Midnite has teamed up with fans of Championship club Southampton to produce a series of tifos on match days, beginning with this weekend’s local derby with Portsmouth.
The UK betting and online casino app is the official training kit partner of the Saints, who play in the second tier of English football.
Midnite has reached out to social media influencers and supporter groups connected with Southampton to form a Tifo Committee, to collaborate with the design and development of tifos for key games at St Mary’s Stadium throughout the 2025-26 season.
The sports betting operator was behind the tifo that appeared at Southampton’s opening game against Wrexham and the first offering from the Tifo Committee should be in place for the south coast derby with Portsmouth on Sunday, September 14.
Already named on the committee are Mike Smale, the founder of MatchDayVlogs, Alex Graham from the TotalSaintsPodcast and two members of the Southampton Fan Advisory Board, Louise Burke and and Yasmin Wiseman.
What Exactly Is A Tifo?
Tifos are large banner displays help up by fans at sports events, typically carrying a message of support or to intimidate the opposition.
The name comes from the Italian word Tifosi, which loosely translates as ‘enthusiastic fans’.
Tifos are a familiar site across Europe and the US but have only recently started to appear in the UK.
They have of course been a popular feature in the EA Sports FC and FIFA franchises where tifo packs have been part and parcel of any Ultimate Team stadium build.
Following the death of Liverpool and Portugal star Diogo Jota, EA gave a free “One Of Us” tifo pack to players, featuring shirts of the three clubs Jota had played for, Porto, Wolves and Liverpool.
How Gambling Companies Engage With Fans
It is becoming more common for online gambling apps that are collaborating with sports clubs to step beyond basic betting partner or front-of-shirt deals.
Fan engagement is seen as a key part of any partnership and can involve anything from sponsoring the club podcast to offering special VIP days out for big games.
Midnite has taken that a step further by becoming the first betting app to be actively involved in helping fans create tifos.
Andrew Mook, Head of Brand Marketing at Midnite, said: “Tifos are a huge part of modern fan football culture, and we wanted to bring this to St Mary’s consistently throughout the season.
“To mark the opening day of the new season, we unveiled a tifo which paid homage to seven Saints legends and it was very well received by Saints fans.
“But we wanted to go bigger as the season progressed, while also leaning on the people who make the football club what it is – the fans.
“We have been collaborating with our Tifo Committee to hear what sort of designs will really captivate the fanbase, and we’re very excited to unveil our brand new tifo ahead of the Southampton vs Portsmouth fixture on Sunday.
“This is an iconic fixture in English football, and we wanted to bring the history of the fixture to life. We’re confident that the Saints fans will like what our Tifo Committee has come up with.
“We’re loving the start of our partnership with Southampton, and are dedicated to using our platform to bring fans closer to the action this season, with meaningful and impactful campaigns.”
Committee member Mike Smale of MatchDayVlogs, said: “Being part of the Midnite Tifo committee has been a privilege.
“To represent the fanbase and reflect the passion of our supporters is no small task.
“Time and again, Saints fans have shown they’re among the very best in the country – turning up, singing loud, and backing the team no matter the circumstances.
“We want these displays to be a reflection of the unity and pride that runs through this fanbase.
“The atmosphere at St Mary’s during these big games proves that when our supporters come together, we create something unforgettable – both on the pitch and in the stands.”
