This article will describe the best crypto sponsorship deals focusing on the world’s leading sportsbooks crypto partnerships in sports and entertainment. these sponsorship deals include formula 1 and the fifa world cup.
These partnerships improve brand visibility and promote fan interaction and crypto adoption. this will review the best sponsorship deals involving the convergence of digital finance and sports.
Key Points & Best Crypto Event Sponsorship Deals For 2026
| Key Point | |
|---|---|
| Crypto.com & Formula 1 | Largest $100M+ global motorsport partnership |
| FTX & Miami Heat Arena | $135M naming rights for NBA stadium |
| Binance & Africa Cup of Nations | First crypto sponsor of major African football tournament |
| Coinbase & NBA/NBPA | Official crypto partner across basketball leagues |
| eToro & Premier League Clubs | Multi-club sponsorships paid partly in Bitcoin |
| Crypto.com & UFC | $175M deal with fighter kit branding |
| Bitget & Lionel Messi | Personal endorsement with global football icon |
| Bybit & Red Bull Racing | $150M partnership in Formula 1 |
| OKX & Manchester City | Training kit sponsor + metaverse fan experiences |
| Algorand & FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 | Official blockchain sponsor of FIFA |
10 Best Crypto Event Sponsorship Deals For 2026
1. Crypto.com & Formula 1
This deal became the first sponsorship deal in the history of crypto sponsorship and Formula 1. Crypto.com gained branding exposure in Formula 1 event sponsorships, digital fan engagement and partnering events, and exclusive engagements with the crypto audience.
From this deal, Crypto.com acquired a global audience with an appreciation for tech, speed, and innovation. Crypto.com and Formula 1 both entered the expanding world of crypto.
Sponsorship allowed Formula 1 to enhance fan engagement through crypto NFTs and Web 3.0 technology. This sponsorship is a sign of Crypto.com’s affinity with elite sports in sponsorship to enhance their recognition.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Official global partner of Formula 1 |
| Audience Reach | Global motorsport fans, tech-savvy audience |
| Key Features | Branding at F1 events, digital fan engagement, exclusive content |
| Innovation | NFTs and Web3 experiences |
| Strategic Value | Builds credibility by associating with elite sports |
2. FTX & Miami Heat Arena
Integrating crypto into sports and entertainment, FTX made headlines when they sponsored the Miami Heat basketball team and renamed the Heat’s home court to FTX Arena.
FTX sponsored the team in order to promote sports gambling tied to FTX’s crypto gambling platform and increase the target audience to include basketball fans; thus, promoting the crypto to the masses.
Upon partnering with a top tier NBA team, FTX’s sponsorship garnered credibility and visibility with the American audience. At the same time, the sponsorship represented sponsorship crypto entertainment with everyday activities.
However, getting associated with crypto partnered with sponsorship creates the risk of losing reputation tied to unstable platforms. Ultimately, this partnership creates significant risk and very little reward.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | $135M naming rights for NBA arena |
| Audience Reach | U.S. basketball fans |
| Key Features | Arena branding, NFT initiatives, promotional campaigns |
| Innovation | Crypto-based fan experiences |
| Strategic Value | Mass-market visibility, but highlighted risks of volatility |
3. Binance & Africa Cup of Nations
Binance is the largest Crypto Exchange in the world, and they recently teamed up with the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to sponsor the continent’s biggest football tournament.
This partnership included sponsorship of the tournament branding, fan engagement on the Binance platform, and cryptocurrency and blockchain training and resources sponsorship for educational institutions and schools.
This partnership allowed Binance to reach millions of football fans while supporting the advancement of crypto in developing countries and positioning themselves as advocates for the advancement of sports in Africa.
This sponsorship also gave Binance a chance to support community campaign initiatives to promote the tournament, which included hosting the collection of NFTs.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Official sponsor of AFCON |
| Audience Reach | Millions of African football fans |
| Key Features | Tournament branding, digital fan engagement |
| Innovation | Educational initiatives, NFT collectibles |
| Strategic Value | Promotes crypto adoption in emerging markets |
4. Coinbase & NBA/NBPA
Coinbase established a well-publicized partnership with the NBA and the nbPA and sponsors the first fully digital-crypto-integrated partnerships in sports. The partnership includes digital sponsorships, NFT drops, and educational content tailored for players and fans, and engagement on the blockchain.
With this partnership, Coinbase was able to enlarge brand recognition and credibility along with the US market. It also reflects a growing trend in major sports partnerships with fintech.
The NBA has encouraged its stake players in NFT and crypto. Fans also receive exclusive digital engagement, exemplifying the intersection of professional sports and crypto.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Official crypto partner of NBA & NBPA |
| Audience Reach | U.S. basketball fans, global NBA followers |
| Key Features | NFT drops, blockchain fan engagement |
| Innovation | Educational content for players and fans |
| Strategic Value | Strengthens credibility in U.S. market |
5. eToro & Premier League Clubs
eToro is collaborating with numerous Premier League teams, with sponsorship integration into major football clubs. eToro gains exposure through advertising on team jerseys, stadium advertising, and digital advertising targeting millions of football fans worldwide.
eToro promotes trading, investing, and crypto education through the football clubs’ large fans base often. eToro is engaged in sports-fintech with football sponsorships. The partnership is profitably yielding finance visibility in eToro’s crowded target market.
eToro focuses on sponsorship marketing and community integration through popular football clubs and cryptocurrency and investment advertising to a passionate digitally engaged audience.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Multi-club sponsorship across Premier League |
| Audience Reach | Millions of global football fans |
| Key Features | Jersey branding, stadium promotions |
| Innovation | Crypto education campaigns |
| Strategic Value | Visibility in competitive sports-fintech ecosystem |
6. Crypto.com & UFC
Crypto.com and UFC entered a partnership that made Crypto.com UFC’s official sponsor and gave the company the opportunity to create the first partnership between a digital asset company and professional fighting. Each serves a new market:
This partnership allows UFC to target Crypto.com’s MMA fans and for Crypto.com to target UFC’s MMA fans. This NFT launch targets MMA fans for Crypto.com to alter their business practice and increase their market to MMA fans.
