Hollywoodbets Sponsors the Dolphins
Hollywoodbets first entered the fray with the Dolphins as associate sponsors in the 2015/ 2016 season. Since the 2016/ 2017 season Hollywoodbets have progressed to becoming the full title sponsors of the Dolphins cricket franchise. This partnership has gone from strength to strength over the years. Hollywoodbets also acquired the naming rights sponsorship of Kingsmead stadium in Durban from October 2019.
Who is Hollywoodbets?
Hollywoodbets is a sports betting company, that operates in South Africa, Ireland, Mozambique and the United Kingdom. The company is based in South Africa, with its headquarters situated in the city of Durban. In 2000, Hollywoodbets opened their first retail branch and now operate more than 80 branches as well as online.
Cricket, rugby, football, and horse racing are a few of the sports that Hollywoodbets offers betting on. The horse racing track, Hollywood Park Racetrack in Los Angeles is where inspiration for the name came about. The company has continued to gain momentum over the years. In 2019 iGaming Business Magazine published the top 50 gaming sites worldwide. Hollywoodbets ranked number 8 on this list. It is clear to see that while the company has humble South African beginnings, it is making waves globally too.
Hollywoodbets and sports sponsorships
Hollywoodbets does not only have an affiliation to the KZNCU Dolphins. The company has been involved in multiple other sports sponsorships over the years.
In the football world, the 2019 COSAFA Cup held in Durban was an event that Hollywoodbets played a part in from a sponsorship perspective. In horse racing, the company is the naming rights sponsor for both the Greyville, and the Scottsville race courses. This is a three-year deal, which began in 2019. From a rugby perspective, Hollywoodbets has been the title sponsor of the Kwazulu-Natal interclub competition, the Murray Cup since 2018. The event has been around since 1890, and this makes it the oldest knockout rugby union competition in the world. More recently Hollywoodbets has become an associate sponsor to the Sharks rugby team. The deal will run for 3 years ending in 2022. The company logo will appear on the players kit in both Super Rugby and Currie Cup games.
The KZNCU Dolphins cricket franchise
The KZNCU Dolphins cricket franchise is one of the most successful South African cricket teams. Over the years they have won competitions in all three formats of the game. Most recently they shared the spoils of the 2019/ 2020 Momentum One Day Cup with the Warriors. The final match got abandoned due to rain, and thus no outright winner could be decided.
Along with domestic success, the franchise has also been a breeding ground for many cricket stars. Former players such as Lance Klusener, Jonty Rhodes and Shaun Pollock all went on to have successful careers playing for the national team, the Proteas. When not on national duty, Proteas players, Imran Tahir, Andile Phehlukwayo and David Millar are all part of the Hollywoodbets Dolphins squad .
The relationship between the franchise and Hollywoodbets has flourished since the initial associate deal was penned in the 2015/ 2016 season. The current title sponsor deal is set to expire at the end of 2020. It would not be a surprise if both parties extend the deal further into the future.
Hollywoodbets Sponsorship in South Africa
Hollywoodbets was nominated as sponsor of the year for the 2020 Momentum gsports Awards. The nomination was for the title sponsorship that Hollywoodbets has with the KwaZulu- Natal coastal women’s provincial cricket team. What is significant, is that this is the first female cricketing franchise that has ever received title sponsorship within South Africa.
The award ultimately went to SPAR, who has a long-standing affiliation with netball and road running. The nomination for Hollywoodbets however was still a cause to celebrate. It provides justification to a company that has so heavily invested in various sports, particularly within Kwa-Zulu Natal. With positive publicity such as this, Hollywoodbets will most likely continue to pursue sponsorship opportunities within the sports it offers betting on.
The sponsorship of sporting teams is a growing trend among sports betting companies. More and more betting companies are joining the party on a local and global level. While perhaps traditionally viewed as taboo, the affiliation with these companies seems to be more accepted nowadays. With a changing sports environment and the current global economic environment, one feels that the acceptance of non-traditional sponsors will become more common.
For the KZNCU Dolphins, the relationship with Hollywoodbets has been fruitful up until now. A common feeling is that both parties will be looking to extend this positive relationship into the future.
