The Ukrainian Premier League and licensed bookmaker betking have officially announced the launch of a strategic partnership covering two seasons — 2026/27 and 2027/28. The cooperation marks a new stage in the development of Ukrainian club football and will include a range of joint marketing, media and social projects.

The partnership goes beyond traditional sponsorship integration and is aimed at strengthening engagement with supporters, developing modern football content formats and creating new opportunities to promote the Ukrainian Premier League.

As part of the cooperation, the two parties will launch a number of joint initiatives, including an official UPL and betking merchandise line, the betking Player of the Round award, as well as the Play Responsibly social initiative aimed at promoting a culture of responsible gaming.

A New Partnership Format

The UPL and betking plan to jointly develop communication projects, special fan activations, digital content and interactive formats designed to bring the Championship even closer to its football audience.

Another area of cooperation will focus on creating new traditions around the Ukrainian Premier League. A joint merchandise collection for supporters will be unveiled in the near future, while the revamped Player of the Round award will recognise the best players of each matchweek.

Strategic Partnership to Support the Development of Ukrainian Football

betking Director Pavlo Zhurylo noted that the partnership with the Ukrainian Premier League is a natural continuation of the company’s strategy of supporting Ukrainian sport and developing football culture.

“For betking, the partnership with the Ukrainian Premier League is another important step in implementing our long-term strategy to support Ukrainian sport.

“Our ambition is not simply to be a partner, but to play an active role in the development of the Championship. Together with the UPL, we will work on creating new ways of engaging with supporters, launching modern digital projects, developing joint merchandise and introducing initiatives that will make Ukrainian football even more engaging and bring it closer to its audience.

“The Player of the Round award, new marketing projects and the Play Responsibly initiative are only the first steps in our work together. We believe that together we can establish new standards of partnership between business and professional sport and make the Ukrainian Premier League even more attractive to millions of supporters,” said betking Director Pavlo Zhurylo.

The UPL Perspective: More Than a Partnership

The Ukrainian Premier League emphasises that its cooperation with betking opens up new opportunities for the development of the Championship and the introduction of modern ways of engaging with football audiences.

“We are beginning a partnership focused on developing media content and improving engagement with our audience. As part of the partnership, we plan to implement a number of projects, ranging from the launch of official merchandise to the Play Responsibly social initiative. We expect these marketing initiatives to help us reach new audiences and generate greater interest in UPL matches,” said Yevhen Dykyi, President of the Ukrainian Premier League.

Two Seasons of Joint Development

During the 2026/27 and 2027/28 seasons, the UPL and betking will implement a comprehensive programme of joint activities covering media projects, integrations around Championship matches, fan activations, new content formats and special marketing initiatives.

The strategic partnership between the UPL and betking, which is part of King Group, is designed to strengthen Ukrainian club football, create new points of engagement with supporters and contribute to the further development of the Ukrainian Premier League as one of the country’s leading sports products.