Watford might not have got the start to the English Premier League that they were hoping for, but Bitcoin sure enjoyed the match. In their opening fixture of the season against Brighton and Hove Albion, Watford got stomped 3-0. In the post-match talk with key players and coaches, eagle-eyed viewers managed to spot the Bitcoin logo lurking in the background.
How Did Bitcoin Get There?
Obviously, Bitcoin doesn’t do any advertising – it’s all community driven – so getting there is a little more complicated. No, it wasn’t a Bitcoin billionaire buying an advertising spot for Bitcoin, it’s actually all thanks to Watford’s new sponsor sportsbet.io. Sportsbet.io allows users to place bets on football matches – amongst other sports – in both fiat and Bitcoin. It turns out that Watford’s sponsor decided to place the Bitcoin logo on the post-match interview background in a few slots rather than its own – how generous.
Not Crypto’s Premier League Debut
The crypto world is no stranger to the Premier League, as it made a handful of appearances during the 2018/19 season. Bitcoin trading with eToro kicked off crypto’s Premier League career, with the trading platform securing advertising deals with seven top teams, including UEFA Champions League finalists Tottenham Hotspur. Following that, OKEx signed a similar deal, getting its crypto trading platform some game time during vital matches for Liverpool, Arsenal, Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea, and Wolves.
Could We See Players Bought with Bitcoin?
As it stands, Bitcoin has conquered virtually every area of the Premier League so far. Shy of a Bitcoin millionaire sponsoring a team and only getting the Bitcoin logo on the team’s kit, there isn’t much left for BTC to do. The only area Bitcoin could visit is the player transfer market. Players in the Premier League can cost millions, and sending that kind of cash through the bank takes a lot of time and costs a lot of money. Using Bitcoin, fees can be cut down and more transfers can be made on deadline day. With Bitcoin only taking 10 minutes to process transactions, deals can be signed and completed in a matter of hours, rather than weeks. Players have already been bought and sold for Bitcoin in other leagues, meaning the Premier League is the next logical step.
This is a huge step for Bitcoin, and the three-year deal will see the Bitcoin logo a long-term resident of the Premier League. While it’s not guaranteed to help mass adoption of any kind, it’s still great to see the Bitcoin logo showing its face in the biggest football league in the world
