Football sensation Neymar Jr has inked a deal with PokerStars, bringing him back into the operator’s fold after his initial partnership came to a close in 2017.
PokerStars says that the international footballer is a “perfect fit” for the company and that “the partnership is set to be a true collaboration seen across many aspects of the brand.“
It is thought to be the first time PokerStars has ever re-signed a brand ambassador.
“When I’m not playing football, I love playing cards,” Neymar stated via press release.
“Competing with my friends is a huge passion of mine, I love the sense of community, the fun, and the unpredictable moments that can occur in any game. As a true poker fan, I am excited to start a new chapter with PokerStars. Together we’ll be creating moments for our community and fans all over the world.”
Neymar is regularly seen at the online poker tables. Under his PokerStars screen name neymar-jr, he is often spotted in the regular High Roller Club tournaments. He also recently competed in PokerStars’ SCOOP series, with a deep run in one event.
He also was recently seen playing on GGPoker, with a custom avatar developed by the online poker operator, during the recent WSOP Online.
To tease the new partnership, Neymar Jr appears in a new video short. It fits into the PokerStars global “I’m In” marketing campaign launched earlier this year that takes a lifestyle brand approach to promote poker, casino and sports all under the one PokerStars brand.
It is not immediately clear what his role will be moving forward. However, whatever guise the partnership takes beyond this there is no doubt that Neymar Jr has significant reach, as he is widely considered one of the most lucrative sports stars in the world.
The footballer has over 50 million followers on Twitter and over 143 million followers on Instagram: followers that PokerStars will certainly want to tap into in the hopes to appealing to new audiences.
This makes Neymar Jr one of the top 15 most-followed Instagram accounts in the world.
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“Neymar Jr is a true global superstar,” stated Martin Nieri, Global Director of Brand and Creative at PokerStars. “But what underpins this partnership is his genuine love for poker.”
“It’s about a shared passion for the game and the beautiful uncertainty at the heart of it,” Nieri went on to say. “At PokerStars, we are constantly trying new things to bring new energy, excitement, and entertainment to our customers. Together with Neymar Jr we believe we can take this to the next level for the PokerStars community.”
Neymar Jr first had ties to PokerStars back in 2015 where he fronted a hugely successful social media campaign called #RaiseIt.
RaiseIt saw Neymar Jr and other PokerStars “Team SportStars” at the time, including Cristiano Ronaldo, going back-and-forth completing various trick shots. It garnered 20 million views on social media at the time.
However the Team SportStars brand was shuttered in 2017 with these partnerships seemingly coming to an end.
It is also the first signing of a top tier celebrity to its global PokerStars brand since Kevin Hart and Usain Bolt were faces of the company three and a half years ago.
“PokerStars x Neymar Jr are set to be the ultimate pair in poker. This is only the start of the journey with more to be revealed in 2021,” the press release concluded.
