Tipico links up with Colorado Rapids for playoff sponsorship
Thanksgiving activations and charitable initiatives headline MLS partnership
The Colorado Rapids announced Tipico Sportsbook as the presenting sponsor for their playoff run, beginning with Major League Soccer’s first-ever Thanksgiving Day match that will see the Rapids host Portland Timbers FC in a Western Conference Semifinal.
The playoff match will include a handful of Tipico-led activations, headlined by the global sports betting operator serving as the official sponsor of the Rapids’ pregame Friendsgiving Tailgate, an expansive holiday event featuring food trucks, live music and games in advance of the inaugural Turkey Day match.
“We’re delighted to welcome Tipico Sportsbook as our presenting sponsor for the club’s upcoming playoff run, including our historic game on Thanksgiving Day,” said Rapids executive VP and GM Padraig Smith. “We look forward to having Tipico onboard to help us elevate our fans’ experience during what we hope will be a very special playoff stretch.”
In addition to the pregame tailgate, the sponsorship will also include ticket giveaways and seat upgrades for fans to an all-inclusive Tipico Terrace Club Box on field level throughout the duration of the Rapids’ run through the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Tipico will also lend its support to the Rapids and Kroenke Sports Charities’ Thanksgiving Day Meal Program, supplementing the initiative with an additional 32,000 meals for food-insecure families. That will help the Rapids achieve their goal of donating over half a million meals to the Food Bank of the Rockies.
Tipico has placed a special emphasis on Colorado, announcing in September that it had selected the Centennial State as the site for its new technology hub. Tipico plans to bring over 400 jobs to Colorado over the next eight years.
“With the opening of our new technology hub in Denver and the recent launch of our online sportsbook in the state, Colorado is starting to feel like home to the Tipico team,” said Tipico US CEO Adrian Vella. “We’re thrilled to partner with our new neighbors on what we hope will become an annual thanksgiving weekend tradition: the Colorado Rapids playing and advancing deep into the MLS Cup Playoffs.”
Tipico, one of a handful of European sportsbook operators that have entered the US space, is currently live in Colorado and New Jersey, with launches in Iowa and Indiana next on the schedule.