Overview

• Budget Direct signed on as the Perth Bears’ first major sponsor in a sleeves partnership valued at more than $1 million a year, which club officials say sets a new NRL benchmark.
• Per club chief executive Anthony De Ceglie, the agreement supports ambitions to be one of the league’s strongest commercial performers and leverages the club’s Western Australia base with a North Sydney supporter footprint.
• Budget Direct currently sponsors the Dolphins’ sleeves and will add the Bears to its NRL portfolio.
• The Bears are slated to enter the competition in 2027, with player recruitment scheduled to start in November and a sponsorship drive set to intensify through the 2026 non-playing year, according to chair Ben Morton.
• The club is reported to be in talks with additional brands, including McDonald’s, Gage Roads Brewery, Cash Converters and BHP.