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A daily podcast delving into the biggest stories of the day throughout the sports betting and igaming sector.
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Welcome to another Road to Rio series, I'm Fernando Nott, your host for today, which as always is brought to you by OptiMove, the creator of positionless marketing and number one player engagement solution for iGaming and sports betting operators. Learn how OptiMove positionless marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using OptiMove's positionless marketing platform to launch personalized CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bed slips, and create engaging, gamified experiences. Learn more at OptiMove.com. To see how this approach comes to life, OptiMove Connect returns to London on March 11th and 12th, 2026. is the only user conference where marketers from around the world share real-world results of positionless marketing driving. efficiency and ROI. Register at connect.optimove.com. Today in our Road to Rio series of iGaming Daily we're joined by Ricardo Peixoto, CEO of SofaScore in Brazil and Speaker at SBC Summit Rio taking place from March 3rd to the 5th in the beautiful Rio de Janeiro, the city that held of course some of the most iconic football matches in history and um the two more most iconic events in the gaming history so far, are SBC Summit Rio 24 and SBC Summit Rio 25. soon to host the greatest event, which will be SBC Summit Rio 26, of course. But we're here to talk with Ricardo, to talk about football, the year of the World Cup, of course. But we want to discuss not only the side of the gaming sector, but also we want to discuss passion. We know that Brazil are five time winners and they sure know a lot about cheering, even though you haven't been able to cheer for some time. I'm going in there already. But Ricardo, thank you very much for joining us. How are you today? It's my pleasure, guys. Thank you for having me. I'm really happy to debate Brazilian Argentina here today besides all the topics. Yeah, but you're right, you know, as a Brazilian and I am from 84. I can tell you that, and I tell that everyone that of course right now your statement is very clear and true. We have not been cheering for a while, but for someone that was born in 1984 as I was, we have had a very, very good streak, right? So we had 94, then we had the final 98, then we won in 2002. So for a kid and for someone that is following sports from such a young age, you have the expectation that Brazil will be in the finals. every four years. At certain point it doesn't happen anymore and you're right. So I'm quite sure you as an Argentinian, you're quite happy right now. Yeah, of course. Absolutely. I'm quite happy. But first let me introduce Ana Maria Menezes. Ana, how are you today? You were laughing there in the background as I was already throwing some shade at Brazil. You being younger than Ricardo have only experienced the 2002 championship, but you were very, very young. Yeah. So we're, we have today different generations talking, which is a very good thing. I never saw what Hikata did, which makes me deeply, deeply sad. I was born in 2001. So yes, I didn't even have, yeah, I missed it. And this is one of the things that makes me the most sad about everything. But yeah, I'm also very excited. The World Cup is an event that I'm always very excited for, even though we don't have the good path that we used to. But it still makes me very excited. Every single year of the tournament, I always have the hope and they're always crushed, but that's not the point right now. But yeah, I'm also again, very excited for this year, as always. It doesn't change. I have one piece of advice for you and that is patience. I'm from 1992 so Argentina only won Copa America in 1993 and then we never won anything until the Copa America in 2021, then of course the World Cup and the Copa America again. We won the Olympic games in the meantime and all that but yeah, I was one year old when Argentina lost one major tournament and then until 2021 we didn't win anything so, Ana, patience. you will get there. course Brazil always uh a contender for the World Cup even though em even with the lesser generation of players, Brazil is always a contender. em So I'm sure you guys are gonna do A decent workup, at least an expanded workup, so I'm expecting you to at least go to the knockout stage, right? Otherwise I'm going to charge the same thing to Argentina. We're expecting least the world champion to come there to semi-finals or something like that. Yeah, I'm sure. Actually, what are your expectations Ricardo for Brazil? In Brazil specifically? Yeah, I'm a fan. So I'm very optimistic about Brazil in every single World Cup. I don't really know if the whole Ancelotti thing came in the right time. I think it's maybe a bit too late, but you know how experienced he is and the talent pool actually for Brazil is there. So it's really a matter of putting everybody to play at the highest level together. So the expectations that I have as a fan, of course, I'm not going to say necessarily win. the World Cup, but to at least go very far into the in the final brackets there. Maybe quarterfinals, semifinals, I think would be like my least expectation for this team. Nice. Well, honestly, for me in all of this, I'm always going to think let's win, let's win, let's win. But I'm going to be a bit more realistic, sadly, right now. Maybe for the next one, for the next one, I'm saying we're winning that. You have this one to win. We're back. The next one is ours. But for this one, I'm going with Hikaru, the same thing. I believe semi-finals and hopefully we don't lose again like we lost the last time with that horrible mistake with Croatia. I'm still traumatized by that. We're not talking about that. You were not there because you were not born yet, but the very first World Cup in the United States was ours. And the finals will be in the United States again. If you believe in science, you know, in coincidences, boy, at this point, I'll believe in anything to be honest. Well, it's partly played in Mexico too, an Argentina one in 86. So I don't want to say anything. That's a good point. But let's go back to now to the gaming industry. Of course, this is iGamingDaily, not World Cup Bantor podcast. So