Merkur has entered a two-year agreement with RB Leipzig to become the Bundesliga side’s Official Partner as the 2024/25 season prepares for kick off.
Preceding the first weekend of Bundesliga football this weekend, the two-year deal will see Merkur gain brand visibility at the German side’s Red Bull Arena and on live broadcasts via LED advertising boards and Cam Carpets.
The deal will include branding for the operator’s umbrella brand, Merkur, as well as its recently launched sports betting brand Merkur Bets
Nils Rullkötter, Senior Manager at the Board of Management for Marketing, Communication and Politics at Merkur Group, stated: “RB Leipzig’s journey represents an extraordinary success story and we are very proud to welcome a partner at Champions League level to our network. Within a very short time, the club has made a name for itself not only in Germany, but also internationally.
“RB Leipzig stands for innovative concepts, attractive football and joy of playing, which fits perfectly with Merkur products and our brand promise of ‘joy in the game’.”
Another activation within the partnership will see Merkur present the Bundesliga table across all of RB Leipzig men’s social media pages.
RB Leipzig will hope to kick on in the 2024/25 season after securing qualification to the UEFA Champions League with a fourth place finish in last year’s Bundesliga competition.
Matthias Reichwald, RB Leipzig Chief Commercial Officer, added: “The Merkur Group has followed an impressive path for many years, which has led the company consistently upwards: with creativity, flexibility, enthusiasm and, above all, total conviction.
“It’s with these qualities precisely that we are constantly pursuing our goals at RB Leipzig and we now have another excellent partner by our side in Merkur. With this partnership, we want to create special synergies for both brands: both for the live football experience in the stadium and on the digital platforms.”
The deal follows a trend of casino operators entering into football-focused sponsorship agreements over the summer months.
Recent partnerships have seen the likes of Rollbit, BC.Game, Betway and bj88 reach agreements with several Premier League clubs, taking advantage of the short time left before the league bans front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships after the 2025/26 season.