The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) today announced Utilita Energy as official presenting partner of the Scottish League Cup for the remainder of the 2015/16 season.
The UK’s leading smart pre-pay energy provider – which is committed to keeping its prices lower than the “big six” – confirmed the partnership alongside the SPFL at Glasgow’s iconic Hampden Park, the home of Scottish football.
The presenting partner sponsorship takes effect immediately and will cover the quarter-finals, semi-final and final of this season’s 70th Scottish League Cup competition.
Utilita Energy has undergone a period of significant growth in the past two years, more than doubling its customer base in 12 months. This month it announced its second gas price cut of 2015 and reached the 250,000 customer milestone.
Bill Bullen, Chief Executive Officer, Utilita Energy, said: “We are very excited and – above all – honoured to be the official presenting partner of a trophy with such a rich footballing history.
“Utilita has grown very quickly, as customers respond to our price commitment to be cheaper than the big six, and we believe that partnerships such as this will help continue that momentum and take us to new audiences in Scotland. This is a new strategy for us and one we will fully embrace.
“We have some wonderful ideas to really elevate this partnership with the SPFL, who have been fantastic throughout our negotiations, and we are now looking forward to getting started.”
The deal is the latest in a line of major sponsorships announced by the SPFL since its inception in 2013, including current title sponsor Ladbrokes, Challenge Cup backer Petrofac Training Services and QTS, the presenting partner for last season’s Scottish League Cup.
Neil Doncaster, SPFL Chief Executive, said: "We are delighted to announce Utilita as our new presenting partner for the Scottish League Cup. As an ambitious and growing business, Utilita is a perfect fit for the competition.
"With the quarter-finals of this year’s Scottish League Cup presented by Utilita less than a fortnight away, everyone at the SPFL is looking forward to working with Utilita to help maximise the profile of both the competition and of the business and in turn bring excitement to fans of the participating clubs."
Utilita will shortly announce a number of initiatives in Scotland to tie in with sponsorship – including a charity partner and a series of events.
The quarter-finals for this season’s Scottish League Cup are as follows:
Tuesday 27 October 2015
19:05 Inverness CT v Ross County (live on BBC Scotland)
19:45 Morton v St Johnstone
Wednesday 28 October 2015
19:45 Hearts v Celtic
Wednesday 4th November 2015
19:45 Hibernian v Dundee United