La Liga outfit Real Betis targets Asia for international growth

Avatar

Football clubs around the world continue to place an importance on their image in the ever-growing Asian market.

La Liga club Real Betis has substantially grown their appeal and international fanbase in recent times, with plans to continue pursuing commercial opportunities outside of Spain.

Asia is integral to these plans, with Betis beginning to take advantage of their participation in one of the world’s most watched and well-supported leagues.

Before the start of last season the club signed a partnership agreement with RB88, a leading online betting company in the region, for the next three seasons.

The Seville based club does have a significant, well established international department and continues to reach new audiences in football-mad Asia.

One of their latest moves, just months ago, was to expand their digital offering in China by opening a new profile on the Weibo social network.

It is a play to expand the club’s fanbase in China, curating content that is suitable and engaging to Chinese football fans.

“From Real Betis we always work to tailor our entry strategies for each country according to the interests of local people,” Ramón Alarcón, general business director of the club, told the La Liga website.

The club has a key focus on China, considering the development and extensive work they have already conducted in the country.

“In China we have focused on cooperating in local education and progress of football players,” Alarcón noted. “We have held talks on our methodology and made agreements that are very beneficial for both parties.”

These agreements include partnering with La Liga and the Chinese Football Association (CFA) on various occasions over the past few years.

Last year, the club opened a new training school in the Chinese province of Zheijang as a part of the ‘EscuelaBetis’ programme which aims to educate through football as well as expanding the Betis brand.

Commenting at the time of the announcement of the project, Toni Ortega, director of the club’s international development, told the La Liga website: “The EscuelaBetis programme will bring together all the sports projects of the club under a single brand that transmits our values.

“We are always looking to create education, training and development of young players around the world and we hope that this brand will allow us to export the work done at home to all parts of the world.

“We have been working for more than a year to identify the best opportunities in China. Within this project, we saw a need to run both boy’s and girl’s training as one of the keys to growth.”

China, however, is not the only country in Asia that Betis has pinpointed for future growth opportunities.

In Japan, Real Betis joined La Liga’s #TodayWePlay initiative last season, which brings Japanese fans closer to the club through engaging online education classes.

Created in collaboration with the Cervantes Institute in Tokyo, different topics are discussed and presented by Betis to Japanese audiences, including the club’s history, organisation, fanbase and ties to Japan.

Other clubs such as RCD Mallorca, SD Eibar, Deprtivo Alaves, Villarreal CF, Elche CF, SD Huesca, Cádiz CF and Real Zaragoza are involved in the program.

The club’s seminar was presented by Alarcón last month, also detailing information on Spanish culture, architecture and gastronomy from cities represented in the La Liga competition.

Alongside this, late last year the club initiated a Behind the Scenes trip, through the EscuelaBetis program, for a group of Japanese students.

The students stayed in Seville for a week, visiting the club’s facilities in the process and learning about how the club’s institutions are run, the working methodology and also gaining insight from world class professionals about their varying experiences.

Betis sees the potential there and is making a conscious effort to understand the local Japanese platforms and audiences.

The club has an official profile on Twitter in Japanese which currently has just over 8,000 followers, a number which will certainly grow in the years to come.

In regards to our local teams, what can A-League clubs do to better build their brand in Asia? Get in touch with us via email or our social channels.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Chelsea FC partners with Strava in landmark lifestyle partnership

Avatar
Image credit: Stock1987 / Shutterstock.com

The London-based giants announced the launch this week, marking a first-of-its-kind partnership for both the Premier League and Women’s Super League (WSL).

Connecting with fans

As clubs across the world look to find new and exciting ways of connecting with fans, Chelsea are showing that the answer – more often than not – already exists.

Strava is a running and fitness platform with over 195 million users across the globe. But the app represents more than just tracking speed – it is a social and lifestyle symbol through which users can connect.

And with presence in 185 countries, the app has the power to unite users from all over the world, making it a perfect fit for the globally-followed Blues.

“We are always looking at ways we can use our global brand to bring people together, often in unexpected ways,” said Brand Director for Chelsea Football Club, Scott Fenton.

“By working with Strava and becoming the first Premier League and BWSL teams to establish an official presence on Strava, we can lean into participation culture, understand where our fans are while offering new experiences for them and strengthen the bonds that unite our global community.”

Two brands with a huge international presence. One partnership which promises to encourage community, movement and healthy-living.

 

The intersection between sport and lifestyle

At first glance, Chelsea FC and Strava appear an unconventional partnership. Indeed, it is the first time a club has established an official presence on the app.

But at its core, the two organisations serve similar purposes: uniting people with a common passion for sport.

At its beginnings in 2009, Strava promised to replicate the feeling of team sports and unlocking new achievements, making a deal with Chelsea FC – one of the world’s most successful teams in recent years – a true full-circle moment.

“Chelsea FC joining Strava as the first Premier League and BWSL team to establish a global club on the platform is a powerful demonstration of how brands are engaging with their communities,” explained Director of Athlete and Community Partnerships at Strava, Mel Jarrett.

“We believe shared passion for movement creates real connections, and this collaboration brings that to life for Chelsea’s global fanbase.”

Spain’s Liga F receives history-making investment into women’s football

Avatar
Image credit: Liga F

The deal, worth AUD 91 million (€55 million) across four seasons, represents a monumental investment into Liga F and women’s football by Gasol16 Ventures and Fortified Partners.

 

Setting the pace

The investment comes as a hugely signficant moment in the history of women’s football not just in Spain, but across Europe.

But, given Spain’s commitment to growing the women’s game in recent years (and the world-beating teams it produces as a result), it is hardly a surprise that Liga F is at the centre of this milestone.

In the 2024-25 season, Liga F distributed AUD 28 million to its clubs, as well as doubling television audiences across two years.

The rate of growth is astounding, and shows no signs of slowing down.

“Women’s football in Spain has made a spectacular leap in recent years: audiences have almost doubled in two seasons, and stadiums are incresingly full,” explained Founder and President of Gasol16 Ventures, Pau Gasol.

“Therefore, this is not a sentimental commitment to women’s sport. It is an investment decision based on data, market trends, and the conviction that women’s football represents a growth opportunity with enormous potential for value creation.”

Thus, Gasol’s motivation reveals much about his own reasons for investing, as well as about the current status of women’s football in Spain.

The landscape does not want, or need, sentimental commitment. It is a financial and sporting powerhouse in its own right, and one which can grow to new heights year-on-year.

 

Securing a successful future

Furthermore, the long-term nature of the deal (set for the next four seasons from the 2026-27 campaign) shows vision and ambition for what the league can become.

“This agreement allows us to look further ahead and equip ourselves with the necessary tools to continue building an increasingly strong, more competitive league with greater capacity to generate value for our clubs,” outlined President of Liga F Beatriz Álvarez Mesa.

“What excites me most about this alliance is not just the investment it brings, but the message it sends: there are people and institutions who believe in the potential of Liga F and want to be part of its growth.”

 

Final thoughts

This is in stark contrast to the current situation of the A League Women in Australia, which PFA Chief Executive Beua Busch described as at a “tipping point”.

The problems remain the same as they were several years ago. Investment, player satisfaction and attendances are well below other major leagues. The key is creating a product which presents the immense value of clubs, players and commercial opportunities.

Because when intentional investment comes, the question stops being ‘who will invest?’ but ‘who wouldn’t?’ .

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend