"A remarkable partnership in our history says goodbye to the sacred mantle. Thanks for everything we wrote together, Pixbet," said Santos on Twitter when saying goodbye to the bookmaker.
According to information found by Gazeta Esportiva, ‘Peixe’ will pay R$ 6 million (US$ 1.25m) for the termination, which will be made in installments. Initially, the plan was to break with the sponsor before last Friday (14), the date of the anniversary of the club.
With the early end of the contract, Santos opened the doors for the announcement of a new partnership. Blaze, which also operates in the sports betting market, will occupy the noblest space on the team’s shirt. Neymar was involved in the negotiations for the sponsor change and is the Blaze brand ambassador.
Negotiations for the new sponsorship included the participation of the father of the PSG striker. He entered the final stretch of talks, with all the details already forwarded.
“We are happy to announce this important new partner. We signed for two years, but I'm sure it's the beginning of a promising future for everyone. Welcome to Santos, Blaze”, says the president of the club, Andres Rueda, praising the strengthening of fundraising with Santos jersey. “Without a doubt, it is another gift in the 111 years of the club,” added Rueda.
The ‘Peixe’ will receive something around R$ 45 million (US$ 9.15m) with the new agreement, which will be valid for two years. The amount is almost twice as much as the current partnership with Pixbet, which paid R$ 25 million (US$ 5.1m) to the Vila Belmiro club.
“We couldn't be more excited to join Brazil's most legendary football team and be its main sponsor for the next 2 years. Santos FC has a rich history of success and has produced some of the greatest players to ever grace the football field, such as Pelé and Neymar Jr.," said Nick van Gorsel, co-founder of Blaze.
"We believe that Santos FC will do many more good things and we look forward to being able to ride this wave with them. We see our partnership as a great branding opportunity and through this partnership we can create incredible experiences for fans on and off the pitch," completed van Gorsel.
Blaze was created in 2019 and has established itself as one of the market leaders, with Neymar as its global ambassador.
“The company produces digitally native games that gamers love. Blaze as a product is defining a new category in the gaming space, taking elements from casual and social games and transforming it into a betting product,” defines the betting house.
With over 40 million users, the platform offers over 2,000 games ranging from sports betting to casino games. The company cares about the user experience, providing an intuitive and immersive interface.
Source: GMB
#BlazeNoSantos ?? pic.twitter.com/mrJq0dODx2
— Santos FC (@SantosFC) April 16, 2023
