This year, 18 of the 20 master sponsors of the Brasileirão Serie A are betting houses. Only Mirassol and Red Bull Bragantino will not have the name of a betting company in the main space on their uniforms.
“Brazilian football has become increasingly professional, bringing in great players and increasing its global visibility. This makes the product attractive to large companies, which will naturally seek to invest in the spectacle. Given this scenario, there is a logical movement by clubs to value their brands and, consequently, attract greater revenue for their jerseys,” points out Bruno Brum, CMO of End to End, an agency that connects fans to their passion and is a hub of solutions and engagement for the sports market.
The value of brand exposure, the arrival of great stars in Brazilian football, and the restructuring of the commercial and marketing sectors were fundamental for the current scenario to become a trend, and not just something momentary.
“The current scenario is reminiscent of the opening of a large shopping mall, with huge competition for space in it, but with uncertainty about which stores will remain in the long term, in the composition of its mix. As has happened in other countries, and in different segments, it is reasonable to think that we will have no more than six houses (betting services) controlling three quarters or four fifths of the total amount spent by Brazilians on sports betting,” says Thiago Freitas, COO of Roc Nation Sports Brazil, a North American entertainment company, led by singer Jay-Z, who manages the careers of hundreds of athletes.
“That is why, for a few years, we will have twenty to thirty people looking for one of these six spots, paying for spaces for their brands at a price that is disproportionate to what they would pay if this market were already consolidated,” he emphasizes.
“In the short term, the clubs will benefit from this dispute, seeing their uniforms and other properties overvalued, raising funds never raised with sponsors from any other segment,” adds Thiago.
What was it like in 2024?
Following the trend of recent years, banks and betting houses were the main sponsors of the Brazilian Championship in 2024, making up 35 of the total of 132 brands that were displayed by the 20 teams in Series A.
According to the Mapa do Patrocinio study, conducted by Ibope Repucom and released this month, companies in the financial sector led the amount, with 20 sponsorships, while betting companies were present in 18 clubs, with 15 companies.
Regarding betting houses, there was a 25% growth compared to 2023, when 12 companies in the sector were in uniforms. One of the explanations for this data is the growth in one-off contracts, which jumped from seven in 2023 to 25 in 2024 - an increase of 257%.
“We are putting Internacional at the forefront of the sector, combining data analysis, creativity and high execution power. This is the beginning of an even greater effort by the club to increase our revenues, and thus become increasingly competitive,” says Internacional’s president, Alessandro Barcellos.
“We have increased our sponsorship revenue with our new contract, which is one of the largest in football in the Northeast, and puts our club in a position to compete for new heights,” points out Yuri Romão, president of Sport Recife.
The highlight was the financial sector (banks, brokerages, consortiums, insurance companies, among others), which increased from 16 to 20 brands last season. Betting houses, in fact, occupy the second place in the survey, with 15 companies. Health services round out the top 3, with 13 brands.
Food, with 11, and real estate and construction, with seven, also gained notoriety. Together, these companies accounted for 55% of all sponsorships in 2024.
Sponsorships for the Brazilian Serie A:
Atlético-MG - H2Bet, 3-year contract worth R$180 million (US$30m) - R$60 million (US$10m) per season, can exceed R$200 million (US$35.5m) through targets
Bahia - Viva Sorte Bet, according to the club, the contract is the largest ever signed in its history. The values were not disclosed.
Botafogo - VBet, 3-year contract worth R$165 million (US$28.5) - R$55 million (US$9.5m) per season
Ceará - Esportes da Sorte, 3-year contract worth R$46 million (US$7.95m) - R$15.3 million (US$2.65m) per season
Corinthians - Esportes da Sorte, 3-year contract worth R$309 million (US$53.5m) - R$103 million (US$17.8m) per season
Cruzeiro - Betfair, 2-year contract worth R$84 million(US$14.5m) - R$42 million (US$7.25m) per season
Flamengo - Pixbet, 2-year contract worth R$170 million (US$29.35m) - R$85 million (US$14.7m) per season
Fluminense - Superbet, 3-year contract until 2026 worth R$126 million (US$21.75m) - R$42 million (US$7.25m) per season
Fortaleza - Cassino.bet, 2-year contract worth R$70 million (US$12m) - R$35 million (US$6m) per season
Grêmio - Alfa.Bet, 3-year contract worth R$150 million (US$25.9m) - R$50 million (US$8.65m) per season, the value may vary depending on the goals achieved
Internacional - Alfa.Bet, 3-year contract worth R$150 million (US$25.9m) - R$50 million (US$8.65m) per season, the value may vary depending on the goals achieved)
Juventude - Stake, 2-year contract until the end of 2025 worth R$30 million (US$5.2m) - R$15 million (US$2.6m) per season
Mirassol - Guaraná Poty, it is worth mentioning that there is a betting house present at the front, occupying a sort of second most important position in Mirassol's mantle, 7KBet. There is no information regarding the value.
Palmeiras - Sportingbet, 3-year contract worth R$300 million (US$51m) - R$100 million (US$17m) per season and through goals reaching the value of R$170 million (US$29.35m)
Bragantino - Red Bull, the company that owns the club
Santos - Blaze, Santos closed the contract renewal with Blaze at the beginning of 2024, until April 2025. The original contract with Blaze was estimated at R$45 million (US$7.75m), and after the renewal, the values were not disclosed.
Sport - Betnacional, 2-year contract worth R$44 million (US$7.6m) - R$22 million (US$3.8m) per season, with the possibility of increasing through targets)
São Paulo - Superbet, 3-year contract worth R$156 million (US$27m) - R$52 million (US$9m) per season
Vasco da Gama - Betfair, 2-year contract ending in late 2025 worth R$115 million (US$19.85m) - R$65 million (US$11.25m) in the first season, R$70 million (US$12m) in the second season
Vitória - 7KBet, 3-year contract worth R$60 million (US$10.5m) - (US$5.25m) per season
Source: Estadão
