William Hill to sponsor UK Racing League

The bookmaker William Hill will be the title sponsor of the first Racing League, a new team-based competition.

UK.- William Hill has been named as the title sponsor of the debut Racing League, the first team-based horseracing competition to be launched in the UK.

The new competition, which will begin at Newcastle Racecourse on July 29, is intended to rejuvenate public interest in horseracing in the UK. It will feature 12 teams competing in 36 handicap races to be held on Thursday nights over six weeks.

Organised by Championship Horseracing, there’s a guaranteed £1.8m in prize money – £50,000 for each race, plus a £200,000 race day bonus for the winning team and top three jockeys.

William Hill gains naming rights for Racing League

William Hill will have all branding and naming rights for the Racing League and at the four host racecourses: Newcastle, Doncaster, Lingfield Park and Royal Windsor. Team sponsors for the debut event include eToro, ODDSbible, GOAT Agency, Swish and talkSport.

Liam McKee, William Hill’s head of sponsorship and media, said: “At William Hill, racing is part of our DNA, and the Racing League is a truly unique and innovative project that we are delighted to be involved in. Bring on next Thursday.”

William Hill has already set the ante-post prices for the Racing League’s 12 teams based on their chances of winning.

Racing League chief marketing officer Oli Harris said: “William Hill is one of the biggest names in the sports industry, and will help take Racing League to the next level in terms of our profile.

“We are very much looking forward to working with the team at William Hill to maximise this relationship. With a week to go until our first event, it’s a very exciting time for Racing League.”

William Hill’s European business is currently up for sale following Caesars Entertainment’s acquisition of the British bookmaker. The private equity firm Advent International has emerged as the latest possible buyer for the business.

Last week, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) announced that its executive director Will Lambe will step down at the end of next month.

Earlier this week, AB Trav och Galopp (ATG), the operator of licensed horseracing and trotting venues in Sweden confirmed that it is no longer accepting customer registrations from non-nationals.