OLBG CEO Urges Sports Partnerships to Go Beyond Brand Exposure

OLBG Chief Executive Officer Richard Moffat insists that modern sports partnerships must offer more than traditional brand exposure. OLBG aims to use its collaborations to transition from a betting community to a broader sports entertainment brand. To achieve this, the company is concentrating on projects that provide content, behind-the-scenes access, and experiential engagement for UK sports bettors.

OLBG’s Position on Sports Partnerships

Richard Moffat laid out OLBG’s current philosophy on partnerships: relationships must “invite people into the story rather than simply asking them to watch it.” The company seeks to deepen the connection between its brand and sports fans through immersive content and exclusive experiences. Moffat emphasised that superficial sponsorships are no longer sufficient:

"This season, we have prioritised partnerships that involve fans and customers directly," said Moffat. "It’s about depth and authenticity, not quantity."

The approach reflects a shift seen among a number of operators looking to extend reach beyond sheer brand presence into media and fan engagement.

Collaboration Examples: Dorking Wanderers and The Jeff Stelling Show

OLBG’s long-term partnership with football club Dorking Wanderers operates as a ‘narrative partnership.’ According to Moffat, OLBG integrates with the club’s ongoing journey—specifically Dorking Wanderers’ ambition of reaching League Two. Recently, OLBG began developing a new show in cooperation with the club’s founder, owner, and manager, Marc White. The company anticipates this concept will build on strategies trialled with The Jeff Stelling Show.

On the media side, OLBG’s collaboration with veteran presenter Jeff Stelling has produced significant digital engagement. The “Jeff Stelling Show” content partnership has, by Moffat’s figures, "generated millions of views across social media and YouTube." This points to a broader strategy where content—rather than in-stadium signage or shirt branding—acts as the main interface between betting brands and fans.

Racehorse Ownership and Behind-the-Scenes Access

For horse racing, OLBG has partnered with Harry Derham Racing to create participatory products and opportunities for bettors and fans. The schemes available include:

• A free email newsletter with yard updates
• Syndicate entry at £95 per share for a part-ownership in a racehorse
• More targeted syndicate offers, with options for 1–5% stakes in individual horses

Moffat confirmed that, "this season, we have five OLBG horses in training at the yard." In contrast to standard sponsorships, the company’s goal is involvement—placing bettors closer to the sport’s day-to-day realities, not just the betting slip.

The Value of Depth Over Breadth in Sponsorship

OLBG is purposely resisting the industry drive for the largest possible sponsorship portfolio. Instead, it is seeking partnerships that offer authentic engagement and meaningful experiences. Moffat summarised this attitude: "It’s about building the right portfolio, not the biggest one."

This direction signals OLBG's attempt to differentiate itself from operators for whom exposure alone is the metric of success. The preference is for targeted, story-driven partnerships that steer clear of traditional sponsorship models crowded with generic branding.

Future Content Initiatives

By developing new content with personalities like Marc White, OLBG seeks to further expand its entertainment brand identity within the context of UK sports. These new projects will draw from the lessons of its successful partnership with Jeff Stelling, focusing on integrating fans directly into the action.

The company sees these content-focused approaches as essential to fostering loyalty among its core demographic of bettors and sports fans. For vendors and sports clubs evaluating partnership models, OLBG’s approach offers an example of shifting away from pure brand saturation towards tailored, engagement-led collaboration.