Sports and entertainment consultancy Strive Sponsorship has announced a new multi-year partnership between SBK, the challenger sportsbook app, and Huddersfield Town FC, for the 2025/26 season onwards.

The multi-faceted partnership, brokered by Strive, sees SBK become Huddersfield Town’s Official UK Betting Partner, combining traditional sponsorship inventory with a strong content and fan-engagement strategy. Central to the activation is the launch of a brand-new club podcast, presented by SBK, alongside sponsorship of the club’s post-match head coach reflections, and select social media graphics.

SBK will also enjoy a high-impact brand presence in-stadia at the Accu Stadium, reinforcing its growing visibility across the football landscape.

“This partnership goes beyond branding and into meaningful fan connection,” said Malph Minns, Managing Director at Strive Sponsorship.

“SBK and Huddersfield Town are both focused on doing things properly, and this deal is a great example of building smarter sponsorships that combine media, tech, and narrative. We’re proud to support SBK as they grow their presence in football with clear strategic purpose.”

This marks SBK’s latest move in a growing sponsorship portfolio built around relevant storytelling, digital reach, and a commitment to sports fan value — not gimmicks. As with other recent partnerships, SBK’s work with Huddersfield Town has been guided by a data-led strategy developed with Strive, focused on content-led activations that build brand salience over time.

Adam Baylis, Marketing Director at SBK, said: “We’re delighted to have SBK partnering with Huddersfield Town this season. It was fantastic to see the Terriers get off to a winning start on Saturday and we look forward to supporting the team and its fans throughout what we hope will be a truly exciting campaign.

“Strive once again brought real structure and strategic thinking to the process — their ability to align our brand goals with media-led opportunities makes them a true partner, not just a broker.”

Dan Wilczynski, Business Development Manager at Huddersfield Town FC, said: “We’re pleased to welcome SBK as our Official UK Betting Partner for the 2025/26 season. It’s great to have them on board and we’re looking forward to working together across what we hope will be a successful campaign both on and off the pitch.

“Strive’s collaborative approach helped shape a partnership that brings value to the club, the brand, and most importantly, the fans. They were great to work with.”

SBC has announced the debut shortlist for the inaugural Affiliate Leaders Awards – a new ceremony spotlighting the companies shaping affiliate marketing’s next chapter. This time, it’s the public who holds the power, with open voting deciding which nominees will be celebrated on stage in Lisbon this September.

The ceremony will welcome 600 industry leaders to Lisbon’s MEO Arena, located just steps away from the main event venue, Feira Internacional de Lisboa, on Wednesday, 17 September. The evening will celebrate the standout companies shortlisted across 22 fiercely contested categories, and ultimately, honour the winners.

While the shortlist was selected by an independent panel of experts, the final decision lies with the public, who can now cast their vote online for the company they believe deserves the spotlight.

Speaking on the launch of the awards, Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, said: “Last year’s launch of the Affiliate Leaders Summit was a huge step forward for us, but this year we wanted to go even further and recognise the vital role that affiliates, operator programmes, and the suppliers that power them play in the industry’s growth by giving them their very own ceremony.

“By putting the final decision in the public’s hands, we’re able to honour the companies that truly resonate with the community and celebrate the ones people genuinely believe in.”

Leading the way for nominations at the Affiliate Leaders Awards are BetAffiliation and Hub Affiliations, who boast seven nominations each across both company-wide and individual categories. Boomerang Partners follow closely with six, while Game Lounge and Gentoo Media have each earned five, reflecting their strong performance and visibility across the affiliate industry.

Both BetAffiliation and Hub Affiliations will go head-to-head for Best Affiliate Network as well as Affiliate Campaign of the Year, but face stiff competition from the likes of KR3W and Gentoo Media.

Meanwhile, the hotly contested Sports Affiliate of the Year category features some of the industry’s most recognised names, including Better Collective, Catena Media, Oddschecker, and Flashscore Network.

The shortlist for Affiliate Traffic Source of the Year sees BetAffiliation pick up another nod, alongside the likes of Clever Advertising and Oddschecker. 

Workplace culture takes centre stage in Affiliate Employer of the Year, with BetAffiliation, Hub Affiliations, Clever Advertising, and Game Lounge recognised for their efforts in building positive team environments.

On the casino front, Catena Media, Game Lounge Ltd, Casino Guru, and Betting Hero are all in contention for Casino Affiliate of the Year.

In the operator categories, bet365 Partners is aiming for a third consecutive win in Best Affiliate Programme (Operator), having previously claimed the title at the SBC Awards. This year, they face competition from Betsson Group Affiliates, Boomerang Partners, and Kaizen Gaming. The Affiliate Programme of the Year – Large category will also feature major operators, with 1w, BetMGM, Betsson Group Affiliates, and PIN-UP Partners all in contention for the gong.

The awards also spotlight the tech providers underpinning affiliate growth. Aff.Tech, ReferOn, and other leading platforms have secured nominations in both Affiliate Management Platform of the Year and Affiliate Technology of the Year.

Other categories on the night include Casino Title of the Year and Marketing Agency of the Year, rounding out a comprehensive celebration of affiliate marketing excellence.

Individual leadership in the industry will also be recognised, with awards for Affiliate Leader of the Year, Affiliate Content Manager of the Year, and Affiliate Account/Community Manager of the Year, underscoring the critical role individuals play in elevating brand performance.

Brightstar Lottery PLC announced that it will deploy its comprehensive retail central system technology, Aurora, along with advanced cloud-based software for Sächsische Lotto-GmbH (Lotto Saxony) in the State of Saxony, Germany via a seven-year contract. The contract was awarded to Brightstar following a competitive public procurement.

“The quality and reliability of Brightstar’s world-class lottery technology and operational support, along with its team’s knowledge of Lotto Saxony’s business needs are some of the reasons why we have partnered with the Company for 30 years. We look forward to upgrading our central system to Brightstar’s sophisticated platform and the many benefits its components will produce,” said Herr Frank Schwarz, Lotto Saxony Chief Executive Officer.

“This new seven-year contract marks an exciting chapter for Brightstar and Lotto Saxony as we work together to modernize lottery solutions throughout the state. Brightstar’s high-performing central system and peripherals will enable Lotto Saxony to manage its business more efficiently with the confidence in knowing the technology is secure, dependable, and responsible,” said Marco Tasso, Brightstar Chief Operating Officer International and Italy Operations.

An integral part of OMNIA, Brightstar’s player-centric, omnichannel solution for lotteries, Aurora helps drive lottery innovation and profitability. The platform will provide intuitive, user-friendly applications, tools and reporting capabilities to handle Lotto Saxony’s transaction processing, game management and back-office operations. Lotto Saxony will receive key cloud-based Aurora products including, Anywhere, to securely connect external applications to the retail system, and Performance Wizard, to deliver targeted insights and analytics.