Brazilian football team Santos FC names online sports betting operator Blaze as new main sponsor

Brazilian football team Santos FC announced in the debut of Brasileirão 2023 that Pixbet is no longer the club's master sponsor. The team announced that Blaze, an online sports betting operator, will be its new main sponsor. As part of the deal, Blaze branding will be featured on the shorts of both the male and female professional teams.

The club informed Sunday that it signed a contract with the online operator, which should yield close to BRL45 million ($9.15 million) for two years. The amount is almost twice as much as the current partnership with Pixbet, which paid BRL 25 million ($ 5.1 million) to the Vila Belmiro club. 

☑️☑️☑️ pic.twitter.com/uDjIvsE85j

— Santos FC (@SantosFC) April 18, 2023

According to information provided by Gazeta Esportiva, the club will pay Pixbet BRL6 million ($ 1.25 million) 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 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.

Andres Rueda, Santos FC President, said: "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. Without a doubt, it is another gift in the 111 years of the club."

For his part, Nick van Gorsel, Blaze co-founder said: "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. We believe that Santos FC will do many more good things and we hope to be able to ride this wave with them."

"We see our partnership as a great branding opportunity, and through this partnership, we are able to create incredible experiences for fans on and off the pitch," he concluded.