Betway Renew Belgian Croky Cup Partnership

Sports betting and casino operator Betway has been firmly behind Belgian football over the last two seasons and one of the main focal points of their sponsorship platform is the Croky Cup. This is Belgium’s biggest domestic knockout competition and one where Betway have been an intrinsic part for each of the last two years.

The partnership is clearly working well because, in a new announcement, it’s been confirmed that Betway will continue as the title sponsor of the Croky Cup for the next three seasons.

Extension

The new deal in place will take Betway’s sponsorship of the Croky Cup through to the end of the 2020/21 season. The operator already has a noticeable presence in the country through a partnership with RSC Anderlecht and the extension to the Cup deal can only build their brand awareness in the country.

Anderlecht have yet to win the cup under Betway’s stewardship, with the previous two editions going to Zulte Waregem and Standard Liege, but whoever lifts the trophy, everyone wins with this arrangement and the news has been met with enthusiasm on both sides.

Delighted

Anthony Werkman of Betway said:

The Croky Cup sponsorship worked very well for us in its opening two years and we’re delighted to remain as the sponsor for the next three competitions.

Having introduced Betway to football supporters in Belgium with our first two years of sponsorship, a further three years as the tournament’s official betting partner will hopefully lead to increased brand awareness and exposure in the region.

CEO of the Belgian Pro League Pierre Francois added:

The Pro League, in charge of marketing the Belgian Cup, found in Betway a reliable betting partner and we are therefore pleased that they have agreed to an extension.

It’s a great competition, which is characterised by the confrontation between professional clubs and amateur clubs and the possibility of upsets and underdog stories.

Development

Since regulations eased in terms of online betting back in 2016, Belgium has been seen as something of a growth area for operators but Betway have been quicker than most in terms of exploiting it. The backing of the country’s main domestic cup competition means that their brand logo is clearly visible at all Croky games via pitchside advertising so they will seep into the consciousness of football fans who like a flutter.

All of this is on the back of their existing arrangement with RSC Anderlecht so they are in pole position to develop throughout Belgium.

The development is also a very positive one for the competition which has something of a chequered past. It was first held as the Belgian Cup back in 1911 but was quickly interrupted following the outbreak of the First World War.

The tournament didn’t return until the 1926/27 season but it proved unpopular among certain clubs and was abandoned at certain points in its history. It wasn’t until 1964 that it became a permanent fixture on the schedule and with the help of sponsors such as Betway and the crisp company Croky, it looks to be here to stay.