for early access to the latest igaming videos!
and get the latest igaming news first!
There has been a clear trend emerging within the sponsorship of Brazilian state football championships during 2026. An examination of the commercial deals that have been struck in relation to each of the 27 states shows that there is clearly a dynamic scene emerging, which is reflecting a fall in betting brands’ sponsorship, as well as growth from retail brands. However, there is no change to the number of sponsored competitions.
According to the data compiled by Lance!, 18 of Brazil’s 27 state championships are currently operating with a title sponsor in 2026, either through an extension or a new deal. This means that there are nine state championships that are going into the season without a title sponsor, the same as there were in 2025. However, the list of title sponsors does change.
Betting Companies Reduce Their Presence
In 2025, the betting sector was the dominant force in the market for naming rights in state championships. In that year, the championship names that were held by betting firms were eight, and the firms were operated by three different groups. One of the firms that was dominant was Superbet, which was placed as the most prominent in state championships and had the names of six championships.
However, the scenario is different as of 2026. Superbet currently participates in five championships, which is fewer by one compared than last year. Furthermore, no new naming rights sponsorship has been acquired by the company. Apart from that, two other betting companies that featured in 2025 have withdrawn from this particular sector. This is after BetNacional withdrew from the sponsorship deal with the Pernambuco State Federation. On the other hand, 4play.bet ended the sponsorship agreement with the Goiás State Federation. Consequently, the total number of betting sponsorships has diminished. In this case, betting companies are not featured in two of the championships.
Financial Institutions Show Mixed Results
The financial institutions also slightly cut their presence. Banks and Cooperatives in 2025 had naming rights in state championships. By the year 2026, the number had declined to six. Even with the slight decline, Sicredi appeared as a prominent player in the new cycle.
The cooperative enlarged its championship portfolio from three to five State Championships by agreeing new deals with the federations of Acre, Amapá, and Amazonas, three series that did not have a title sponsor in 2025. Of particular note, the Baezão series, based in Amazonas, regained a commercial title sponsor after a lengthy 11-year wait.
However, Sicredi also lost a strategic relationship as the Paulista Championship, the most lucrative and prestigious state competition in Brazilian football, drifted away in the year 2026, and the tournament sold its naming rights to the giant retailer Casas Bahia.
Retail Brands Gain Ground in 2026
Retail proved to be the most rapidly growing category in the naming rights market for the year 2026. The number of retail brands that took part in the championships doubled from the last season, reaching a total of four championships.
There is some continuity, however. The Santa Catarina Championship renewed its agreement with Fort Atacadista, and the Mato Grosso Championship kept its joint naming rights with Martinello and Sicredi. However, two new brands made their entry in the market. Novo Mundo acquired the naming rights sponsorship of the Goiás Championship, taking over from a sportsbook, while Casas Bahia won the naming rights sponsorship of the Paulistão, which was one of the biggest commercial deals of the season.
Regional Changes and Competitions Without Sponsors
Although some federations gained naming rights partners, others went the other way. Paraíba, Paraná, and Piauí were among the tournaments with naming rights partners in the previous season of 2025. However, when the new season of 2026 arrived, they no longer had naming rights partners. Some championships, like Alagoas, Maranhão, Potiguar, Sul-Mato-Grossense, and Tocantins, have no sponsors.
The year 2026 exemplifies the rebalanced structure of state championship sponsorships in Brazil. Betting companies that had complete dominance in state championship sponsorships now seem to be playing it safe, while general brands are finding opportunities in football at the regional level to promote themselves. Banking organizations continue to be relevant; however, their strategy is now only selective.
Source: iGaming Brasil
