In a multi-year agreement, Everton FC has signed up Rushbet.co to become its official betting partner in Columbia, taking advantage of the popularity of James Rodriguez and Yerry Mina. Tony McDonough reports

Everton FC has signed its first-ever commercial deal with a company from Columbia.

In a multi-year agreement, the Blues have signed up Rushbet.co to become its first official betting partner in the South American country. Everton’s players will feature in the company’s new TV advertising campaign early in 2021.

The partnership sees Everton continue to build on the club’s growing profile in South America, most notably in Colombia, with national heroes James Rodriguez and Yerry Mina key players in the Toffees’ squad.

Rushbet.co branding will be visible across Everton’s online platforms on matchdays, in line with age and territory restrictions, and the company will have access to imagery of the Everton squad in their commercial matchday creative assets.

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The company’s branding will appear on the Everton website, which is also available in Spanish. Founded in 2018, Rushbet.co head office is in Bogota where Everton famously lit up the Colpatria Tower, the tallest building in Colombia, in blue with the number 19 to celebrate James Rodriguez’s arrival at the club.

Everton fever has since gripped Colombia with an upsurge in sales of merchandise, significant media interest in the club, record audiences for Premier League fixtures, an exponential increase in website traffic on a weekly basis and a rush to follow its Spanish-language social media channel (@EvertonESP).

Alan McTavish, commercial director at Everton, said: “Our new deal with Rush Street Interactive Colombia and its brand, which includes the club featuring in a national television advertising campaign, shows the significant inroads we have made in South America.

“Rushbet.co is a new but dynamic and ambitious brand with lots of potential for growth. This new partnership will offer even more visibility to Everton in Colombia and allow us to work together to deliver maximum exposure, while offering an official betting service to our growing fanbase in South America.”

The Rushbet.co gaming platform covers all European and South American football leagues, cycling – which is extremely popular in Colombia – basketball, volleyball, tennis, NFL as well as a wide array of Online casino games.

Omar Calvo, general manager at Rushbet.co, said: “The English Premier League and the Everton brands are extremely powerful, and we believe that having two of our most beloved Colombians on their main team makes it stronger.

“Rushbet.co is ready to start one of the most exciting sponsorship journeys of 2021, offering our players a real and direct connection with one of the best soccer leagues on the planet.”