Betclic has entered an agreement to provide The Portuguese Women’s Basketball League the same sponsorship pay as the men’s competition.

Over the next three years, the partnership will see an investment of €3 million for both competitions, which comes from a partnership protocol signed between the Portuguese Basketball Federation and Betclic Portugal. 

Pureza Sousa, Betclic’s Portugal Country Manager, commented: “It’s important for us as a brand to contribute to the discussion, to break down stereotypes that have long prevented women athletes from having equal pay.”

Furthemore, both the men’s and the women’s tournaments are to be called Liga Betclic, whilst the partners carry the goal of ‘upping the game on both leagues’ by providing the same conditions for all athletes.

As both enterprises look to impact other sports organisations and contribute to equal opportunities in sports, Manuel Fernandes, president of the Portuguese Basketball Federation, added: “We saw the opportunity to be the first to take this step and set an example.”

The French betting operator made its initial links to the Portuguese Basketball Federation in August, which saw its increased brand visibility and marketing capabilities in the Portuguese sports and sports wagering space.

As a result of this, the Portuguese Basketball League was also renamed as the Betclic League.

In a further boost for equality in sport, data from Nielsen Sports suggested that the sponsorship value and profile of female athletes increased during a ‘unique window of equality’ provided by the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, aided by the ‘level playing field’ for male and female athletes in the competition.