Hollywoodbets has enlisted former South African national footballer Benni McCarthy to star in its new LaLiga campaign.
Last year, the sports betting firm struck a ‘unique’ partnership with the Spanish organisation to become the official partner of the top tier football tournament.
Former Celta Vigo striker McCarthy features in the promotional video to mark the collaboration, which is set to air in the near future, after it was reported earlier in February that the ex-LaLiga star was shooting a commercial with the firm in Umhlanga, Durban.
Cape Town-born McCarthy, who currently holds the role of Head Coach at Premier Soccer League team AmaZulu FC, enjoyed an illustrious 18-year playing career, spending time on the books of Ajax, Porto and West Ham United before hanging up his boots with the Orlando Pirates in 2013.
The video depicts the 43-year-old going about his daily routine, from waking up and kicking off his morning, before travelling to the training ground and overseeing a session, and settling down at the end of the day to the television sink into a LaLiga match.
“It’s not just a cup of coffee, it’s my get up and go,” he said. “It’s not just a job, it’s my passion. It’s not just a meal, it’s an expression of our culture. It’s football, it’s LaLiga.”
Speaking at the SBC Digital Africa event in March, Sandisiwe Bhengu, Commercial Manager at Hollywoodbets, touched on the formation of the partnership with LaLiga and what makes the alliance so successful.
“When we engaged with La Liga, we found that, first of all, obviously they’re an established brand but they were looking to make inroads in South Africa,” she explained.
“They already had quite a following and viewership and a following of the clubs in South Africa, as well as in Mozambique, so that was the first tick for us in terms of the regions that we’re looking at. It wasn’t just South Africa alone but also the neighbouring countries around the region where there was an interest that existed already.”
Hollywoodbets also maintains an agreement with English Football League (EFL) outfit Brentford FC as it looks to expand its portfolio.
