UK fintech Sokin has secured a major new commercial partner in Premier League football club Nottingham Forest.
The firm will manage the top-flight football club’s global payments and FX and handle e-commerce payment acceptance on its online store.
The deal comes amid heightened interest in Nottingham Forest, with the team’s on-pitch performance during the 2024/25 season, so far catching a lot of media attention.
Vroon Modgill, Sokin CEO and Founder, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Nottingham Forest. As an iconic club on an exciting upward trajectory, they share our ambition for innovation and growth.
“We look forward to working closely with them to enhance the club’s global payments infrastructure, ensuring seamless and efficient transactions while supporting its broader financial goals.”
Football clubs are often valuable partners for payments firms due to the vast number of transactions these organisations experience. This includes payments for annual memberships and subscriptions, matchday tickets and merchandise such as replica kits and shirts.
Sokin securing a partner in the Premier League, the fourth most valuable sports league in the world, could provide a significant financial boost for the firm.
It will also benefit from branding, with its logo being displayed across Forest’s City Ground home stadium in West Bridgeford, Nottinghamshire. Should the club secure a spot in European football next year, this marketing will become even more valuable.
The financial and marketing boost Sokin stands to gain from this partnership will build on the successful year it enjoyed in 2024. Notably, it secured investment last summer from Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital and two former PayPal c-level executives, Gary Marino and Mark Britto.
For Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, the club joins a range of other teams to have signed payments partnerships over recent years. Companies like Ebury have pursued similar deals, in that firm’s case with Southampton, while crypto sponsorship in football in particular has reached new heights in recent years.
Commenting on the club’s new payments partner, Forest’s Chief Business Officer, Paul Bell, said: “At Nottingham Forest, we are always looking for ways to enhance our operations and support our international financial transactions more efficiently.
“Competing in the Premier League brings increased cross-border activity, making seamless and reliable financial solutions more important than ever. Partnering with Sokin allows us to streamline cross-border payments with a trusted and innovative provider.
“Their commitment to transparency and simplicity aligns with our values, making them an ideal partner for our global financial needs.”
