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1xCare: Why Football Remains the Most Powerful Sponsorship Tool – When Partnerships Build Trust

By jili tutorial · September 11, 2026

1xCare: Why Football Remains the Most Powerful Sponsorship Tool – When Partnerships Build Trust

Introduction: The Unrivaled Global Reach of Football

Football is not just the world’s most popular sport – it occupies a category of its own. The numbers are staggering: an estimated 1.5 billion people watched the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, where Spain defeated Argentina. FIFA itself claims that upwards of 5 billion people worldwide identify as football fans. Ancient historian Tom Holland has described the game as the most popular pastime in all of human history. Its simplicity – a ball, a goal, minimal equipment – makes it accessible to almost anyone, while its psychological benefits, such as community cohesion, a sense of belonging, and identity, create deep emotional bonds.

For brands, this represents an unparalleled opportunity. Football allows companies to communicate with audiences on a scale and with an intensity that no other sport – or even traditional advertising medium – can match. Yet as Chris Bird, a member of the 1xCare Advisory Committee, explains, visibility alone is not enough. “Football can give a brand enormous visibility, but visibility is not the same as trust,” he told SBC News. “Trust comes from what the brand does with the partnership.”

This guide explores why football remains the sponsorship gold standard, how trust can make or break those partnerships, and what operators and clubs must do to build genuine, responsible connections with fans. We draw on insights from Bird, a former COO of Manchester City FC and current advisor to 1xCare, a non-profit focused on player protection.

H2: Why Football Dominates the Sponsorship Landscape

H3: Scale Beyond Any Other Sport

Football’s global footprint is unmatched. Beyond the 1.5 billion who watched the 2026 World Cup final, the sport’s daily engagement is extraordinary. Marketing agency SportFive estimates that sponsors see a 41% higher product use and 40% higher likability among fans compared to non-fans. Meanwhile, 65% of individuals aged 16–24 actively engage with football content on social media. These statistics demonstrate that the sport doesn’t just attract passive viewers – it creates active, loyal communities that are highly receptive to brand messages.

H3: Tribal Loyalty and Emotional Connection

Football clubs are not businesses – they are institutions, almost tribal in nature. Fans identify with their club in ways that transcend logic. A shirt sponsor’s logo becomes part of a fan’s identity. When a brand aligns itself with a club, it inherits a share of that emotional investment. But that inheritance comes with responsibility. As Bird puts it: “Putting a name on a shirt or around a stadium is the easy part. What matters is the behaviour behind it.”

H3: The Trust Deficit – Why Visibility Isn’t Enough

Many brands assume that simply being seen equals success. Yet the most visible sponsorships can backfire if fans perceive the brand as exploitative, unethical, or disconnected from the club’s values. The key is trust – and trust is earned through consistent, positive actions. Football supporters are highly attuned to authenticity. A partnership that feels transactional will quickly be met with skepticism, while one that demonstrates genuine care for the community can generate lifelong loyalty.

H2: How Trust Can Make or Break Football Sponsorships

H3: The Psychology of Fan Trust

When a fan sees a brand sponsoring their club, they subconsciously ask: “Does this brand respect my club? Does it respect me?” This is where responsible behaviour becomes a competitive advantage. Bird notes that trust comes from “being responsible, respecting supporters and contributing something positive.” Partnerships that can create genuine connections with supporters are the ones that win in the long term.

H3: Real-World Examples of Trust Erosion

History offers cautionary tales. Sponsorships that have been perceived as predatory – especially in sectors like gambling, alcohol, or fast food – have faced public backlash, regulatory crackdowns, and even fan boycotts. The Premier League’s voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships, which came into effect this season, is a direct response to growing concerns about the impact of betting advertising on young and vulnerable audiences. Trust, once broken, is difficult to rebuild.

H3: The Business Case for Trust-Based Sponsorship

The rewards of a trust-based approach are measurable. SportFive’s data shows that fans who trust a sponsor are far more likely to purchase products, recommend the brand, and engage with its content. For operators in the gambling sector, this is especially critical. Trust not only protects the brand’s reputation but also ensures the partnership is sustainable in the face of evolving regulation and public opinion.

