Bringing bet365’s UEFA Champions League Sponsorship to Life

With the Champions League making its anticipated comeback this week, we’ve taken some time to reflect on some incredible work we’ve been involved in over the past year.

When bet365 became an Official Global Sponsor of the UEFA Champions League in 2024, it marked the start of something big. A three-season partnership with one of the most-watched sporting tournaments in the world, and a first-of-its-kind sponsorship for the brand.

bet365 didn’t just want to show up, they came to show out for the fans and make it clear they weren’t just part of the game, they were in it for the people who love it. As bet365’s lead creative agency, we worked alongside the brand, as well as sponsorship specialist agency Octagon, to bring to life a clear strategy and partnership campaign that puts fans first. This was about more than visibility, it was about value. Giving back. Creating unforgettable moments. And building real connections with the people who live and breathe the game.

Across the last year, we’ve worked on bold brand work, standout storytelling and fan-first activations that’ve landed across every touchpoint. With a global audience of 1.7billion, this was a big task we couldn’t wait to be involved in. Here’s what’s gone down:

Broadcast Sponsorship Bumpers (BSPs)

At the start of the 24/25 season, it was all about announcing the partnership, making bet365 stand out as the first betting partner of the Champions League.

Our in-house studio created a suite of broadcast sponsorship bumpers that aired during Champions League matches across key territories – keeping bet365’s affiliation with one of the top leagues front and centre at kick-off, half-time and full-time. The bumpers ran across multiple territories, all being translated into 16  languages. The result, over 800 bet365 UEFA specific billboards to kick start what we knew was going to be an incredible partnership.

Breaking News: DRTV Campaign

To capture viewers attention, we created a series of 30-second direct response TV ads – a continuation of our ‘Breaking News’ campaign first-launched last August – as part of their Never Ordinary brand platform.

Each one teased the ticket giveaways and bet365 product features, such as Super Boosts, delivered with the same immediacy and excitement you’d expect from a Champions League upset.

This format let us blend promotional content with real fan-first energy, while keeping it fast, disruptive and on-brand for bet365.

The Big Ticket Giveaway

At the heart of the campaign to promote bet365’s partnership with UEFA was the Big Ticket Giveaway – the largest ticket giveaway in UEFA Champions League history. Across the 24/25 season, bet365 gave away over 3,000 (yes, 3,000) match tickets to fans in the UK and Europe, a massive gesture that underlined bet365’s commitment to football fans, not just customers.

Our job was to make the giveaway impossible to ignore. We built a high-impact campaign with bold, irreverent visuals that worked across digital, social, print and OOH. The tone was playful but direct, ensuring fans knew these weren’t your average comps – these were tickets to the biggest games in club football.

The Big Ticket Printer

A billboard that actually printed tickets? Yes, really.

To make the initial launch campaign tangible (and grab headlines), Octagon launched the Big Ticket Printer in April 2024. A physical activation in London, fans could walk up and win real Champions League quarter-final tickets on the spot.

Working alongside Octagon on the look and feel, it was the first major activation of the partnership, and a powerful demonstration of bet365’s fan-first mindset in action.

The Big Ticket Giveaway Game 

bet365’s hero game for their ticket giveaway. A live football prediction game gave fans the chance to compete for merchandise, quarter final and final tickets. The Big Ticket Giveaway Game appeared in London and at the final in Munich. 

Providing all the branding assets for the project and supporting with a major localised OOH campaign, the Big Ticket Giveaway Game truly brought to life the activation of the project.

Watch Along Event

18 games. One screen for each.

With the introduction of the new league phase, matchweek 8 is unique – for the first time, all games kick off at the same time. So bet365 took over the top 2 floors of The Shard and screened all 18 matches simultaneously. It was the ultimate Champions League watch party, with fans soaking up the drama from every angle.

Taking responsibility for the creative design of the event, we helped bring this unforgettable night to life, in partnership with Hatch.

Champions Village, Munich Final

At the 2025 UEFA Champions League Final in Munich, we worked with Octagon and bet365 to deliver creative for the brand’s space within Champions Village – a premium corporate hospitality zone just a stone’s throw from the stadium.

Our creative helped turn bet365’s zone into a destination in its own right – one that reinforced the brand’s role as a fan-first sponsor in a high-end setting.  Continuing to work alongside Octagon as well as The Department, the events management company well versed in integrated brand experiences.

With the 2025–26 season kicking off, we’re ready to build on everything we’ve started, creating even bolder, more unforgettable moments for fans across the world. Keep an eye out for our new work launching soon.

Shoutout to Octagon, Hatch Communications, Weber Shandwick and The Department for helping to bring all of this to life.