Sports betting company Parimatch has named professional Counter-Strike player Marcelo ‘coldzera’ David as its Global Esports Ambassador.
The deal will see the coldzera engage in social-focused initiatives designed to support and build upon Parimatch’s brand. The Brazillian native, who currently competes under FaZe Clan’s CS:GO roster, is known for his storied professional career, which includes two back-to-back HLTV.org Player of the Year awards.
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Parimatch Head of Esports Stepan Shulga commented on the partnership in a release: “My company aims to become a global brand and this partnership with Marcelo displays us for Brazillian esports fans, opening the door to the global markets.”
While Parimatch has been in operation since 1994, the Cyprus-based bookmaker has made a strong push into the esports market in the last several years. This includes partnership deals with the likes of Virtus.Pro, Fnatic, and Team Spirit. Moreover, the bookmaker has sponsored a handful of top Dota 2 and CS:GO events. Parimatch became a member of the Esports Integrity Commission in February of last year.
Speaking to Esports Insider, Marcelo “coldzera” David, said: Parimatch are great partners and it’s really nice to have them on my side. I’m really happy to be part of this big project and to be part of this investor family. I saw the people who are connected with [Parimatch]. This partnership is going to be a big thing for me.
“They treat me really well. [Our agreement] is more than just using my image but also in terms of how to share ideas as well. I have a lot of ideas. They have a lot of ideas. We’ve got a good connection together and that fits me really well. I feel really comfortable in the partnership.”
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Outside of esports, Parimatch has a deep bench of brand ambassadors said to ‘embody the fighting spirit of the company and its mission to strive for greatness’. This group consists of mixed martial arts fighters Conor McGregor, Alexey Oleynik, and Petr Yan as well as holding partnerships with European football clubs Leicester City, Juventus, and Everton.
Esports Insider says: Latin America has been earmarked as an important area of expansion for sportsbook operators with esports offerings, and for good reason. One of which revolves around LATAM’s large population, which orbits 200m people. A staggering percentage of esports fans in the region are widely regarded as the industry’s most passionate, often driving sharp engagement around brands and for bookmakers’ betting volume. Out of all the potential esports athletes to choose from, coldzera is a great individual for the job considering his relationship to the feverous Brazilian Counter-Strike community.