Spanish football giants Atletico Madrid have confirmed a new, five-year agreement which will see cryptocurrency exchange platform WhaleFin become the club’s main shirt sponsor from the start of the 2022/23 season.
WhaleFin’s logo will feature on the front of Atleti’s playing kit, with the Amber Group-owned platform also set to gain global and main partner designation.
The deal is reportedly worth $62m AUD annually, according to Spanish sports business publication 2Playbook, more than double the $25m AUD a year agreement with trading platform Plus500 that expired at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.
The Amber Group digital asset specialist, meanwhile, will become the club’s exclusive digital wealth and digital lifestyle partner. The broad agreement includes significant branding exposure at Atletico’s Estadio Metropolitano home and across the club’s digital assets.
WhaleFin will serve as the preferred digital asset gateway for Atletico fans, while Amber Group has acquired exclusive rights to establish the ‘Atletiverse’ virtual island on its Openverse Web 3.0 platform.
The community outreach elements of the deal include support for the Atletico de Madrid Foundation on sustainability and social responsibility initiatives, as well as general education campaigns around sustainability, with related local research project investment.
“This multi-year partnership is a monumental moment for Amber Group, and we are proud to be partnering with Atlético de Madrid, one of the top football clubs in Spain and Europe,” Michael Wu said in a statement, the chief executive of Amber Group.
“This partnership celebrates our shared values in teamwork and community-building which are resonant in both the world of sport and crypto finance. As we continue to work towards a more connected and inclusive global economy that promotes fair opportunity for all, we look forward to democratising financial innovation and to creating opportunities for everyone to start on their digital asset journey.”
Miguel Ángel Gil, Atletico de Madrid chief executive, added in a statement:
“Today is a significant day for the future of Atlético de Madrid, as we join forces with a global leading company in the digital finance space.
“This partnership aligns with our desire to evolve digitally and being able to offer better, more superior digital experiences to our fans.”