H2: Putting Responsible Gambling at the Heart of Partnerships

H3: What Responsible Sponsorship Looks Like – According to Chris Bird

Bird, drawing on decades of experience in football, media, and betting, outlines a clear framework for operators and clubs. It begins with a shared agreement on how the brand will be promoted. According to Bird, this must include:

H3: The Role of 1xCare – A New Model for Player Protection

1xCare is an independent non-profit formed earlier this year to connect research, education, technology, and well-being support across the global gambling ecosystem. It is a separate entity from 1xBet, the global operator with more than 35 licenses worldwide and sponsorship deals with FC Barcelona, Paris St. Germain, and the Confederation of African Football. These partnerships give 1xBet access to a staggering combined following of 442 million (Barcelona), 235 million (PSG), and 20 million (CAF) – a total audience of nearly 700 million people.

But with such scale comes responsibility. Bird, who serves as an independent member of 1xCare’s Advisory Committee, explains: “Partnerships of this size create both an opportunity and a responsibility. Meaningful engagement must be about more than brand exposure. It should include education, clear responsible gambling information, support for communities and strong protection for adult customers. The bigger the partnership, the greater the responsibility to use it properly.”

H3: Practical Steps for Operators

Bird highlights several concrete actions operators should take:

  1. Understand the audience and local laws – what works in one country may be illegal or culturally inappropriate in another.
  2. Ensure promotion is directed only at adults – never present gambling as a route to success, status, or financial security.
  3. Provide clear limits – users should set deposit, loss, and time limits easily.
  4. Make support services visible – helplines, self-exclusion tools, and links to problem gambling charities.
  5. Train staff and club employees – everyone involved in the partnership should understand responsible gambling principles.
  6. Offer independent advice – not everything in a partnership should be focused on profiteering.

H2: 1xCare’s Mission – From Advisory to Action

H3: A Non-Profit with a Purpose

Led by Chair Simon Westbury, 1xCare is committed to engaging industry stakeholders on safer gambling initiatives. It aims to be a place where diverse expertise comes together to offer independent advice, ask difficult questions, and challenge the business where necessary. Bird describes it as “a place where people with different experience can offer independent advice, ask difficult questions and challenge the business where necessary.”

H3: Bird’s Unique Perspective

Bird brings a wealth of hands-on experience to the committee. He served as CEO of the Raheem Sterling Foundation, is an advisor to Betfred founder Fred Done, and spent over 20 years working around the betting industry alongside his roles in football and media. “What I can do is bring practical experience from football, media, business, charities and more than 20 years working around the betting industry,” he says. “I can help identify risks and keep the focus on adult customer protection, prevention, integrity and social responsibility.”

He stresses that 1xCare must not become a “marketing badge.” Instead, it must “listen, learn, measure its work and be honest about where improvements are needed.”

H3: From Theory to Practice – The Madrid Football Summit

Next week, Bird will attend the Madrid Football Summit, an event that brings together clubs, operators, governing bodies, advisers, regulators, and player welfare professionals. The summit is a forum for discussing best practices on a wide range of issues, with a focus on responsibility in sponsorship.

“Progress comes when those people listen to each other and are prepared to discuss the difficult issues, not just the commercial opportunity,” Bird notes. “These events can help share good practice and create standards that work across different countries. They can also move the conversation away from slogans and towards practical action.”

The Premier League’s voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships – a landmark shift – underscores the urgency of these conversations. Bird is clear about his role: “I am not attending to defend everything the industry has done. I am there to help improve what it does next. The future of football sponsorship has to be more open, more responsible and more accountable. It should protect adults who choose to gamble, protect the integrity of football and recognise the influence these partnerships have on the wider community.”

H2: Conclusion – The Path Forward for Football Sponsorship

Football’s power as a sponsorship tool is undeniable. Its scale, emotional depth, and cultural resonance offer brands a platform like no other. But the era of simple logo placement is over. The most successful partnerships will be those that go beyond visibility to build genuine trust with fans. That means embedding responsible practices into every level of the partnership – from marketing messages to staff training to independent measurement.

Organizations like 1xCare are pioneering this new model, proving that player protection and commercial success are not mutually exclusive. As Chris Bird sums up: “If I can help bring those different interests together and turn good intentions into action that can be measured, then I will have made a useful contribution.”

For any brand considering a football sponsorship, the lesson is clear: trust is the ultimate currency – and it can only be earned through authentic, responsible engagement.