UEFA has named bwin the debut official betting partner of two tournaments, the UEFA Europa League and newly formed UEFA Europa Conference League.
bwin will gain substantial marketing and branding opportunities through the three-year contract, including visibility via stadium advertising across perimeter billboards and broadcast backdrops.
The partnership builds on bwin’s existing football sponsorship agreements, as well as its general branding presence in European sports, with the operator currently maintaining an arrangement with German Football Association (DFB).
After becoming the DFB’s debut official betting partner in 2019, the firm has since secured an advertising partnership with the DFB-Pokal knockout cup and German national teams, as well as with the women’s Bundesliga and the third division until summer 2022.
Lastly, the firm has forged deals with five clubs in the German top-flight – Borussia Dortmund, 1. FC Köln, 1.FC Union Berlin, Dynamo Dresden and FC St. Pauli – whilst also collaborating with Liga Portugal, the Belgian Jupiler Pro League and acting as the sponsor of Olympiacos Piraeus Basketball Club and national sponsor of the Euroleague basketball tournament in Greece.
“We’re delighted to have secured bwin as the first ever Official Sports Betting Partner for one of our competitions at Official Partner level,” said Guy-Laurent Epstein, Marketing Director at UEFA:
“As a brand that defines itself by being in touch with fans and their passion for football and clubs throughout Europe, bwin is a great fit for our competitions. The partnership with bwin allows UEFA to engage more openly with the sports betting sector, giving greater access to market intelligence and support from both a sports integrity and commercial perspective.
“bwin is the world leader in responsible sports betting with a rich and long-standing tradition of partnerships in football, supporting clubs, federations and competitions worldwide. Their vast experience with sponsorship activations will be an invaluable contribution for both competitions.”
As a result of the deal with UEFA, branding for the Entain-owned sports betting operator will be channeled across both tournaments’ websites and social media networks. Additionally, bwin can also use content and footage from the competitions for use on its own platforms, as well as provide tickets and hospitality offerings to the operator’s customers.
Furthermore, bwin will participate in responsible betting and sports integrity safeguarding activities in cooperation with UEFA, launching its betresponsbly.info website to provide details of its safer gambling tools.
Stephan Heilmann, Entain’s Managing Director Digital Europe, remarked: “We’re proud to be an official partner of the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League alongside other major international brands.
“The partnership will provide an array of exciting opportunities to enhance our offer to our customers, creating unique new experiences and content. It also provides bwin with a formidable platform to reach fans in regulated sports betting markets around the world, highlighting our unparalleled combination of the best product and the most responsible environment in which to bet.”