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Real Madrid and Barcelona neck-and-neck as world’s most valuable football brands in the face of COVID-19

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  • Real Madrid remain world’s most valuable football brand, but Barcelona narrow the gap to just €6 million
  • COVID-19 causes total brand value of top 50 clubs to decrease for the first time in 6 years – €751 million or 3.7% is knocked off
  • English clubs dominate the ranking with six brands in top 10 and 19 in top 50
  • Liverpool inches two spots up into 4th place, following historic Premier League win
  • Bundesliga’s 1. FC Köln is this year’s fastest-growing brand, followed by Leicester City and RB Leipzig – all recording over 40% growth
  • Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium takes top spot in Buro Happold’s Venue Performance Rating

Real Madrid remain the most valuable football club brand in the world for 2020, according to the latest edition of the Brand Finance Football Annual. Boosted by winning the LaLiga title for the first time since 2017, the club retained its position at the top of the table in the football industry, but against a backdrop of economic and social disruption, caused primarily by the COVID-19 pandemic, Real Madrid’s brand value has declined by 14% to €1,419 million.

Real Madrid’s disappointing on-pitch performance prior to 2019-20, which saw an earlier-than-normal exit from the UEFA Champions League in 2018-19 and a second successive season adrift of LaLiga champions Barcelona, eroded the club’s dominance of the Brand Finance ranking. The situation was exacerbated by COVID-19, along with a lack of stability around the management of the team. Barcelona, Real’s fierce rivals, are just €6 million behind Real with a brand value of €1,413 million, supported by strong and diverse revenue generation and continued domestic performance in Spain.

COVID-19 knocks off €751 million of brand value

Real Madrid is not the only club to see a drop in brand value this year. COVID-19 has caused the total value of the top 50 football brands to decrease for the first time in 6 years. Through its effect on the three main revenue streams – Matchday, Broadcasting, and Commercial – €751 million or 3.7% has been knocked off the cumulative brand value of the world’s top 50 most valuable football clubs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged professional football worldwide and across all levels. Matchday income for the 501 games remaining in the big 5 leagues dropped to zero, but it is often the smaller clubs and leagues which are more reliant on this revenue stream – in Scotland it makes up 43% of total revenue, compared to only 13% in England.

There have been some positive signs, as Southampton vs Manchester City on BBC broke the Premier League TV audience record with 5.7 million viewers, but the longer-term damage to the game’s economic structure has yet to be revealed.

Richard Haigh, Managing Director of Brand Finance, commented:

“Top-level football has been confronted with the largest existential threat since the Second World War. Loss of income, coupled with health concerns about mass gatherings, have raised question marks about the future of the industry and the financial resilience of clubs across all levels. The full damage of the COVID-19 crisis has yet to unfold and it is not inconceivable there will be casualties in the form of club bankruptcies and changes in ownership.”

Despite the huge implications of COVID-19 for football clubs and their financial results, the majority of the brand value is secured by the clubs’ long-term future – provided they can survive the initial shock. For example, only 21% of Real Madrid’s brand value is delivered by the next five years’ financial results.

Premier power

Real Madrid and Barcelona are followed by a cluster of English Premier League clubs in the Brand Finance Football Annual 2020 ranking, with Manchester United in 3rd position after their brand value fell by 11% to €1,314 million. Liverpool, who won their first league title since 1990 in runaway style, are in 4th spot jumping above Manchester City in terms of brand value, rising from €1,191 million in 2019 to €1,262 million, a 6% increase. Chelsea dropped one place in the table to 8th after their value fell for the fourth consecutive year to €949 million. This was arguably due to the club being absent from the UEFA Champions League and also suffering a transfer ban after being charged with breaking Financial Fair Play Regulations.

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CasinoCanada announces partnership with Slota Casino

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CasinoCanada.com has entered into a partnership with Slota Casino aimed at increasing the platform’s visibility and directing traffic from non-regulated Canadian markets.

As part of the collaboration, CasinoCanada will prepare and publish informational materials describing Slota Casino’s features and game offerings.

The partnership includes ongoing content development, efforts to increase platform visibility and user acquisition activities across CasinoCanada’s media channels.

CasinoCanada is an online casino guide focused on the Canadian market, operated by SEOBROTHERS.

Eugene Ravdin, Head of PR at SEOBROTHERS, commented:

“We focus on delivering accurate information about the Slota Casino platform while maintaining consistent content updates and supporting steady traffic growth across our channels.”

Slota Casino was launched in 2024 by GBL Solutions N.V. under a Curacao licence.

Slota Casino is operated by the Slota Partners affiliate program.

The platform provides access to more than 12,000 online casino games from 130 providers, including Play’n GO, Endorphina and Games Global.

A representative of Slota Casino said:

“We’re genuinely excited about teaming up with CasinoCanada. This is a major step forward for us.

The Canadian market has enormous potential, and partnering with a portal as respected as CasinoCanada gives our brand the visibility and credibility it deserves in this region.”

