Cazoo further expands sponsorship portfolio with WST deal

Online car retailer Cazoo has expanded its portfolio announcing a multi-year agreement with the World Snooker Tour (WST).

The company’s branding will feature on players’ waistcoats, interview and press conference backdrops and on the main set during matches, starting with the Players Championship from 22 to 29 February.

Additionally, the Players Championship, Tour Championship and World Grand Prix will be rebranded as a trio of events known as the Cazoo Series.

“We are delighted to partner with [WST chairman] Barry [Hearn] and his team at the World Snooker Tour to launch the Cazoo Series,” said Alex Chesterman, Chief Executive and founder of Cazoo.

“This partnership will help to further grow our audience as we continue to build Cazoo into a household brand and we look forward to engaging with and delivering the best car buying experience to snooker fans across the UK.”

The retailer now has a presence in four different sports, already holding sponsorship agreements with Premier League football club’s Aston Villa and Everton, as well as the The Hundred Twenty20 cricket tournament and the upcoming 2021 Rugby League World Cup.

Barry Hearn, Chairman of WST and promotions agency Matchroom Sports, has welcomed the deal as a shift away from sports’ reliance on sponsorship agreements with betting companies, which has come under increasing scrutiny from the UK Gambling Commission, responsible gambling charities and parliamentary reformers.

Speaking to SportBusiness, Hearn remarked: “For us, the opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time. We are going to come under pressure regarding gambling sponsorship.

“We’ve been discussing this for two to three years, everyone seems to be talking about it, whether it’ll be a ban or a tweak. There’s going to be some movement.”

Previous articleTest cricket returns to Channel 4 after 16 year absence
Next articleGambling reforms spell ‘disaster’ for UK sports, says Barry Hearn