Why Vasco are taking so long to seal a new main sponsor | OneFootball

Vasco has been on the market for more than one hundred days in search of a main sponsor, but the most prominent spot on its shirt remains completely empty. The board has opened talks with some interested companies, mainly from the sports betting sector, but has run into different obstacles that have prevented any deal from being finalized so far. The current situation reflects the harsh downturn in the advertising market in Brazilian football.

The former master sponsor ended its contract at the end of December. At the moment, the Cruz-Maltino side is just one more among the Série A clubs facing this major problem of vacant shirt space, alongside Coritiba, Grêmio, Internacional and Bahia. The board’s initial idea was to put the shirt on the same financial level as Flamengo, Corinthians and Palmeiras, repeating the same successful model as the recent deal with Nike.

+ Staying true to its values, Vasco turns down R$45 million sponsorship

Negotiations with betting companies

Betfair, which is now represented in the country by Betnacional, did not agree to increase the amount to renew and decided to leave. After that, Vasco’s board went on to negotiate with other major betting brands, but backed out on two separate occasions because of serious warnings about possible defaults. Security in financial guarantees became a huge priority when signing any long-term contract.

According to reporting by ge, the club also opened formal negotiations with betting company H2Bet. The first offer presented was quickly rejected by Vasco for being considered too low. Unable to move forward with other brands on the market, the commercial department tried to resume the initial contact weeks later, but the company had already signed a major deal with Atlético-MG and ended the talks.

Despite the natural focus on betting platforms, since they are the companies investing the most money in top-level sport today, the commercial search is not restricted to that sector alone. There was even a preliminary conversation with a major car manufacturer, but the deal did not move forward. The long wait for a resolution is already causing understandable and considerable discomfort in the corridors of São Januário.

Pressure on the SAF and cash-flow relief at Vasco

There is direct and strong pressure from president Pedrinho on the executive directors of the SAF to resolve this commercial issue as quickly as possible.

Even with the delay in closing this deal, Vasco is getting important breathing room in its cash flow thanks to the high fee received from the sale of young forward Rayan, in addition to the prize money accumulated in last year’s competitions and the hefty broadcasting revenue from television rights.

Vasco shirt remains without a sponsor – Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

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