Unibet Signs Deal With Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen
Unibet has entered into a two-year commercial sponsorship deal with world chess champion Magnus Carlsen.
The brand, which is part of gambling operator Kindred Group, says it sees Carlsen’s reputation for “decision-making based on calculated risks” as aligned with its position in the market and says the deal will see Unibet raise awareness among the 600 million chess players and fans around the world.
“This is something I’m really looking forward to,” said Carlsen. “Unibet and I share a lot of the same values and interests in sports and related stats. We both know that “luck” is no coincidence. To make the right decisions, you need a well-balanced combination of knowledge, skill, and intuition.”
“Unibet also have a highly professional and at the same time creative and playful approach to precise execution, which is something I can associate with. I find it exciting that such a big and global brand now aims to take greater ownership of international chess.”
Outside of chess, Carlsen is also a strong Fantasy Premier League player, attaining the number one rank out of more than seven million players in December 2019.
Rhodri Darch, Chief Commercial Officer, Kindred Group said: “We see great potential in building a stronger market position towards the hundreds of millions of chess fans around the world, as well as all other online gamblers who understand and appreciate the value of gaining an advantage by digging into data and researching facts.
“Since 2014, Unibet has communicated that luck is no coincidence, celebrating those players who rely on research and statistics to make informed decisions. Magnus is a perfect fit for this concept, and our most recent marketing campaign is a good example of that.”
This is not Unibet’s first foray into chess. In 2014, it was the first international gambling company to introduce live odds on chess and since then, the company says Carlsen’s matches become some of the most popular sportsbook offerings in his home country of Norway as well as several other markets.
Unibet was also the Official Betting Partner for FIDE in the World Championship match between Fabiano Caruana and Magnus Carlsen in 2018.
