Billion-pound British firm joins race to sponsor Vasco, here’s the latest | OneFootball

Vasco is actively moving behind the scenes in search of a new main sponsor for the 2026 season. With the end of the contract with the former partner at the end of last year, the club's management has expanded the range of negotiations and started talking to different companies in the sports betting sector, aiming for a more robust and secure financial agreement.

In recent days, a global-reaching British company has come onto the club's radar and joined the list of those interested in having their brand on Vasco's uniform. This is Bet365, one of the largest betting companies in the world, which now joins ZeroUmBet and EnergiaBet in the race for the prime spot on Vasco's jersey.

Vasco expands negotiation range for main sponsor

After the contract with Betfair ended on December 31, 2025 — without exercising the renewal clause — Vasco started a new market prospecting process. The management made it clear that they are looking for a partner that offers high fixed values, financial guarantees, and protection clauses in case of default or regulatory issues.

The initial talks involved ZeroUmBet and EnergiaBet. ZeroUm operates in the national market by judicial decision, amid the process of adapting to the Ministry of Finance's rules. EnergiaBet belongs to the Responsa Gamming group, which recently tried to reach an agreement with Corinthians, including the creation of the club's own bet, but without progress in negotiations.

Vasco, in turn, is working with a minimum requirement of R$ 70 million fixed per year, a value higher than what was previously received. In the previous contract, the disclosed amount was around R$ 70 million total, conditioned on goals considered unrealistic by the current SAF management.

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Betfair did not renew sponsorship with Vasco — Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

British company founded by Denise Coates enters the race

The main novelty in the scenario is the entry of Bet365 into the negotiations. Founded by businesswoman Denise Coates, the company is one of the global giants in the sports betting sector. According to Forbes magazine, Denise has an estimated fortune of US$ 9.4 billion, ranking among the richest and best-paid women in the United Kingdom.

Bet365 recently signed a global sponsorship agreement with the UEFA Champions League, valid until 2027, being the only betting company with this type of partnership with the European entity. In Brazil, the brand is already the exclusive sponsor of the sports betting segment at Allianz Parque, Palmeiras' stadium, and debuted in 2026 as a sponsor of the Campeonato Paulista, with broadcasts by CazéTV.

In international football, the group also owns Stoke City in England and maintains partnerships with clubs like Hamburg and Stuttgart in Germany, as well as Udinese in Italy. Despite its strong presence in the country, Bet365 has never sponsored a Brazilian club's jersey, making Vasco a potential inaugural project for the brand in this format.

Partnership with Nike strengthens Vasco in the market

Behind the scenes, the assessment is that the good start of the partnership with Nike has been crucial in strengthening Vasco's image with major brands. The agreement with the sports supplier generated positive market repercussions and repositioned the club as an attractive showcase, both sportingly and commercially.

The combination of tradition, engaged fanbase, national exposure, and alignment with a global brand like Nike directly influences negotiations for the main sponsor. Internally, the understanding is that Vasco is once again perceived as a relevant asset in the Brazilian sports market.

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Photo: Reproduction/Vasco.

When will the sponsor be defined?

The management's expectation is to define the new main sponsor by March, even though the club has already started the season without the brand on the uniform. Negotiations are ongoing in parallel, with different models being analyzed, including fixed values, marketing activations, and bonuses tied to sports and commercial goals.

Proposals previously discussed, such as EnergiaBet's, foresaw values that could reach R$ 80 million per year, combining fixed and variable amounts. The trend is that any potential negotiation with Bet365 will follow similar levels.

Meanwhile, Vasco is also conducting other strategic processes, such as the sale of SAF shares that belonged to 777 Partners, in negotiation with the group led by businessman Marcos Lamacchia, reinforcing a moment of transition and restructuring both on and off the field.

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