Bitcoin continues to make headlines, although not always for the right reasons. Even in 2019, it is evident that cryptocurrency has to overcome many hurdles and stigmas. In the Premier League, England’s premier soccer league, Bitcoin will be gaining a lot of exposure. The Watford FC team has confirmed the Bitcoin logo will appear on shirt sleeves throughout the remainder of the season. A powerful message is sent in doing so, although one never knows if it will be successful in the long run.
Watford FC Lends a Hand
People familiar with the Premier League will know the name Watford FC. It is a prominent team which plays against the biggest clubs in the league every single year. Although their results may vary a bit now and then, they have successfully stayed in the Premier League for a little while now. Similar to any other PL team out there, the club has many different sponsors which all vie for mainstream attention.
In this particular case, the players of Watford FC will all boast a Bitcoin logo on their shirt sleeves. That logo will remain visible for the entire season and is part of an ‘educational drive” organized by Sportsbet.io. For those unaware, Sportsbet.io is the main sponsor of Watford FC as of right now, and they are more than keen on bringing cryptocurrencies to the masses.
Growing Support From the Crypto Community
The decision to boast the Bitcoin logo on shirt sleeves isn’t entirely surprising either. According to Sportsbet’s Justin le Brocque, there has been an outpouring of support from the cryptocurrency community in recent months. As such, the company aims to give back to this community by effectively bringing more attention to Bitcoin, and by extension, all other cryptocurrencies on the market today.
Interestingly enough, this sponsorship is entirely crowdfunded. Anyone who owns Bitcoin can receive the same perks granted to Watford FC sponsors. Anyone who contributes can bid for public LED space during the live maxes, and make use of the Bitcoin box for up to eight people. There will also be some exclusive merchandise to benefit from. All things considered, this creates a very different take on crowdfunding in the football industry.
Raising Awareness is Crucial
To this date, there have been numerous attempts at raising Bitcoin awareness. Most of those ventures have not been overly successful, particularly in the long run. A one-time event is not suited to give Bitcoin the attention it needs in this day and age. Long-term solutions, such as permanent sponsorship of a Premier League club, can yield entirely different results.
While this event is rather noteworthy in its own regard, one has to keep in mind that Bitcoin will not gain mainstream traction automatically. Instead, this may help push Bitcoin to the forefront of people’s minds now and then, but there is a genuine chance they will forget about it again fairly quickly. Making a lasting impression remains exceedingly difficult for the cryptocurrency industry as a whole.
