BoyleSports has been unveiled as West Ham United’s new shirt sponsor, marking a major step in the Irish company’s aggressive push into the British market. The deal, worth up to £13 million, comes alongside a complete rebrand of the bookmaker and plans to invest £100 million in opening 200 new shops across Britain.
Final Year Before Premier League Ban
The sponsorship agreement gives the company just one year to activate its full West Ham partnership before new rules take effect. A ban on bookmakers placing their names on Premier League shirt fronts begins next summer, forcing the branding to move to the shirt sleeves after the 2025-26 season.
West Ham has landed one of the most valuable sponsorship windows in recent memory. No other betting company will get this opportunity again once the Premier League shuts the door on front-of-shirt gambling adverts. Football supporters who want to understand how the betting world works around the sport can find useful information through football betting picks, which break down market trends and how betting decisions are made.
From Armagh to the Premier League
BoyleSports began in 1982 when John Boyle opened his first betting shop in Markethill, County Armagh. The company has grown to become Ireland’s largest independently owned bookmaking brand, now operating 390 outlets with 70 already established in Britain.
Vlad Kaltenieks, the Latvian law graduate who became chief executive in December 2022, believes the UK represents an undervalued opportunity. While rivals such as William Hill and Ladbrokes close their British shops to focus on US markets and online platforms, BoyleSports sees space for expansion.
Retail Strategy Against Digital Trend
Despite widespread industry movement toward online operations, Kaltenieks describes himself as a strong believer in retail experiences. The company plans to transform the traditional British betting environment, which industry sources describe as having a “quite dingy” culture compared to other markets.
Plans include opening a flagship “super shop” in London, designed in the style of premium retailers like Nike or Apple rather than conventional betting outlets. This approach mirrors BoyleSports’ Irish success, where the company has built customer loyalty through superior service and shop atmosphere.
Three-Year Partnership Structure
The West Ham agreement extends beyond the single season of shirt front placement. Once the Premier League ban begins, BoyleSports will pay approximately £5 million annually to appear on the team’s shirt sleeves for the remaining two years of the deal.
This structure provides three full seasons of Premier League exposure, with the branding simply moving location after year one. Should West Ham face relegation during this period, BoyleSports could potentially return to front-of-shirt placement, as the voluntary ban applies only to Premier League clubs.
Geographic Surprise
The partnership has surprised people in the betting world because BoyleSports barely operates in East London. Most of their British shops sit in the Midlands and up north, where they have backed football teams such as Newcastle, Sunderland, and Birmingham City before.
This geographic mismatch suggests the deal serves brand-building purposes rather than immediate local customer conversion. The Premier League platform offers nationwide television exposure that could support shop expansion plans across multiple UK regions.
Market Opportunity
Kaltenieks says shareholders will pay for the UK expansion plans, which take advantage of bigger competitors pulling out of the market. Being family-owned and independent means BoyleSports can make long-term bets that stock market companies often won’t touch.
The West Ham deal marks BoyleSports’ first time on a Premier League shirt, giving them much bigger exposure than their old Championship club deals. This fits perfectly with their plan to open more physical shops just as rivals abandon the high street
