South Africa is one of the best destinations for sports enthusiasts as it is the home of major sports events. According to Nick Keller, the founder of Beyond Sport, which promotes sport worldwide, and Sport Industry Group, a company based in the UK, South Africa is one of the top sports markets. The country has been consistently hosting sports events ever since 1995, the year in which the Rugby World Cup was played. It is also worth noting that the South African rugby team Springboks won the cup that year.
South Africa's sports industry is now synonymous with big money. By 2011, its sponsorship market had become worth around $800 million or R7 billion. After hosting the 1995 Rugby World Cup, the country has hosted football and cricket world cups and organized a number of home and international sports events. Many of these events attracted sports enthusiasts from all over the world, boosting the country's tourism revenue considerably.
Some of the sports events played in South Africa include the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy of 2012 and 2009, the BMX World Championship of 2010, the World Cup of Golf of 1996, and the Fifa World Cup of 2010, to mention just a few. Some of the top local sports events include the Comrades Marathon, Nedbank Golf Challenge, and the Two Oceans Marathon, among others.
In other words, the sports industry has grown in leaps and bounds in South Africa during the last few decades. The credit for this growth goes to huge companies, including gambling companies offering sports betting and online casinos, and their highly advantageous sponsorship deals with individual players, teams, and leagues.
Betway's Sponsorship Deals
Betway, a UK-based gambling company, has signed several lucrative sponsorship deals for sporting events in South Africa, Kenya, and other African countries.
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One of the leaders in the online betting industry, the company offers great odds on a variety of sports events such as cricket, tennis, and others. Betway enables sports enthusiasts to wager on sports events from different parts of the world from the comforts of home. Betway's online sports betting sites are compatible with a variety of devices, including PCs, smartphones, and tablets. Some of its hottest features include personal betting slips, safe and secure banking methods, and live tickers. Widely acclaimed for the football betting options, Betway offers the latest football odds from several countries, ranging from local football events to the Premier League. Since its focus is on football, Betway is quickly evolving into a global sponsor of football events.
Since Betway is the chief sponsor of West Ham United, a football team in the UK, it has paved the way for exchange programs at the international level. These exchange programs are of great benefit to football coaches as well as players. Betway's sponsorship deals have enabled players such as Ashanti Gold from Ghana and teams such as Mathare United from Kenya to make their mark at the global level. African teams and players have taken advantage of its sponsorship deals to grab better opportunities globally, receive more funds, and obtain better coaching, facilities, and training.
Recently, Betway has expressed interest in sponsoring sports activities in South Africa. One can, therefore, soon expect to see Betway's logo and brand name on sports gear, uniforms, and stadiums all over South Africa.
SportPesa's Sponsorship Deals
SportsPesa, a sports betting company based in Kenya, has been greatly inspired by 888Sports' multi football club model. It has recently signed a partnership deal with Arsenal and a shirt sponsorship deal with Hull City Football Club. These deals will see the rapid growth of football in Kenya and enable football clubs from England to get more African fans. Fans of the Arsenal can take advantage of this sponsorship deal and grab benefits such as match tickets and official merchandize at discounted rates.
In exchange for the benefits received, Arsenal will help in improving Kenya's football infrastructure and conduct training camps to enhance the skills of football coaches and players across Africa.
SportPesa operates in countries such as South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, the United Kingdom, and the Isle of Man. It operates in the UK in partnership with TGP Europe. SportPesa is known for its lucrative sponsorship deals, especially its 2017 deal with South Africa's Premier Soccer League team Cape Town City Football Club.
Why Sports Sponsorship?
Sports sponsorships benefit sponsoring companies as well as sports clubs, and here are some of the benefits in brief:
Boost brand awareness - Since the sponsor's logo and brand name is prominently displayed on sports gear and sportswear, it gets exposed to millions of fans.
Boost sales - The sponsoring company can take advantage of the sponsorship deal to promote its products and services by setting up booths or stands at the sports event or signing endorsement deals with individual players.
Funds - Teams and players can use the sponsorship funds to get better training and better facilities.
Further Reading
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