William Hill Signs on with US Soccer Sponsorship

Having stated that they have been inundated with requests for commercial partnerships from the US, William Hill have now committed to their first sponsorship deal Stateside. This week’s announcement confirms that the established sportsbook will be the official betting partner of Las Vegas Lights FC, who play in the United Soccer League – USL.

The USL is a step below the MLS in the US but this remains a significant deal for Hills as they start to build their portfolio across the Atlantic.

Well Supported

Lights FC are said to be the most popular club in Vegas despite the fact that they were only formed as recently as August 2017. Lights started competitive action in March 2018 and the aim will clearly be to progress and to hopefully break into the MLS if they can build and improve on the pitch.

In order to achieve that aim, financial input is essential so William Hill’s assistance will be vital to the franchise moving forward.

Excited

We are excited to partner with Lights FC.

said William Hill’s UK Chief Executive Officer Joe Asher.

Las Vegas is truly a sports destination, and the Lights FC have been a great addition to the city. We look forward to seeing their continued success both on and off the field.

In reply, Lights FC owner and chief executive Brett Lashbrook merely added that William Hill were an

ideal partner for a pro sports team in Las Vegas.

Those are brief quotes for what is a huge development in US Sports Sponsorship and now that William Hill have broken ground following the relaxation of gambling rules in the country, we can surely expect more of these announcements to follow.

Bright Lights

Following their formation in 2017, Las Vegas Lights FC were accepted into the USL and are competing under the stewardship of Head Coach Isidro Sanchez, a former Canadian under 23 international.

Sanchez was born in Mexico and a number of Mexican players feature in the current roster at Lights. The squad has a good mixture of youth and experience but, as you would expect at this early stage of their development, there is a lack of familiar names here at present. The one possible exception is Freddy Adu, the former ‘wonderkid’ of US soccer whose career never really took off in the way that many expected.

Now aged 29, Adu had made five appearances for his new Las Vegas-based franchise at the time this announcement was made.

The name ‘Lights’ was decided upon after the new owners opened up a poll to the voting public. The club plays at the Cashman Field Stadium which has a capacity of 9,334 and they are attracting sizeable early crowds that are filling the ground.

It’s an exciting time for them and also for William Hill as they start their US partnership adventure. Meanwhile, the operator has devised a quick and easy way for fans to benefit too with a promotion that offers a $5.00 free bet for every game that Lights FC win this season.

Similar deals will undoubtedly follow but in the meantime, it will be fascinating to watch Las Vegas Lights FC develop under this groundbreaking arrangement.