For the longest time, the FIFA World Cup has held the title of the most-watched event globally. The Qatar 2022 tournament was expected to break records in this streaming age and it did not disappoint. In the opening game between hosts Qatar and Ecuador, 550 million people tuned in to watch.
The rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo also played out among the records. Ronaldo is the first player to score at five successive tournaments, while Messi made 26 appearances, more than any player has ever managed. On the digital side, online engagements were up 448% than in Russia in 2018.
With history being made on the pitch where a record 172 goals were scored, which is more than any other World Cup tournament, the focus was also on the economic side. 1.5 billion viewers watched the final between France and Argentina, while the tournament generated over 5 billion viewers. On TikTok, there were over 25 billion views for the trending topic #FIFAWorldCup.
Brands wanted to advertise even before the tournament started at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar. There have been stalwarts that have helped shape the FIFA World Cups over the years, particularly sporting brands such as Adidas, which has often designed and provided the official match ball.
In 2022, FIFA signed a betting and casino sponsor for the first time in a surprising turn of events. Betano, a sports betting platform, has a dedicated sportsbook and is also a popular casino option for most players. It is the first-ever betting sponsor to be a regional brand promoting FIFA in Europe. It featured as a third-tier sponsor alongside other notable first-tier powerhouse brands, such as Adidas.
When FIFA announced the sponsorship packages on sale, it had already started restructuring its marketing strategy to keep up with the changing demographics in the digital age. It introduced a new commercial strategy where there would be regional sponsors, and the packages were priced depending on the size and revenue turnover of the organisation.
Companies like Coca-Cola are featured in the top 50 most valuable brands. It could afford to purchase the top-tier sponsorship packages at tens of millions of dollars. At the same time, Adidas, an official partner, paid hundreds of millions for a contract to supply sporting equipment and official merchandise globally.
FIFA’s new sponsorship and marketing strategy also allowed smaller entities to purchase the revised packages. Betano is a subsidiary of the Greek gaming company, Kaizen Gaming. It promoted soccer even on its casino platform, advertising competitive World Cup odds to its bettors.
The sponsorship guaranteed that its brand would feature on the backdrops where European teams would conduct interviews. Additionally, it also had a pitch-side LED digital board advertising. But it has to be said that Betano is a familiar player in the football business. It had already secured partnerships with high-flying soccer teams in Portugal and Brazil.
In Portugal, it has partnered with Sporting Lisbon, Benfica, and Porto, while in Brazil, it sponsored Fluminese. These partnerships are also strategic and a win for the brand, considering in the English Premier League, there is a ban on betting sponsorships set to take effect in the 2026/2027 season.
As a result, most casino and betting brands will look for alternative markets outside England. The teams that Betano has partnered with regularly compete in continental competitions. For instance, Fluminese occasionally participates in the Copa Libertadores, a South American continental trophy featuring 47 teams from 10 leagues in their respective countries.
The Portuguese powerhouse teams regularly finish in the top four of the league and qualify for the UEFA Champions League, the Europa League, and the UEFA Europa Conference league. The Champions League and the Europa League feature among the top 6 most-watched soccer tournaments, alongside the World Cup and Euros. The difference is that while the former two are played yearly, the World Cup and Euros only happen every four years.
Undoubtedly, these collaborations guarantee that Betano will be close to millions of soccer fans. For example, the 2023 Champions League final was broadcast to over 450 million viewers.
Betano operates in over ten European countries and is looking to expand. FIFA’s landmark move in its corporate marketing strategy to include casino and betting companies has future implications of increasing revenue. The next World Cup will be hosted by the USA, where gambling and betting have recently been legalised in multiple states.
For instance, casino gambling was only available in Las Vegas and New Jersey; and less than five states had legalised gambling. Today, online gaming is a significant source of revenue for many states, and they are pushing to include sportsbooks. When the next tournament in 2026 occurs, possibly more states will have allowed sportsbooks and casino gambling.
FIFA’s partnership development with Betano seems to have positively impacted sports economics, where online gaming technology will enhance the fan experience. In the 2022 World Cup, fans could bet on a platform partnered with FIFA. Soccer fans can only hope that there is more to come in 2026.
