Over the past four decades, sponsorships have become increasingly commonplace in football. In the 1980's kit sponsors started to become more commonplace, especially in England, and this followed the slow rise of tournaments selling their naming rights that had commenced in the 1970's.
In Italy, however, deals between teams and corporations date back to the 1950's. The first such instance of a team having a company's logo on their kit was in 1953, when Vicenza Calcio and a local textile manufacturer, Lanificio Lanerossi di Schio, decided to join forces to promote themselves both on the pitch and in the business arena. Subsequently, the club became known as Lanerossi Vicenza and the players' kits were modified to include the company's "R" logo on them.
Today, it's pretty much par for the course for all teams in Italy - both big and small - to have some kind of corporate deals in place. Some teams, like Juventus, have multiple arrangements, ranging from the logo on their kits to selling naming rights to their stadium. Even smaller sides like Udinese also have inked multiple deals, including their stadium, which is sponsored by Romanian car company Dacia (hence the name Dacia Arena).
Roma, meanwhile, have a plethora of deals, including arrangements with huge multi-national entities like Huyndai, DAZN, and Gatorade, as well as local companies like Tombolini, San Raffaele, and La Molisana.
And recently, the Giallorossi added two new companies to their growing portfolio. The first is a deal with LeoVegas.news, a sports site that's connected to online casino LeoVegas. This arrangement, which should run through the 2021/2022 season, will see LeoVegas.news become the official infotainment (information and entertainment) provider for the capital-based club. It will provide fans with all the Roma-based news, features, matchday highlights that they're looking for, and also will be responsible for carrying the club's digital content.
The second deal Roma recently inked is with REPX, a British-based fintech company. REPX will be responsible for launching a bespoke prepaid for Lupi fans, and as per Italian publication Calcio e Finanza, card owners will also be able to access a special channel that will allow them to interact with the team, as well as be eligible for unique offers with regards to merchandise, tickets, and invitations to exclusive events.
This isn't the first deal REPX have secured with a European side; last month, the company also signed a deal with La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid, and this arrangement provides their fans with the same benefits Roma supporters will be able to enjoy.
