September 28: Corinthians have received a R$120 million ($22.6 million) bid from escort advertising platform Fatal Model to take over the club’s main shirt sponsorship, as Brazil’s new betting restrictions force one of the country’s biggest clubs back into the market.
The proposal is for one season and has been confirmed to have been received by Corinthians, but no deal has yet been signed.
Corinthians’ current main sponsor Esportes da Sorte pays R$150 million ($27.8 million) a year guaranteed under a deal until the end of 2029, with bonuses that could bring the annual value to R$200 million ($38.2 million). The club had earned R$160 million ($30.6 million) for 2026.
But new federal restrictions force bookmakers to remove advertising, marketing and sponsorship branding by October 5, a week today, and Corinthians face the sudden loss of one of their biggest commercial contracts.
The club had pushed for a 90-day transition period to buy themselves some breathing room, but that didn’t happen.
Replacing a betting sponsorship with an escort spot doesn’t seem like the progressive step the Brazilian League was trying to make, but the reality is that’s where the money is.
Or is it? In terms of headline numbers, Fatal Model’s offer would still leave Corinthians R$30m ($5.7m) below the guaranteed annual value of the Esportes da Sorte deal, and R$80m ($15.7m) below their maximum potential value.
It would also be much shorter. Esports da Sorte was tied until 2029; Fatal Model only offers a one-year contract.
There is already a relationship between Corinthians and the wider business group. Fatal Fans, a subscription content platform that belongs to Grupo Atlas itself, signed a deal with Corinthians in June worth R$22 million until the end of 2027, which could rise to R$31 million if an extension is triggered. His brand currently appears on men’s shorts, with the deal also covering the women’s team, basketball and futsal.
Grupo Atlas says any Fatal Model master deal would tie into the existing contract rather than replace it, meaning Corinthians would have not one, but two adult brands on their team, but at least no gambling sponsors.
The club does not seem to have much choice given the financial pressure it is already under. Corinthians recently advanced part of their Esports da Sorte income to meet wage obligations, effectively spending future sponsorship income upfront to cover immediate cash needs.
Brazilian clubs have spent much of the modern era building shirt values around aggressive spending from the betting industry. Now that this category is forced out almost overnight, those same clubs are about to find out what their core sponsorship inventory is worth without him.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at (email protected)
