Fatal Fans executive confirms first Corinthians payment, outlines aims | OneFootball

Corinthians has already received the first installment provided for in the sponsorship agreement signed with Fatal Fans, a company that creates and markets digital content. The information was confirmed by Samuel Ongaratto, an executive at Atlas Technologies, which manages the brand, during an interview on the Entre Linhas program by Meu Timão.

According to the executive, the initial payment has already been made and is part of the financial schedule established between the parties. According to information released by Meu Timão, the first deposit was made this week and represents part of the R$ 22 million set out in the deal, which runs until December 2027.

Photo: José Manoel Idalgo/Agência Corinthians

Commenting on the start of the partnership, Ongaratto explained that the contract provides for a significant investment in the very first months.

“The first payment was made, referring to the signing of the contract. It was a very significant amount for the club. Our contract provides that, right at the start of the partnership, there will be a disbursement of around R$ 14 million.”

The executive also confirmed that the Fatal Fans brand will already begin appearing on Corinthians kits and highlighted that the partnership covers different sports within the club.

“The partnership is already in effect. We are already sponsors of Corinthians, the announcement has already been made, and we will be on the field from now on. We will be present in all sports, taking the field with Timão.”

During the interview, Ongaratto also said that part of the funds provided for in the agreement may be allocated to the men’s football team, including helping the club in negotiations involving the retention of important players, if necessary.

“In our talks, part of the funds is intended for that (men’s football). But we understand that there is still a negotiation between the club and the player (Memphis) that needs to be concluded. The funds can also be used to help men’s football keep important contracts in place. That was also part of our negotiation.”

When asked about the expected return on the investment, the company representative said Fatal Fans’ main goal is to strengthen its institutional image through its association with Corinthians.

“With sponsorship like this, we don’t calculate return on investment; it’s an investment viewed as branding, something related to brand reputation. Being alongside Corinthians is a way of showing society in general the following message: ‘Look, Fatal Fans is a serious, safe company that complies with the law.’ That’s the message we seek by aligning ourselves with other brands that are far more traditional than ours. This is not performance marketing. In a way, all the football investments we have made over time have been viewed by us in this way. It’s branding. We are not going to measure how much will come back.”

Ongaratto also recalled that the company’s interest in partnering with Corinthians began years before the contract was signed. According to him, the first attempts happened back in 2022 and, after being turned down, the company began investing in other clubs to strengthen its presence in the market.

“In 2022 and 2023, Corinthians was one of the first clubs we visited. We tried to sponsor them, but we were turned down. We asked what we could build so that, in the future, we could become partners with the club, and the recommendation was to start by sponsoring smaller teams. From there, we began a climb, always with Corinthians in mind. We started with Sampaio Corrêa, then Ponte Preta, Paysandu and Vitória, and it was the same with competitions. We even sponsored Brazilian National Team friendlies, always building the brand, the market’s perception and our reputation, showing that we are a serious company that creates jobs, pays taxes and operates legitimately. Atlas is a software house, and its flagship products are Fatal Model and Fatal Fans, brands that operate in sensitive markets but represent legitimate businesses like any others.”

Next, the executive revealed that the company also sought to understand how Corinthians fans would react to the brand before the agreement was formalized, citing marketing actions carried out in recent years.

“At a certain point, the rejections we were getting (from Corinthians) were along the lines of: ‘We don’t know how the fans will react to your brand.’ So we thought: let’s test the fans’ reaction. The first announcement was in 2024, related to Pogba, and then we did another one involving Memphis last year. The fans’ response was so strong, with polls showing between 80% and 90% approval, that we found a way to give something back for that support with a donation to the Arena fundraising campaign.”

Finally, Ongaratto said Fatal Fans expects to expand its relationship with Corinthians over the next few years, although he ruled out, for now, the possibility of taking over the master sponsor spot.

“My wish is that we can repeat what we have done at several other clubs: make our brand the most beloved among all those displayed on the shirt. We are going to prepare a series of activations to surprise the fans. And why not renew this contract in the future and secure a more premium shirt placement? I already rule out master sponsor right away, because it involves a very high investment, which today does not make sense for our market and is also beyond our reach. But why not think, in the future, about the front lower section, back, shoulder blade, chest or another similar placement? I would very much like that to happen. We want to establish this connection with the club and the fans, help people understand who we are and what we are seeking, and then, who knows, move up to a more premium placement.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.