Picture: Real Madrid
Picture: Real Madrid
The partnership between Real Madrid and KOK Sports, a leader in the entertainment industry, will run for the next three seasons (2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23). As the official sponsor for the betting sector in Asia, KOK Sports will work with Real Madrid “to develop unique content and interactive experiences” for fans in Asia, the club said.
The brand will replace the Malta-based betting operator ManBetX, which acquired the club’s Asian betting sponsorship rights from 2018-19 to 2019-20, in September 2018.
Real Madrid stated in its 2018-19 annual report that it expected ManBetX to sponsor the club for four seasons, however the China-facing betting brand declined to take up an automatic two-year extension clause earlier this year.
The ManBetX deal was worth more than €1m per season, according to Spain’s Palco23.
ManBetX retains its role as LaLiga’s official betting partner in Asia under a three-year deal from 2018-19 to 2020-21, and as main shirt sponsor to English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, from 2019-20 to 2020-21. It is unclear whether a similar deal with Crystal Palace will continue after this season.
KOK Sports, in contrast, is a newcomer to sports sponsorship with no previous profile in European football.
In the betting sector, Real Madrid also has a multi-country deal with Spanish bookmaker Cordere, from 2019-19 and 2020-21, focusing on Spanish and Latin American markets, and a regional deal with online bookmaker Marathonbet in Russia.
Source: GMB / Sport Business