Ricardo, first, let's give our listeners a little more context about yourself. You recently joined Sophoscore as CEO, but this seems to be your first official experience with a B2C Sports Statistics platform, right? So is there anything you found interesting about sports fans' behaviors since you joined Sophoscore? Yes, yes. Actually, to give a little bit of context, B2C marketing has been actually part of most of my career, right? That's what I have done. for a very long time. And whenever you're doing B2C, especially online, which is and was my focus for a very long time, you are playing with consumer emotions, right? So the internet is really a way to convey your products and services that you're trying to sell. And online, usually things can happen with a click, right? So the whole framework that you build around online is to connect in an emotional level with someone so they do an action. So I have done it for very long time. For example, by only today and then you're playing with urgency or those are the last pieces and you're playing with scarcity or everybody has it. Why won't you have it? Right. So that you have that social proof that you're missing on something. And uh whenever I came to work with SofaSquare, which you mentioned, it's all based on data. One of my biggest concerns was this type of consumer who uses SofaSquare will act less on emotion and they're going to be uh more based on data upon their decision making and so on. And that's actually surprising because emotion is always there. Right. And my feeling was that through data, you would control emotion and make more assertive decisions. And that's not really the case. Whenever you look into the data, and that's very surprising, is that data can actually amplify emotion if you work it the right way, right, of course. So you can use data, of course, to dismissify emotion, say, hey, take a step back. The reality is this, do I really need this product or service? But at the same time, if you have the right data and you know how to play with it, it actually amplifies significantly emotion and then you achieve your goal, which is connecting with the user. So yes, that's the most surprising thing. I was thinking I was going to have a harder job, but in fact, I just need to tweak a bit. I mean, you just mentioned the data. You said yourself, like the final that we won in the United States, then came with Mexico. That is already something. We're looking for the science. That's data as well. It is. is. Mystic data. Yeah. Exactly. Of course, you were talking about emotion and I think there's hardly a more emotional tournament than the World Cup, which is also a great occasion for brand awareness and connection with the users. But of course, every company has their own strategies and it's a very important time for them. It's not just about throwing money there and hoping the investment lands somehow. So what do you think are the biggest mistakes and misconceptions companies make when preparing your marketing strategies focused on the World Cup? Yeah, I think one of your arguments there that was embedded in your question is very important, which is where you're advertising, right? So whenever you're advertising for the World Cup itself, it's an opportunity, but at the same time, a very big risk because everybody wants to take advantage of that opportunity. So whenever you have big events, One thing that is for sure is noise. You're going to have lots of noise and the consumer is going to be disputed by tons of brands. So what will differentiate a brand from noise, from visibility, from only being there is not necessarily money. doesn't really, it's amount of money spent does not mean necessarily that you're going to have a good campaign rolling. You need to find means to connect with the user, right? And the... m The FIFA has shown in a way that they are understanding that next generations are coming along. So those generations are less uh susceptible, let's put it this way, to imagery. They are usually prone to reaction, living experiences. And that's, of course, something that is easier to do. with brands that have built upon the minds of consumers for decades, which is the case, for example, from beverages and food. I'm quite sure you guys can connect beverages and food really simply to sports events. World Cup then, it's obvious. Beer, would say number one of them. ah The electronic industry also made a very good pitch on how to consume those sports events from home or... away, right? Not directly in the stadiums, but there are other verticals. And I have a very specific here one in mind, which is, for example, insurance and finance. You don't have a uh link to sports. You can always build a link, right? And whatever you are in those industries, you also want to take advantage of events such as the World Cup. But building a narrative and connecting with new customers, and those are customers of the future, you are going to be, you'll need to be very, very creative and it's not necessarily anchored in money. It's much more understanding the cultural aspect of the event itself than the size of the event because reach is obvious for everyone, but how you really can communicate with those users, that's what makes the difference from brand A to brand B. You know what, about this and talking as a Gen Z who consumes a lot of media, who's obsessed about football, about the World Cup. ah I have distinct memories from when I was a kid of brands that were already saying things about World Cup. And I think now from the last one, which I believe it's the one, the most recent that I have in mind, ah I keep thinking of videos that mess a lot with my emotions. So videos of people crying, videos of trying to, you keep the flame alive. those were the ones that actually moved me the most. And I still remember clips like going around my head. So I fully, fully, fully agree with you on that. ah If you don't move us, are we going to remember that in the end? There is a question that I have for you because you just gave us examples, right? You can remember the emotion that was broadcast in those advertising pieces, right? But do you remember the exact brand that was connected to those videos and that emotion that was caused to you, because that's where the gap is. You need to be able to insert that emotion in a way that the person who is watching