Brazilian outfit, Santos become the talk of the town in recent days following their surprisingly sudden shirt sponsor change. Peixe launched their 2023 jerseys on April 15 placing Pixbet as its main kit sponsor but just one day later they ended the deal and went to change it with Blaze.
Santos Changed Shirt Sponsor from Pixbet to Blaze One Day After 2023 Jersey Launching
Santos 2023 Home & Away Kits Released
Santos' decision to end their agreement with Pixbet was considered surprising since they still have a contract for another year. The Brazil outfit signed a two-year deal with the betting company in 2022 and it wasn’t supposed to end until 2024.
However, it looks like Peixe found a much better offer as they opted to end their agreement with Pixbet and turn their head on another betting company, Blaze, which is associated with their former star, Neymar. According to Brazil media, Terra (via mantosdofutebol), the new agreement will allow Santos to earn up to 45m Brazilian Real (around 8.2m Euro), which is more than they previously earned under the previous sponsor.
Even though Santos remain grateful to Pixbet for their collaboration, the club reportedly still needs to pay around 6m Brazil Real (around 1.1m Euro) to the sportsbook for ending their agreement earlier. Peixe announced their new deal with Blaze on April 16, while thanking their previous kit sponsor for their short collaboration.
Former Santos Star Neymar Connected With the Club's Deal With Blaze
Blaze are a relatively new betting company as they were founded in 2019 but managed to rise quickly as one of the market leaders, especially with Neymar as one of their ambassador. The PSG star’s father reportedly also plays a part in the contract agreement between Santos and the sporting bet company.
As many football fans know, the Brazilian number 10 superstar was Santos' former golden boy who left them to join Barcelona for a total fee of 88m Euro in 2013. Despite already being separated for a few years, it looks like their connection remains strong.
Commenting about the deal, Santos’ president Andres Rueda, can’t hide his joy believing that it's another gift for the club’s 111th years anniversary. “We are happy to announce this important new partner. We signed for two years, but I'm sure it's the beginning of a promising future for everyone. “Without a doubt, it is another gift in the 111 years of the club,” Rueda revealed.
We see our partnership as a great branding opportunity and through this partnership we can create incredible experiences for fans on and off the pitch,"
Meanwhile, Blaze’s co-founder Nick van Gorsel also expressed his view about the new deal saying, "We believe that Santos FC will do many more good things and we look forward to being able to ride this wave with them. We see our partnership as a great branding opportunity and through this partnership we can create incredible experiences for fans on and off the pitch," Gorsel stated.
Despite the shocking situation, it looks like there’s no issue whatsoever for Santos to change their kit sponsor from Pixbet to Blaze. The club have also debuted their new jersey with their new bookmaker as shirt sponsor during their latest Brasileiro Serie A clash against Gremio. Unfortunately, it wasn't a positive result for Peixe as they lost that game 1-0.
Let us know your opinion on Santos' sudden sponsor change from Pixbet to Blaze in the comment below.