Dafabet extends sponsorship of snooker's Masters

Philippines-based bookmaker Dafabet has extended its sponsorship of snooker’s Masters tournament for another three years.

The operator has been title sponsor of the tournament since 2014 and the new deal will bring its involvement with the event to seven years in total.

The deal confirms the industry’s presence in snooker for the foreseeable future, after British bookie Betfred recently extended its sponsorship of snooker’s World Championship for a further two years. The UK Championship is also backed by Betway.

“While we already had the title sponsorship for the 2017 tournament, we wanted to extend our deal sooner rather than later ensuring we tied down such a prestigious sporting event,” said John Cruces, head of sports marketing and sponsorships at Dafabet.

“We want Dafabet to become synonymous with the Masters, so knowing now we’ll be title sponsor for a minimum of seven years can only help our aim,” he said.

“World Snooker is a pleasure to work with, so we’re thrilled to be continuing our partnership for a further three years,” he added.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said he was “thrilled” to have Dafabet on board for another three years.

“They have proved fantastic supporters of snooker and it’s no wonder when you see the remarkable exposure they gain for their brand through TV coverage to massive audiences across the globe,” said Hearn. “We look forward to working with them on delivering another fabulous tournament in 2017.”

Dafabet increased its brand presence in the Premier League recently, signing a two-year deal with newcomers Burnley FC to become the club’s new shirt sponsor.