Codere Online is leveraging its extensive sports sponsorship portfolio to secure a leading position in Spanish-language speaking markets, from its founding location in Spain to Argentina and Mexico.
Speaking to SBC Noticias, Carlos Sabanza, Director of Sponsorships and Public Relations at Codere Online, gave SBC Media a glimpse into the dynamics of sports sponsorships in Latin America, discussing its partnership with Mexico’s Club de Fútbol Monterrey, known as Rayodas.
When partnering with Rayados, Sabanza states that Codere observed that football clubs and betting operators often share the same objectives and motivations. Growth is on the agenda for both parties, and each partner can work to assist the other in achieving these goals.
“Like any company, we have our commercial and visibility objectives, and we understand that this is also the case with a club like Rayados. We come to contribute, to contribute to the growth of a sport as relevant as football,” he says.
“With these types of agreements we know that we are doing it, we are aware that from our side, we are helping the growth of sport and especially football. This translates into being able to offer the best football-related experiences to fans and being able to bring them closer to the club so that they feel like participants in it and feel it as their own, even more so.”
For sportsbooks like Codere, partnering with football clubs provides an opportunity to engage with fans and secure visibility via a team’s channels, including during televised broadcasts of matches.
Meanwhile, for the clubs involved, betting revenues can play a crucial role in club finances, which translates into success both on and off the pitch. Sabanza shares that Codere has made large investments in media to support clubs’ visibility.
Regarding fan engagement, the Spanish-language market-facing operator has also organised activations – such as meetings with players, ticket giveaways, and merchandising prizes – to enhance Rayados’ engagement with its fans.
“Since 2021 we have been able to see that the club has been growing in all aspects and we have been and continue to be by its side to make this happen,” Sabanza asserts.
He continues: “All sports clubs aspire to continue growing in all aspects and brands like Codere make it easier for this to happen and, above all, in less time.
“From the fan’s side there are many things that are not visible but the brands’ investments are always oriented towards the growth of the club and this also translates into the possibility of being able to sign the best players, improve the facilities for greater comfort for the fan or of the players themselves and thus be more competitive both in sports and in business.”
Mexico is one of many markets where Codere is active, with the firm also maintaining a presence in Chile, Peru and Colombia. Its historic home, however, is Spain, where its experience of sports sponsorships first began.
The company’s biggest deal is undoubtedly with Spanish giants Real Madrid CF, an agreement first signed in 2016 which is still in place in 2024. This partnership was replicated in Argentina in 2021 when the firm partnered with River Plate, one of the country’s most widely followed teams.
“At Codere we have a specific way of communicating and developing these types of agreements, always promoting and highlighting the sponsored club,” Sabanza continues.
“We always look for quality agreements rather than quantity and we are attentive to the best options in each market in which we operate.”
Codere’s approach to sports sponsorship and marketing is to position itself as a brand associated with, as Sabanza puts it regarding the Real Madrid deal, “one of the most relevant institutions in the world of sports”.
As the company looks to cement its position across the Spanish and Latin American betting markets, it is seeking to build up an image among prospective football partners as a “serious, credible company that can make it easier for them to reach new audiences in new ways, enriching the relationship with his fans”.
Read the full interview with SBC Noticias HERE
