Cryptocurrency-based betting operator, Sportsbet.io has expanded its sponsorship with Premier League club, Southampton with the addition of a new VIP experience that uses virtual reality (VR) technology.
With fans being asked to stay away from football grounds due to the COVID-19, Sportbet.io turned to VR to bring the matchday experience to the fans at home. As part of their club partnership, Southampton enthusiasts can now enjoy full 360° videos of exclusive football content straight from their mobile devices.
Coingaming Group’s cryptocurrency sportsbook will also leverage the new venture to engage Saints fans and educate them about cryptocurrency. It will reportedly reward influencers with Bitcoin to create their own VIP experience.
The new deal comes nearly six months after Sportsbet.io secured its sponsorship deal with the English football team. The sports betting firm has been selected as the club’s new main partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2020/21 season.
The Saints featured Sportsbet.io on the front of their first-team kit just after the team’s agreement with LD Sports was terminated in August. Sportsbet.io’s logo on the front of Southampton’s shirts includes the Bitcoin logo.
“We think cryptocurrency has a big future in football and we’re right behind it. Alongside fan experiences like this, we’ve just seen the first Bitcoin transfer take place where a footballer was purchased using cryptocurrency and signed for DUX Internacional de Madrid, and earlier this year NFL pro footballer, Russell Okung said he’s getting his salary in Bitcoin. We’re likely to see more of the same – from clubs finding new ways to engage with fans on a match day to the way business is done at the top of the game,” stated Tim Heath, Founder of the Coingaming Group.
Arsenal FC Joins the Crypto Craze
Additionally, Sportsbet.io has been unveiled as the official betting and gaming partner of Arsenal.
The crypto-focused sports betting firm used its ‘Official Partner’ status to increase brand awareness of its services. Additionally, it leverages Arsenal’s prominent status in women’s football to help promote its products in Estonia, where Sportsbet.io operates from.
The 3-year deal will continue until 2023, including the new 2020/2021 campaign and appears to focus on Sportsbet.io creating a raft of content and exclusive offers aimed at the Arsenal fan-base.
Arsenal, which has a long deal with Emirates as its shirt sponsor, had previously paired up with US cryptocurrency CashBet and promoted its initial coin offering (ICO).
While plenty of other examples of the intersection between sports and cryptocurrency exist, the agreement between the Gunners and Sportsbet.io was a fairly big step in bringing the digital assets to a mainstream audience.
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