Parimatch Partners With Chelsea FC
Parimatch Tech has announced a brand new three-season partnership with Chelsea FC. It will sponsor the Premier League football club, utilizing Chelsea’s bold and recognizable brand on a variety of platforms. The sponsorship deal is the latest to be struck between a sports betting firm and a football club, although the law on that could soon change.
The new partnership deal will see Parimatch sponsor Chelsea FC for three years. ©Ahundt/Pixabay
A Great Match
Parimatch Tech is an international product company that promotes the Parimatch online sports betting brand. The firm also offers technological and marketing solutions for the betting and gaming industry. Now Parimatch Tech has announced that its latest football sponsorship will be with world-famous club, Chelsea FC.
Affectionately known by fans as The Blues, Chelsea Football Club is one of England’s most successful football clubs to date. The Premier League side has fostered the careers of some of the sport’s biggest names over the years, including Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and John Terry.
The club is currently the reigning European champion, after it won the UEFA Champions League in 2021. Playing in Porto, Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 to secure the title, for the second time. Its first UEFA Champions League win came in the 2011-12 season, when it beat Bayern Munich 4-3 on a penalty shootout.
Parimatch Tech has signed a contract to sponsor Chelsea FC for the next three years. Unveiling the new partnership, the company spoke about how it plans to make the most of Chelsea’s bold and ambitious brand. It has said that it will use a range of digital, social and logistical assets to create branding opportunities that are beneficial for both parties.
Co-CEO of Parimatch Tech, Roman Syrotian, went into more detail about why the betting firm and the football club are such a good match for one another. He described Chelsea as having style, determination and charisma, which he says Parimatch will complement with its ambition and passion for sport. Syrotian added:
“As our two brands are used to winning in style and striving for success, we are very confident that this partnership will bring luck, countless victories and the thrill of the game to our company, to the club, and, in turn, to the millions of football fans across the globe.”
Competitions for Fans
The partnership will feature branding for the sports betting company on the football club’s online and social media platforms, as well as around its home ground stadium, Stamford Bridge. Competitions and promotions will also be held, offering Chelsea fans opportunities to win prizes and special matchday experiences throughout the season.
Speaking on behalf of the club, CEO of Chelsea FC Guy Laurence welcomed the new sponsors on board. He praised the betting firm’s ambition for greatness, which the club shares, as well as its knack for innovation. Laurence said that the club is very much looking forward to working with Parimatch, stating:
“Last year was immensely successful for Parimatch as they expanded and opened new markets, while launching several game-changing projects. Chelsea also showed its excellence, becoming European champions for the second time in our history! We are excited and proud of this partnership and the opportunities it brings.”
Parimatch Tech, which has its headquarters in Limassol, Cyprus, underwent an extensive rebrand in July. Parimatch updated its corporate identity to Parimatch Tech in order to better represent itself as a company that provides marketing and technology solutions for betting and gaming firms across markets around the world.
Parimatch was first founded in 1994 as a single betting shop, and has since developed into a global entertainment platform. It offers its services in ten countries across four continents. One of the company’s most successful marketing strategies has been utilizing legendary fighters as brand ambassadors. Current representatives include MMA legend Conor McGregor, the Shevchenko sisters and UFC fighter Petr Yan.
One of Parimatch’s earlier ambassadors is perhaps one of the most infamous boxers of all time, Mike Tyson. The company has also forged close links with football, having previously partnered with Everton, Leicester City and Juventus. It also works in eSports, offering fans betting events. Parimatch sponsors esports organization Virtus, and has partnered with players Zeus and Coldzera.
Three Continue as Shirt Sponsors
While Parimatch has been named as Chelsea Football Club’s official partner, it is unlikely that the betting brand will feature on player shirts. It recently unveiled its new away kits for the 2021/22 season, which are sponsored by mobile phone network Three on the chest, and car manufacturer Hyundai on the sleeve.
The new away kits are created by Nike, and come in an eye-catching yellow and black colorway. The kits are made of 100% recycled polyester, which comes from recycled plastic bottles. This allows the club to reduce its environmental footprint, without compromising the sportswear’s performance.
In January 2020, the club announced that Three would act as the club’s official shirt sponsors for the next three years. Since the 2020/21 season, the mobile network has featured on all of Chelsea’s shirts, including Chelsea Women and Academy sides. That deal also saw the mobile network enable 5G at Stamford Bridge, enhancing the live experience of watching football for fans.
Parimatch joins an extensive portfolio of sponsors at Chelsea, alongside shirt sponsors Three and Hyundai. The club is also sponsored by grocery delivery service Zapp, digital inventory firm Horizm and hotel search site Trivago. Amongst some of the other household brands that are affiliated with the club are Singha, Sure and Cadbury.
Chelsea’s careful decision not to enlist a gambling firm as its official shirt sponsor could be seen by some as a sign of the times. Over the course of the last decade, sports betting companies have outcompeted other companies to feature on the shirts of some of the UK’s top football clubs.
Critics say that this practice has become too widespread though, normalizing gambling for a generation of young footie fans. Campaigners have called on the government to ban gambling firms from sponsoring club shirts, something that is now being seriously considered as part of its Gambling Act Review.
The outcome of the review is expected to be published at the end of this year. Until then, some clubs are making the most of betting partners while it is still possible, while others are already choosing to distance themselves from gambling.
