Crypto.com Adds FIFA World Cup Sponsorship to Sports Marketing Strategy

The company’s latest deal is part of an effort to develop its brand internationally

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FIFA World Cup | Source: Shutterstock

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key takeaways

  • Crypto.com had already made deals with the Australian Football League and Formula One this year
  • Competitor FTX landed a partnership with tennis player Naomi Osaka on Monday

Crypto.com will be a sponsor for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which is set to take place in Qatar in November and December.

As the exclusive cryptocurrency trading platform sponsor for the soccer event, the company’s brand will be on display inside and outside the tournament’s stadiums. Crypto.com will also offer opportunities for new and existing users to attend matches or win exclusive merchandise.

“There is no platform bigger, or with a greater reach and cultural impact, than FIFA’s global platform of football,” FIFA Chief Commercial Officer Kay Madati said in a statement. “We are delighted to have a global brand like Crypto.com join us as a sponsor of the exciting and groundbreaking FIFA World Cup in Qatar, ultimately helping to grow our beautiful game on a global scale.”

The company has made sports sponsorship deals a core component of its brand-building campaign. It bought the naming rights to the Staples Center in Los Angeles last November as part of a 20-year, $700 million deal and aired a commercial starring actor Matt Damon.

In January this year it signed a five-year sponsorship deal with the Australian Football League and last month announced it would sponsor what will be known as the Formula One Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix in May.

The company was also among several industry heavyweights, including FTX and Coinbase, to run an advertisement during the Super Bowl on Feb. 13. The 30-second commercial featured LeBron James and followed Crypto.com’s partnership with the four-time NBA champion to teach kids about crypto technology.

Other crypto firms have kept pace on the sports marketing front. Terra, for example, partnered with the Washington Nationals last month. The baseball team said that stablecoin TerraUSD (UST) could be accepted as a payment method at Nationals Park next season.

Most recently, FTX landed a deal with tennis player Naomi Osaka on Monday. Joining athletes Tom Brady, Stephen Curry and others as a brand ambassador for the crypto company, the four-time Grand Slam winner will produce content and projects to reach young women in crypto.

Founded in 2016, Crypto.com has more than 10 million customers and roughly 4,000 employees across its offices in the Americas, Europe and Asia.


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