PokerStars scores Formula 1 sponsorship deal

Formula 1 has announced Flutter’s PokerStars as its official betting sponsor.

UK.- The Flutter-owned online poker brand PokerStars has sealed a deal with Formula 1’s sponsorship and data rights agency, Interregional Sports Group (ISG).

PokerStars, which operates within The Stars Group, will gain exclusive exposure in broadcasts until 2023.

The deal also builds on F1’s portfolio of betting and gaming sponsors, following its previous Asia-facing deal with 188Bet in March 2020.

Tony Ragan, joint chief executive at ISG, said: “We’re delighted to have reached this agreement with Flutter Group. Combining the worldwide appeal of PokerStars and this targeted approach in engaging fans with many similar traits as the PokerStars’ community is an incredible opportunity for innovation and further engagement between the two popular brands.”

Tom Warren, group marketing director at PokerStars, said: “Working with Formula 1 provides us with the opportunity to reach a fan base whose passion for sport goes way beyond motorsport.

“To be able to engage an audience of this size and yet focus just on the regions that are key to us makes this a very exciting proposition.”

The deal comes as PokerStars announces that the World Championship of Online Poker will take place from August 22 to September 15, 2021. The PokerStars community will compete for $100m, the series’ biggest guarantee yet.

Last year’s series awarded $99.9m, exceeding its original $80m guarantee. It attracted more than 1.1 million entries across 75 events.