MightyTips spoke to MelBet CMO Anastasiia Shcherbyna on their Juventus partnership

Melbet CMO Anastasiia Shcherbyna spoke to MightyTips exclusively about their strategic partnership with Juventus, as we continue to explore high-profile sports collaborations in iGaming in our MightyQs interview series.

Melbet first joined forces with the iconic Italian club in November 2023, securing its role as Juventus’ Official Regional Partner in Africa and the Middle East. The partnership was renewed in June 2024 for the 2024/2025 season, reinforcing Melbet’s commitment to expanding its presence through elite football sponsorships.

In this exclusive interview, Anastasiia Shcherbyna shares insights into the impact of the collaboration, how Melbet aligns its brand with Juventus’ global reputation, and the unique opportunities this partnership offers to football fans and bettors alike.

MightyQs: MelBet has been Juventus' official regional partner in Africa and the Middle East since November 2023. Securing a partnership with such a prestigious club is no small feat. How challenging was it to bring Juventus on board?

Anastasiia Shcherbyna: MelBet operates in over 50 countries and has been in the market for 13 years, which makes us a reliable partner for top-tier clubs like Juventus. Throughout the negotiation process, we reached a win-win agreement, ultimately establishing a successful partnership.

Back in 2023, what were the key KPIs you set for this partnership? How has MelBet performed against those goals so far?

Anastasiia Shcherbyna: We always set ambitious goals for ourselves, and our partnership with Juventus was no exception. One of the key KPIs was to increase brand awareness, and we exceeded expectations in this area over the past year. Moving forward, we have even more ambitious goals ahead of us.

Juventus is a globally renowned club with a rich history. How does MelBet ensure that its brand values align with those of the club?

Anastasiia Shcherbyna: Sports sponsorships are tightly connected with the passion points of fans and our potential users. All these millions of people love one thing the most - enjoying the level of professional football. By supporting the club, we not only stand by Juventus' well-established brand as a trusted partner but also strive to be where football fans do what they love the most. Our brand values - security, passion, and drive - perfectly align with how Juventus position themselves in the world.

MelBet and Juventus partnership was renewed in June 2024 ©Juventus FC / MelBet

How does MelBet collaborate with Juventus on sponsorship-related activities?

Anastasiia Shcherbyna: Our sponsorship team communicates regularly with Juventus' sponsorship marketing team, collaboratively developing and implementing activities. Over the course of the partnership, we've organised several photo and video shoots and activations and even had the opportunity to meet the members of the club's sponsorship marketing team in person.

Working with a club of Juventus' stature must be a learning experience. What are the biggest takeaways from this collaboration?

Anastasiia Shcherbyna: Every partner is different and has their own guidelines and standards - in the way the marketing is done and co-positioning is created. With a club of Juventus size, it's important to stay aligned with absolutely everything that we do together. The rest is just the masterful work of our internal team and partners to get the maximum out of minutes for player access or other assets we activate.

Does MelBet have any influence over the selection of players for promotional shoots? If so, what criteria do you consider when making these decisions?

Anastasiia Shcherbyna: We base our selection on the popularity of players, taking into account the preferences of our target audience. However, we always consider the input of our partners. Given the busy schedules of the players, we plan photo and video sessions in advance and collaborate closely with Juventus to reach a consensus on which players will participate. Each player is unique and valuable to us as a brand.

The English Premier League is often the most followed league among African football fans. What was the strategic reasoning behind choosing Juventus as a regional partner in this market?

Anastasiia Shcherbyna: Great question. While it's true that African fans often follow the English Premier League, partnering with a club like Juventus, with its rich history, significantly boosts trust in the brand among fans. Juventus is a world-renowned club and any true football fan knows them well.

For the colours. For the badge. For you. 🤍🖤 pic.twitter.com/LufGOjFtm9

— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) February 18, 2025

Since partnering with Juventus, have you noticed an increase in betting activity related to the club and Italian Serie A in Africa?

Anastasiia Shcherbyna: The results of our partnership with Juventus have impacted various business metrics, including betting volume. While we didn't expect an immediate surge in bets at the outset, the numbers have been very encouraging and exceeded our expectations.

What unique activations or marketing initiatives has MelBet introduced to strengthen its connection with Juventus fans in Africa and MENA?

Anastasiia Shcherbyna: We are planning a few exciting things for Juventus fans across Africa and MENA. VIP travels and experiences for our partners and users are coming soon, so don't miss our giveaways next season!

Are you a football fan yourself? What are your relationships with sports as a fan?

Anastasiia Shcherbyna: Absolutely. It's always exciting to see our company's branding during broadcasts or at the stadium. In sports sponsorships and marketing, you're working with people's passion points, so it's always great when that aligns with your own passion.

Have you had the chance to attend a Juventus match in person? What was it like?

Anastasiia Shcherbyna: Yes, our partners have treated us to VIP experiences, and the atmosphere at Allianz Stadium is truly incredible.