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PokerStars Names Neymar Jr as Cultural Ambassador

Written by Jennifer Newell
Last updated on
Jennifer Newell

Sports fans around the world know him as Neymar Jr – or just Neymar – but a few remember him as Neymar da Silva Santos Junior. His face is as iconic in the world of football as anyone else. Many may know him as the face of numerous brands, like Puma and Superdry, or from past deals with Nike, Volkswagen, Beats, and Unilever.

And poker players know Neymar Jr as a poker fan.

At just 29 years old, the Brazilian pro footballer is a forward for Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil’s national team. By 2019, Forbes ranked him as the world’s third highest-paid athlete in the world. In 2020, he was the fourth highest-paid.

Neymar Jr is also an avid poker player.

Resuming a Relationship with PokerStars

PokerStars first brought Neymar Jr into the poker world at the 2015 EPT Grand Final in Monaco. As a longtime fan of poker, he seemed to ease right into a partnership with PokerStars. While it didn’t have an official end date, at least not a public one, the two seemed to part ways several years after their initial pairing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KYAvJbsWrY

In December 2020, PokerStars and Neymar Jr announced a reunion. Neymar wore his PokerStars gear and posted about the deal on social media. More than that, though, it appeared to be a more comprehensive deal than in the past.

“As a true poker fan, I am excited to start a new chapter with PokerStars,” Neymar Jr said. “Together, we’ll be creating moments for our community and fans all over the world.”

PokerStars used his name and likeness for the Blowout Series online in December, and the two hinted at more to come.

Cultural Ambassador

In the last two decades of online poker sponsorships, there were sponsored pros, team pros, patched players, online pros, streamers, etc. Ambassador was the latest term adopted in recent years to dub certain players as advocates for a particular online poker site or company.

This is a new one. Neymar Jr is the first Cultural Ambassador.

An overall view of the role will see Neymar Jr work with PokerStars on a “series of creative projects inspired by the world of culture, from art and design to music and more. Bringing his passions and interests to the table, he will be shaking up poker with a series of exciting experiences for the PokerStars community.”

The two launched a cooperative website – neymarjr.pokerstars.net. He wrote on the home page, in part:

“As you know, I am a BIG poker fan. Poker is so much more than just the game; it is a community and a culture and that is what I love about it.”

He wrote that the new website will be a hub for all things Neymar Jr and PokerStars.

Spotify Playlist

One of the first steps in the duo’s partnership is to release Neymar Jr’s Spotify playlist. PokerStars noted that it is the “ultimate soundtrack for every type of poker game.”

NJRadio is the channel on Spotify, and it already contains four playlists:

-Chill Like Neymar Jr: Post Malone, Rennan da Penha, Drake, Tayc, etc.

-Focus Like Neymar Jr: The Weeknd, Altamira, Maluma, MC Marks, etc.

-Play Like Neymar Jr: Travis Scott, Niack, Tiesto, Turma do Pagode, etc.

-Listen Like Neymar Jr: David Guetta, LEON, Di Proposito, OUTROEU, etc.

The tracks seem to cover a variety of musical stylings, offering a unique variety of music.

Golden Chip Giveaway

The new promotion will award $1M in cash and prizes in the coming weeks.

The chips will represent everything from cash to tournament tickets, but some of them will be limited edition Golden Chips. Find one of those to unlock a unique prize, which could be a piece of Neymar Jr memorabilia, specially-designed clothing, gifts chosen by Neymar Jr, and even unique VIP experiences.

PokerStars will release more information about this promo in the days to come.

Words and Advertisements

PokerStars Global Director of Brand and Creative Martin Nieri commented on Neymar Jr’s deep interest in his own and other cultures. “This new role marks the start of something exciting for the PokerStars community, a merging of two worlds, where poker meets culture. In a first for the industry, together we’ll be creating moments to truly shake up poker and rewarding those who get involved in all that’s to come.”

Neymar Jr added, “Poker is so much more than just the game. It is a community and a culture and that is what I love about it.” He also noted that the kickoff with a Spotify playlist matched with his own passion for music.

To go with this week’s announcement, PokerStars released a new video advertisement. It is a part of the new “Chain Reaction Campaign.”

 

 

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