The contract was terminated due to AlfaBet’s non-payment in recent months. The company had committed to paying Grêmio R$ 50 million (US$9.35m) per year. In other words, the club was supposed to receive slightly more than R$ 4 million (US$750,000) per month, which did not happen in September, October, or November. Faced with this situation, Grêmio saw no alternative but to seek contract termination.
The impact of the missing payments was felt quickly within the club. In early October, for example, Grêmio delayed players’ salaries, only managing to settle the issue after receiving a loan from a businessman. Making matters worse, AlfaBet did pay Internacional — also sponsored by the company — the September installment, although 20 days late.
In February of this year, AlfaBet signed main sponsorship deals with the two major clubs in Rio Grande do Sul, Grêmio and Internacional. Until recently, payments had been made as agreed.
But in September, the betting company began delaying payments, claiming it would only be able to settle the overdue amounts in January of next year due to ongoing ownership changes within the company.
Given the situation, Grêmio chose to sign a short-term main sponsorship agreement with Energia Bet for the final two rounds of the Brazilian Championship. The termination clause in the contract with AlfaBet requires the company to pay the overdue installments plus an additional amount proportional to the remaining duration of the agreement, which ran until 2027.
Internacional is also facing delays regarding the September payment. Even so, the club has not yet expressed interest in terminating its contract with AlfaBet, something that could happen after the end of the 2025 Brasileirão.
Source: GMB
