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BetVictor secured an expansion of its sponsorship portfolio this week via a partnership with Joe Joyce, ahead of the British heavyweight boxer’s rematch against Zhilei Zhang.
The Gibraltar-based bookmaker’s brand logo will feature on Joyce’s kit on the fight night as well as on his team’s kit. The company will also produce content during the fight build up and feature promotions and offers.
Joyce will take on Zhang for the second time this Saturday after losing his WBO interim heavyweight title to the Chinese fighter in April this year. BetVictor’s agreement as official betting partner of the London fighter was inked with his management agency, S-JAM Boxing.
Sam Boswell, Head of Sponsorship for BetVictor, said: “We are proud to be partnering with Joe, a boxer who has proven ability at the top level and who has shown a clear determination to reach the peak of his sport.
“Alongside traditional partnership activations, we will have great content following Joe in fight week across our social media channels plus plenty of promotions for both new and existing customers around the rematch on the 23rd of September.”
The agreement marks continued growth for BetVictor’s sponsorship portfolio, following a renewal inked with the World Snooker Tour (WST) in June and a season-long partnership with the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) in May.
Michael Tabor’s betting business has built up a solid foundation in the UK market, but like other firms has been seeking an expansion of its international profile of late, supporting this strategy with aforementioned sponsorship activities.
The company notably rebranded as BVGroup earlier this year – retaining BetVictor as its flagship sportsbook brand – following an expansion of its white label portfolio with the launch of talkSPORT Bet.
Harry Phillips, Head of Commercial for S-JAM Boxing, added: “We are delighted to partner with BetVictor as Joe’s official betting partner. BetVictor is one of Europe’s leading bookmakers and a brand who share the same belief as us in Joe.
“We are hugely excited to be working with them and their great team for this huge event and hope for it to be a successful and memorable night for us both.”
2023 has not been an entirely positive year for BetVictor as the company did fall foul of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for a promotional tweet featuring images of FC Barcelona footballers.
The Authority judged that the tweet breached the Committee on Advertising Practice (CAP) code around advertising by featuring sports personalities that could have an appeal to young people.
Based on other ASA rulings, however, BetVictor should be in the clear with any promotions featuring Joyce. The ASA ruled in favour of bet365 by determining that the bookmaker’s use of pro-fighters Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith was permitted under the CAP Code, as it assessed that boxing has limited appeal to under-18s, in contrast to football.
Commenting on his partnership with the sportsbook, Joyce remarked: “I am excited and proud to be working with BetVictor and to have them in my corner for my rematch against Zhilei Zhang.
“I’m intending to right the wrongs of the first fight and go on to challenge for world titles, so I am grateful for their support for one of the biggest fights of my career.”
