One example is the Campeonato Paulista itself. Considered the largest state championship in the country, with five clubs in Série A, the competition tends to gain even more exposure.
Proof of this is that TV Record itself, which holds the broadcasting rights on open channels, requested - and was granted - a change in the time of the Santos game against Botafogo-SP on February 5th, at Vila Belmiro, which was moved from 7:30 pm to 9:35 pm, which should mark Neymar's debut upon his return to 'Peixe'.
One such case is EstrelaBet, which is one of the broadcaster's main advertisers for the Paulistão games. According to Renan Cavalcanti, CMO of EstrelaBet, Neymar's return and the eventual increase in the games' exposure may reflect in other aspects for the 'Bets' world (as the operators are called in Brazil). "With the regulation, we have increasingly carried out campaigns about Responsible Gaming. And this visibility can bring even more positive effects for committed brands, in the sense of conveying responsible and positive messages to different types of audiences, including those who are not yet familiar with 'Bets'."
The company 7k, which is one of the main sponsors of the Paulistão, including by delivering a personalized trophy with the brand's name and logo to whoever is elected the best athlete on the field, understands that Neymar's presence represents a special moment for the business world as well.
"The Paulistão has already proven to bring an incredible return in audience and exposure, and there is no doubt that the presence of great stars increases this visibility even more. The São Paulo clubs have many stars in their squads, but Neymar transcends the norm," says Talita Lacerda, Executive Director of Operations at Ana Gaming, which owns the 7k brand.
One of these cases also involves BETesporte, which has an agreement with Paulistão to display the company's logo on various platforms, such as static signs around the field, backdrops and LED panels during the games. They also have visual insertions and promotional actions on social media during the games broadcast by CazéTV.
"Paulistão is one of the most important state championships in Brazilian football, and Neymar's return impacts this exposure worldwide. Globally speaking, all eyes will be on him, and consequently the brands involved will benefit from this exposure," explains Vinicius Nogueira, CEO of BETesporte.
For experts, Neymar's return sounds like a 'gift' in the eyes of brands. "The sponsors and advertisers of Paulistão will receive a nice bonus when the championship is delivered with Neymar's presence: increased audience and a greater number of Santos games on open TV," analyzes Fábio Wolff, managing partner of Wolff Sports and specialist in sports marketing, who is responsible for securing contracts between brands involving sports professionals.
"Neymar's arrival is certainly already shaking up the football ecosystem, especially in Brazil. He is the last great Brazilian idol of this new generation that follows football, a player with global projection and a lot of media coverage. So, it is natural and opportune that brands, competitions and even Santos' rival clubs take advantage of this boom in visibility that an athlete of his stature provides. TV Record's strategy was correct in requesting the change to show this event to the entire country, which will certainly have repercussions worldwide," adds Renê Salviano, CEO of Heatmap and specialist in sports marketing, who is responsible for securing contracts between brands involving sports professionals.
Source: GMB
