawn from sports-business press coverage, cross-checked against multiple independent sources where possible. Reported deal values vary between sources and are presented as ranges where sources disagree. This page covers BK8’s sports sponsorship history only. It makes no claim about BK8’s licensing, legality, ownership, or operating status in any jurisdiction. See our Editorial Policy for how we verify claims like these, or our About page to learn more about this site.