Birmingham City FC has named Coral as its new principal partner, marking the first front-of-shirt sponsorship in the betting brand’s 100-year history. 

The deal will see Entain-owned Coral branding appear on the men’s and women’s home, away and third kits for Birmingham’s 2026/27 campaign, elevating its existing role as the club’s official betting partner – which it has been for the past two seasons.

During that time, the partnership has delivered fan engagement initiatives and community projects, including Coral’s pledge to donate £500 to charity for every home goal scored by Birmingham’s men’s and women’s teams last season. 

The initiative raised more than £40,000 for the Birmingham City Foundation and will continue during the 2026/27 season.

Birmingham’s bright future?

That was during The Blues’ first season back in the EFL Championship – England’s second tier. 

Birmingham ended the season in 10th – nine points adrift of the playoffs – and while that may be considered a reputable finish, the club were tipped for promotion given their recent high-profile investment. 

US-based Shelby Companies Limited (SCL) – a subsidiary of Knighthead Capital Management – took over 100% of the club in November 2025. 

Knighthead has an estimated total regulatory assets under management (AUM) of approximately $19bn, while NFL legend Tom Brady has a minority investment in Birmingham.

The club is once again tipped for big things for the 2026/27 season and is looking to return to the Premier League after a now-15-year absence. 

Birmingham City Chief Executive Officer, Jeremy Dale, said Coral had become “a trusted and valued partner” over the past 18 months.

He commented: “This partnership represents much more than a sponsorship agreement. Coral has become a trusted and valued partner of ours over the past 18 months, consistently putting supporters at the heart of everything they do.

“From creating memorable experiences for fans to raising more than £40,000 for the Birmingham City Foundation through their support of both our Men’s and Women’s teams, they have demonstrated a genuine commitment to our club and the city we represent.

“As a long-established British brand operating under a UK Gambling Commission licence, they share our commitment to integrity, trust and doing things the right way. 

“Their decision to take their first-ever front-of-shirt sponsorship with our club is a powerful endorsement of our vision, our ambition and testament to how our teams work together so constructively.”

A marked shift for Entain and Coral

For Entain, the agreement represents a high-profile investment in football partnerships at a time when licensed operators are increasingly positioning themselves against the unlicensed gambling market ahead of tighter sponsorship rules.

It has been Entain at the forefront of the challenge against the black market, and the company recently welcomed the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) decision to consult on eliminating these companies from sponsoring sports clubs in Britain, though it did call for the timeline to be moved forward.

In the past few months, Entain has written to Premier League clubs sporting these sponsors on the front of their shirts, as well as the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) and the Premier League itself. 

It marks a notable shift in the firm’s marketing strategy though, given it recently gave up its 52-year sponsorship of the Cheltenham Festival’s Coral Cup (now the BetMGM Cup), having said it would have to cut its marketing spend largely due to the impacts of the Autumn Budget, where tax on remote gaming duty (RGD) rose to 40%. 

Also, as aforementioned, it is Coral’s first front-of-shirt deal in its 100-year history. 

Entain had been largely receptive of the voluntary front-of-shirt sponsorship ban for gambling companies on Premier League clubs, despite its vocal push for unlicensed firms to be pushed out of the sponsorship running entirely. 

The ban has led gambling operators down other routes. Betano has become the sleeve sponsor of Aston Villa and the training kit sponsor of Tottenham Hotspur. 

Betway are also said to be working on a training kit sponsorship deal with Manchester United. 

For other bookmakers, like Coral with Birmingham, the Championship has become a more viable avenue – Midnite has secured a plethora of partnerships with big-name Championship sides, while BOYLE Sports has continued its front-of-shirt deal with West Ham United after The Hammers’ relegation from the Premier League in 2025/26. 

Despite their recent woes, Birmingham is still a club which pulls in over 20,000 fans at most home games at St Andrew’s. 

The club are also set to move to a 60,000 plus capacity stadium in the next few years and could well be a team rising further in popularity due to their high-profile investors, which could also benefit Entain’s Coral.

Bejay Patel, Managing Director, UK and Ireland at Entain, said: “We are very proud of the partnership we have developed with Birmingham City Football Club and delighted to take this relationship to the next level. 

“This is the first time in Coral’s history that we have become a front-of-shirt football sponsor and who better to do that with than the Blues, a club that shares our long history and our passion in putting fans first.

“As a brand that has been part of British communities for generations, Coral is committed to creating outstanding experiences for supporters while promoting safer gambling and raising awareness of the risks associated with unlicensed operators.

“During the coming season, we will continue to create memorable moments for fans and support the amazing work of the Birmingham City Foundation through our backing of both the men’s and women’s teams.”

The news also comes on the same day that Entain Non-Executive Director, Rahul Welde, stepped down from his role at the company. 

Welde had spent four years at the firm and described working there as “a privilege”.