July 5 – With online bookmakers and Spanish LaLiga clubs speed dating to sponsorships almost daily, 1xBet has announced a five-year sponsorship deal with FC Barcelona.

The bookmaker will become a Global Partner of the club through to end June 2024. 1xBet said it will work with the club “on different activations through a wide range of assets, including access to players to create promotional material and marketing campaigns.”

Josep Pont, FC Barcelona board member and head of its Commercial Area, added: “We are convinced that this deal with 1xBet will help us to continue to grow both on and off the field. This deal consolidates our global expansion strategy and we are sure that it will help us to connect with sports and Barça fans all around the world.”

No value was given for the sponsorship which is one of the longest agreed between a bookmaker and a club. Generally bookmaker deals trend to being between one to two seasons, with bookmakers most often only securing higher profile shirt deals with clubs that are not necessarily expected to remain in the top tier.

1xBet has sponsorship deals in place with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League and Italy’s Serie A.

1xBet spokesman Alex Sommers said: “We are very pleased to reach an agreement with one of the best clubs in the world. We are certain that 1xBet has something to offer to all FC Barcelona fans.

“We expect that the cooperation of two world-class brands will be lucrative for both parties. Barcelona’s slogan is ‘More than a club’ and we hope that over the next 5 years, the fans will come to realize that 1xBet is more than a bookmaker.”

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