The post CasinoCanada announces partnership with Slota Casino appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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Brazil

Esportes da Sorte has renewed its official sponsorship of the Parintins Folklore Festival for the 2026 edition

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Esportes da Sorte has renewed its official sponsorship of the Parintins Folklore Festival for the 2026 edition.

The brand reinforces its strategy of promoting Brazilian culture after fostering an exchange between the North and Northeast regions during the Pernambuco Carnival.

Esportes da Sorte announced the renewal of its official sponsorship of the Parintins Folklore Festival for the 2026 edition.

Scheduled to take place from June 26 to 28, the event is part of the brand’s strategy to strengthen Brazilian cultural expressions and support the regional creative economy.

The continuation of the partnership follows a cycle of cultural integration promoted by the company over the past year.

In 2026, the group brought artistic references from the Parintins Festival to Recife Carnival by inviting Amazonian visual artist Iran Martins to design the brand’s parade float at Galo da Madrugada.

The project incorporated movement mechanisms and aesthetic elements inspired by the “bumbás” universe into the visual language of frevo.

Beyond brand exposure, the investment in Parintins is part of a positioning strategy focused on valuing Brazilian cultural identity and strengthening initiatives with strong regional ties.

“Our presence in Parintins goes beyond a branding action. It is a commitment to valuing Brazilian culture and the professionals who drive this creative ecosystem.

By bringing together references from the Parintins Festival and Recife Carnival, we show how different cultural expressions in the country can dialogue and create new connections.

We want to continue expanding this impact and contribute to keeping the bumbá tradition strong,” said Marcela Campos, Vice President of Grupo Esportes Gaming Brasil, owner of Esportes da Sorte.

Economic growth and new Bumbódromo

The Parintins Festival 2026 is expected to generate around R$193.2 million, a projected 5% increase compared to the previous edition. The forecast also includes approximately 30,000 direct and indirect jobs, as well as the arrival of around 126,000 tourists.

The audience will be welcomed in the new Bumbódromo, a structure with capacity for up to 25,000 people per day, which will become part of the festival’s expansion in the coming years.

Esportes da Sorte

Esportes da Sorte is one of Brazil’s leading sports betting platforms, with 100% national operations and a license granted by the Ministry of Finance (SPA/MF) to Esportes Gaming Brasil — the group that also owns the Onabet and Lottu brands.

The company is part of a Great Place to Work certified group and generates around 1,000 direct and indirect jobs. Its pillars include innovation, commitment to responsible gaming, and support for sector regulation.

It maintains strategic partnerships with institutions such as ANJL, IBIA, Sportradar, EBAC, and IAA, strengthening control practices, problem gambling prevention, and user protection.

In addition to sports betting, Esportes da Sorte invests consistently in sports, culture, and social projects. It is a master sponsor of clubs such as Corinthians, Ceará, Ferroviária, and Náutico, as well as supporting major cultural events like Galo da Madrugada, Carnival celebrations in cities such as Recife, Olinda, Salvador, Maceió, Natal, Caicó, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo, and the Parintins Festival. The brand also expands its digital presence through creative campaigns and influencer partnerships, strengthening its connection with audiences across online platforms.

The post Esportes da Sorte has renewed its official sponsorship of the Parintins Folklore Festival for the 2026 edition appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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Canada

Digicode to showcase Diger Suite at SBC Summit Canada 2026

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Digicode will showcase its Diger Suite at SBC Summit Canada, taking place in Toronto from May 19–21, 2026.

At the event, the company will highlight how its product suite addresses evolving technical and partnership demands in Canada’s regulated iGaming market.

As the market moves beyond initial entry and into a phase defined by performance, scalability, and compliance, operators are re-evaluating their technology foundations.

Digicode’s Diger Suite is built to support this shift, offering a modular architecture that enables faster adaptation to regulatory changes, improved system reliability, and more efficient operations.

Aligned with the summit’s 2026 theme, “Partnerships, Performance, and Market Reality,” Digicode will demonstrate how its technology supports sustainable growth.

The Diger Suite equips operators with tools to manage complex integrations, streamline localized payment processing, and ensure compliance with responsible gaming requirements.

Its AI-driven framework automates backend workflows while maintaining strict standards for security and uptime.

“The Canadian market has entered the phase of operational maturity where the focus is no longer on expansion alone but on improving efficiency and long-term profitability,” said Elkhan Shabanov, CEO of Digicode Americas.

Operators are looking for solutions that not only meet regulatory demands but also enable them to scale efficiently and maintain control over their platforms.”  

During the summit, Digicode’s team will engage with industry stakeholders on topics including AI adoption in product development, modernization of legacy systems, and the transition away from traditional SaaS and revenue-share models toward full platform ownership.

The company aims to help operators regain control of their technology stack, reduce dependency on third-party vendors, and build scalable, compliant solutions tailored to their business needs. 

About Digicode

Digicode is a full-cycle AI-enabled product development company that designs and delivers enterprise digital solutions for organizations in complex, regulated environments.

Digicode supports clients with enterprise systems, integrations, and long-term software development. The company operates internationally and prioritizes projects where ownership and technical responsibility remain with the client.

The post Digicode to showcase Diger Suite at SBC Summit Canada 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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