Sponsorship visibility and the ability to utilize crypto in sports entertainment is a goal for Crypto.com in this partnership. This is why Crypto.com is a top tier in this developing market.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | $175M official crypto partner of UFC |
| Audience Reach | Global MMA fans |
| Key Features | Branded content, NFT collections, in-arena promotions |
| Innovation | Digital-first fan engagement |
| Strategic Value | Enhances brand visibility in combat sports |
7. Bitget & Lionel Messi
Bitget, a renowned cryptocurrency derivatives trading platform, made and endorsement deal with football legend Lionel Messi in order to capitalize on his global popularity.
The sponsorship consists of promotional activities, social media Messi fan engagement, marketing, and activities aimed at on-board users to Bitget’s trading platform. With such high recognition in sports, Bitget hopes to gain users and build trust to compete in saturated crypto markets.
The sponsorship perfectly demonstrates the utilization of sports stars as ambassadors for innovative fintech products. It clearly showcases the promotional marketing of cryptocurrency within the realm of global sports.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Endorsement deal with Messi |
| Audience Reach | Messi’s global fanbase |
| Key Features | Marketing campaigns, social media promotions |
| Innovation | Celebrity-driven crypto promotion |
| Strategic Value | Builds credibility via sports icon endorsement |
8. Bybit & Red Bull Racing
Bybit has teamed up with Red Bull Racing, one of the top teams in the high-tech arena of Formula 1, to promote its brand in the racing world. The sponsorship involves promoting the Bybit brand through its logo being placed on the racing cars, team wear, in team videos, and in fan NFTs.
Bybit promotes its image as a progressive and innovative exchange as a result of attracting a wealthy clientele. The promotion also enhances the image of Red Bull Racing as a high-performing and precision- engineered performer in the racing world. The sponsorship deal is also financially beneficial to Red Bull Racing as it expands its fan engagement through blockchain technology.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | $150M partnership with F1 team |
| Audience Reach | Global affluent motorsport fans |
| Key Features | Logo placement, merchandise branding |
| Innovation | NFTs, blockchain fan experiences |
| Strategic Value | Aligns with high-performance sports & engineering |
9. OKX & Manchester City
As one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, OKX has gained sponsorship rights with Manchester City, one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League, including sponsorship of stadium branding, jersey sponsorship, and digital fan engagement.
Part of the intended outcome of the sponsorship is to educate and bridge the gap between crypto fans and football enthusiasts, offering services through the crypto exchange.
Having a partnership with a club that has a large following football following increases OKX’s credibility, brand recognition, and marketing reach to a diverse audience.
Manchester City receives substantial sponsorship revenue and digital sponsorship activation opportunities. This partnership is a prime example of the increasing overlap between top-tier football clubs and cryptocurrency services, illustrating the innovative flexibility available in sport marketing and fintech to reach younger, digitally active consumers.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Jersey branding & stadium promotions |
| Audience Reach | Manchester City’s worldwide fanbase |
| Key Features | Digital fan engagement, educational initiatives |
| Innovation | Metaverse fan experiences |
| Strategic Value | Combines sports marketing with fintech innovation |
10. Algorand & FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
Algorand became the official blockchain sponsor of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 which was the first integration of blockchain technology and crypto in the most illustrious football tournament in the world.
This partnership included various different of NFTs, fan engagement initiatives and blockchain integration experiences, further demonstrating the integration of Web3 in global sports.
Algorand’s global audience helped the company scale its even more secure blockchain technology. This partnership positively featured Algorand as an innovative and FIFA-compatible service. This partnership bridged the world of football and technology, showcasing the potential of blockchain in transforming the digital arena.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Official blockchain partner of FIFA World Cup |
| Audience Reach | Billions of global football fans |
| Key Features | NFT collectibles, blockchain-powered fan engagement |
| Innovation | Web3 experiences at large-scale events |
| Strategic Value | Positions Algorand as scalable, secure blockchain |
Conclsuion
In conclusion, top-tier crypto event sponsorship deals demonstrate the entry of digital assets into mainstream sports and entertainment. These partnerships, from the Formula 1 to FIFA World Cup, enable global brand visibility and fan engagement via NFTs and Web 3
While also building crypto sponsorship trust. It embodies the increasing convergence of technology, finance, and sports and crypto-domains sponsored marketing.
FAQ
What is a crypto sponsorship deal?
A partnership where a cryptocurrency platform collaborates with sports or entertainment entities for branding and promotion.
Which was the first major crypto sports sponsorship?
Crypto.com’s Formula 1 partnership is among the most high-profile early deals.
Why do crypto companies sponsor sports events?
To boost global visibility, reach tech-savvy audiences, and promote crypto adoption.
Do these deals include NFTs?
Yes, many sponsorships feature exclusive NFTs and digital fan experiences.
Which sports are most popular for crypto sponsorships?
Football, basketball, Formula 1, and MMA are top choices.
