LaLiga has announced a partnership with SportyBet, an Africa-focused betting operator which has been building up its profile in the European football scene.
The company will gain advertising and marketing exposure during broadcasts, including billboards and cam carpets featuring its branding. SportyBet branding will be particularly prominent during Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona matches.
SportyBet has been significantly stepping up its activities in football recently, with LaLiga seemingly the firm’s number one marketing target for now. A partnership was recently announced with the abovementioned Real Madrid, for example, a global sporting powerhouse.
To further connect with LaLiga fans in its target markets, SportyBet plans to produce and distribute content via its platform and social media channels and offer fan experience opportunities like photoshoots and post-match penalty shootouts.
Jorge de la Vega, Executive General Manager of LaLiga, added: “Partnering with SportyBet is an exciting milestone for LaLiga as we continue to expand our global footprint, particularly in Africa.
“This collaboration not only brings LaLiga closer to millions of passionate football fans across the continent but also underscores our commitment to delivering world-class football experiences to diverse audiences.
“Together with SportyBet, we aim to create new opportunities for engagement, inspire the next generation of football enthusiasts, and celebrate the shared love of the beautiful game.”
Spanish football clubs have been engaging more and more with overseas betting operators in recent years, partly due to a ban on direct commercial relationships between the two sectors in the domestic space.
Latin America has been one of the biggest markets for these regional deals, unsurprisingly given the extent to which Spanish is spoken as a first language in this area. Africa is becoming important too.
It will be interesting to see how this scenario pans out in other countries, like the UK, where a ban on front-of-shirt betting deals is due to come into effect in two years time, and where SportyBet has recently partnered with 2023/24 Premier League champions Manchester City.
Elías Gallego, VP of Media, Marketing, and Business Development at SportyBet, said: “This partnership represents a powerful alignment between SportyBet’s leadership in the African market and LaLiga’s immense potential to grow its footprint across the continent.
“By leveraging our deep understanding of the African audience, we’re confident that together we can elevate the fan experience, fuel the passion for football, and drive unprecedented growth for LaLiga and SportyBet in this vibrant region.”
