PokerStars has added another sports superstar to its roster of brand ambassadors. Brazilian team captain Neymar Jr. joins 14-time Grand Slam tennis champion Rafa Nadal and legendary soccer player Ronaldo as the company’s leading sports superstars.
Signing Neymar Jr. will surely pay dividends in the area of social media promotion. With more than 18 million Twitter followers and 51.2 million Facebook fans, Neymar Jr. will give the PokerStars brand a tremendous boost in attracting new fans. The popular young Brazilian footballer regularly engages his fans with photos and videos of his poker playing experiences.
“Neymar Jr is a young and extremely charismatic megastar who loves interacting with fans on social media, is comfortable on camera and loves the game of poker,” Amaya Chairman and CEO David Baazov stated in a press release. “And as a superstar with one of the world’s most famous football clubs and football nations, his appeal is global. This partnership is a great opportunity to market the game of poker across the globe and attract new fans.”
The social media popularity of Neymar Jr. aligns perfectly with the company’s recent focus on promoting its brand to new audiences via the latest hit social media platform, Twitch. Earlier this year, PokerStars signed the most experienced live streaming poker player, Jason Somerville. Since then, many of the PokerStars Team Pros including the site’s most well known pro Daniel Negreanu, have taken up live streaming in an attempt to reach new players.
PokerStars looks to be able to attract new players in the US later this year as it expects regulators to approve its license application in New Jersey. The company is also working with gaming operators in other states such as California where it hopes to be able to offer its services when the laws permit.
