Cruzeiro presented its new master sponsor for the coming seasons, the sportsbook Betfair. The brand will stamp the noblest part of the ‘Celeste's’ uniform and will give the club, in gross terms, the third largest sponsorship in the country.
The information that the sports betting house, which has Ronaldo Fenômeno himself as an ambassador, would be the main sponsor of Cruzeiro, was first disclosed by Brazilian sports news portal channel Deus me Dibre, at the end of last season.
Values exceed R$25 million (US$ 4.9m) per season – the agreement has a term of more than three years – and can reach up to R$30 million (US$ 5.87m), according to some variables established in the contract. Activations with the brand were carried out on the club's social networks and Ronaldo Fenômeno was present on the pitch, before the match against Athletic, for the club's official announcement.
This will be the biggest master sponsorship in financial terms in the history of Cruzeiro and, according to sources close to the deal, the third biggest in Brazil, behind only Palmeiras (Crefisa) and Flamengo (BRB).
“Our plans for Cruzeiro are ambitious and the arrival of Betfair is, without a doubt, a milestone in this new phase. Having the support of a multinational and publicly traded company at this time is a relevant and deserved vote of confidence in our team,” pointed out Ronaldo.
In addition to Betfair, Cruzeiro also took advantage of the game against Athletic to debut their new home kit for 2023. The home jersey produced by Adidas is predominantly blue and features different shades of color, in addition to white details.
“Cruzeiro is going through a special moment. With serious and professional work, we are recovering the fans' trust, which is fundamental for us. Closing with Betfair is an important step on Cruzeiro's way back to its deserved prominent position in Brazilian football," said Gabriel Lima, CEO of the club.
Ronaldo's relationships with Cruzeiro, the club that formed him, and with the bookmaker will also be highlighted. The ‘Fenômeno’, which bought 90% of Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (SAF) last year, is one of the faces of Betfair in the advertising market.
It is worth noting that the negotiation was only possible because businessman Pedro Lourenço agreed with Cruzeiro to give up space on the uniform that belonged to Supermercados BH, a retail chain in the state of Minas Gerais. Now, the Supermercados BH brand will appear on the back of the shirt, below the players' numbers.
Throughout the week, Cruzeiro made a mystery about the new sponsor. In addition to entering the pitch in the debut of the Campeonato Mineiro with a "farse" on its jersey, the club changed its profile picture on social networks and adopted photos with highlights in yellow. The preparation pointed to Betfair, as the company's logo has yellow as the predominant color.
On social networks, Cruzeiro announced the new sponsor minutes before the ball rolled in the game against Athletic. Check the ad:
A espera acabou, Nação Azul. Agora é 𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹!
— Cruzeiro 🦊 (@Cruzeiro) January 28, 2023
🤝 A @Betfair_net é nossa nova 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚 master.
Seja muito bem-vinda! 💛 pic.twitter.com/Pt8x1yaq71
