Newcastle United will look to 'follow the route' pioneered by Manchester United in securing geographical sponsors after confirming Sela as the club's new principal sponsor. That is the view of football finance expert Kieran Maguire, with Fun88's recent switch to becoming the club's official betting partner for Asia already a sign of this likely strategy.
Fun88 were replaced as the club's front-of-shirt sponsor following six seasons this summer, although the betting firm's association with the Magpies will continue in a new capacity. Newcastle's new arrangement with Sela is understood to be worth around £25 million per year, with the club's pre-season tournament at St James' Park also named after the Saudi events company.
It represents a sizable improvement on the previous agreement with Fun88, but one that still leaves the Magpies trailing the Premier League's elite. United have taken early strides to address this commercial deficit, most notably with the appointment of chief commercial officer Peter Silverstone, and Maguire reckons the club will look to replicate the model in use at Old Trafford.
