Hollywoodbets, the South African sports betting operator has now acquired the naming rights to Kingsmead Cricket Stadium, home of KwaZulu-Natal-based cricket franchises the Dolphins and Durban Heat.
With the deal being one which will be stretching over a five year period, it will be seeing out the end of the 2023-24 season, with the facility being known as the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium.
After undergoing a major revamp over the last few months ahead of the 2019-230 domestic cricket season, the venue will also be hosting matches which will feature the England national team.
Hollywoodbets already hold strong looks with the Dolphins, serving as the team’s principal sponsor, with the deal seeing the team being named as the Hollywoodbets Dolphins. The team competes in South Africa’s main first class cricket competition, the Sunfoil Series, as well as in the one-day Momentum Cup and the Ram Slam Twenty20 competition.
Durban Heat, the stadium’s other tenant, plays in the Mzansi Super League Twenty20 league.
Hollywoodbets’s media and communications executive Devin Heffer explained: “Our first step into cricket started in the 2015/16 season as associate sponsors of the then Sunfoil Dolphins, and then becoming title sponsors the following year.
“This stadium is indisputably one of the most iconic grounds in world cricket,” Heffer continued. “There is also a lot of work going into reviving and showcasing the history of Kingsmead,
“We want test cricket back at Kingsmead. But most importantly, we want the fans back at Kingsmead. Our goal is to make Kingsmead the place to be for every cricketing occasion.”
KwaZulu-Natal Cricket chief executive Heinrich Strydom added: “As a company with its roots in the city, it’s fantastic that we can work so closely together from both a team sponsorship and stadium sponsorship perspective.
“We are very excited about this announcement and what it will mean for the future of cricket in KZN.”
