Betsson has inked a sponsorship agreement with Norwegian Toppserie side Avaldsnes IL, in a deal which has seen the group relinquish kit exposure to allow the club to further promote its ‘#EqualOpportunities’ campaign.
As the main sponsor, Betsson has secured exposure through kit advertising in matches played outside of Norway. For matches in Norway, Betsson has renounced this in favour of Avaldsnes promoting the aforementioned campaign.
#EqualOpportunities, which commenced in 2017 in a bid to raise awareness on the differences between men’s and women’s football, is aimed towards ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to reach the top.
Ronni Hartvig, CCO at Betsson Group, explained: “At Betsson, we believe in diversity as a key innovation factor in all areas, including sports. We are happy to witness more interest in women’s football and we want to be part of that drive.
“We also believe that our brand will get valuable worldwide exposure in future Champions League matches. This is a strategic agreement that we are confident will benefit both parties in the years to come.”
Adding: “While we are waiting for Norway to introduce a licensing system that allows us to further invest on Norwegian soil, #EqualOpportunities is a great message that we want to support.
“For us, #EqualOpportunities also has another connotation as it’s in line with our work for Norway to follow most of Europe by offering us an equal opportunity by introducing a licensing system.”
The online gambling operator, which says that the deal is part of its international marketing strategy, adds that the link-up also forms “another step” in its commitment to diversity and gender equality in sports.
Through this agreement, Betsson provides financial support to Avaldsnes in their journey to qualify for the Champions League every season. It will also support them in their long-term goal of establishing themselves as a top team in Europe.
Stian Staveland Nygaard, general manager of Avaldsnes Elite, believes the deal will be key in helping the club achieve its goals: “Running a top club aspiring to win the league and to play in the Champions League is expensive.
“In order to fulfil our ambitions, we depend on strong sponsors backing us, and we are very happy that we landed this agreement with Betsson. It is our biggest sponsorship deal of all time and provides stability in these challenging times.
“The sponsorship market has changed during this last year, and we have had to think differently. Having Betsson as a partner believing in our project allows us to invest, instead of having to lower our ambitions, which would have been the sad alternative.”