it not only feels emotional and a bond to that information, but is reminded which brand brought you that emotion. And that's the hardest thing to do, because I can show you a brandless piece of video. which you're going to cry yourself out and say, wow, that's amazing. But then the goal is not achieved if you don't know who has conveyed that message. And that's the trick. That's the challenge. And of course, there are easier challenges. Like I said, food, beverage, sports apparel. And there are harder challenges, which is, for example, finance and insurance, of course, in the context of sports. I mean, since you asked the question, I do remember some of the brands. And they did a good job. Yeah. And some of them actually I remember a bank actually. yeah, I they did a pretty good job with that. There you go. Yeah. Kudos to them for real because it's hard to combine both things, especially a bank and in connection with the sports event. Fair. Yeah. In the end, it's all about promoting your brand. It's not a... um aesthetically and artistically you want your ad to be good, to look good and to people recognize it but if it does not promote the brand which is the ultimate goal I guess it's really not worth it but right now we're gonna do a very quick break and we will be right back with more conversations about advertising on data and workup with Ricardo Pichotto CEO of Sophoscore we will be right back after this break And we're back with more iGaming Daily in this Road to Rio series today. Joining us Ricardo Pichotto, CEO of Sophoscore. Ricardo, we talk a lot about advertising today, but since we have Ana Maria here, a Gen Z representative, let's go Gen Z and discuss what happened earlier in January when FIFA named TikTok as their first ever preferred platform. which shows a statement, this workup would be officially more TikToker than ever. Ana, would you consider yourself a TikToker or are you just a consumer of Tik Tok? Boy, I am a TikToker. You are a TikToker. Yes, I create content, but I also consume a lot of content, a lot, including uh merchandising and all of that. So yeah, pretty heavy user. Yeah. All right. So we could say it's a good move by FIFA. So Ricardo, how can companies actually take advantage of this? particular agreement for marketing purposes without this one being just one of many other deals that FIFA has in the in World Cup. Yeah, I think there are two dimensions here to your question. One of them is the clear communication that FIFA is actually sending out that they're sowing uh the future audience that they will have. So bringing TikTok and Gen Z to the fold and making TikTok their preferred app. for social media is pretty much saying, hey, Ana, you're going to be here for the next 30 years or so or 50 years and every other World Cup, I would like you to be joining us. So I think it's a fair move and it's actually very intelligent from FIFA. The second dimension is the one that you mentioned how companies can actually take advantage of TikTok. And I think TikTok is HNZ social media by default. Right. So what comes to my mind at first, whenever I think of TikTok is that it doesn't really matter if you are on TikTok or not. And it goes for other platforms. It really does not matter what you need to understand this, the platform itself and who is using it. And it differs a lot. Instagram is very different than TikTok, even though they have a video media toward their audiences. And there are others that we could compare here, but that's Let's talk about taking advantage of it. uh TikTok conveys messages within in between 15 and 30 seconds. And I think everybody agrees that at least I consume 15, 30 seconds differently than Anandas, right? Because whenever I was born, there was no cell phone, no internet. And the way I perceive things are not processed as fast. So if I would have to give a tip, oh And of course, the public, the audience from TikTok is already in a major sense made of people from the Gen Z. So there will be people like myself, maybe Fernanda is also there on TikTok, but we consume differently than Anna does. So if I would say the best way to use TikTok is learn and know what Anna really wants. to get presented to and present that message in a way that it fits in 15 to 30 seconds. We have to remember that companies, I don't want it to be too long in this answer, but social media has defined how we behave, but the way we behave defines how companies act upon us, right? Because those new channels are there. So many companies and many advertising agencies, they are constantly adapting. to learn how to convey messages in a short form that whoever is watching it has the emotion, has the connection and the message in 15 to 30 seconds. Yeah. And to answer to your question, yes, I'm of course on TikTok as the 33 year old teenager I am. moving on to football or going back to football, of course, the fans are the soul of the whole experience. If there were no fans, there would probably be no workout, no sport, no nothing. So do you believe the fans prepare specifically for major tournaments such as the World Cup uh in a particular way, let's say following their squads, following specific players because of course there are a lot of fans from different countries that did not qualify to the World Cup that maybe are fans of Erling Haaland or Messi or Vinicius or anyone else, or Mbappé. So do you think they prepare in a particular way and follow stats? or historical stats more closely? And if so, do you think that's a global thing or is it more specific to some different markets? Yeah, if you would have asked me that six months ago before SelfScore, I think my answer would be in line with your question. I believe so, because that was pretty much what I did my entire life, maybe not through a live app, now with sports statistics, but reading newspaper and keeping close attention to whatever would come live on live television and so on. But ever I came to the surface core, what I can tell you is I know, I definitely know, I know that people behave differently before big tournaments and they are looking deeply into stats and whoever is going to play, what are going to be the players being selected. And that's actually a normal human behavior. Of course, the extent on how much you're going to look for that type of information is directly related to your relationship to the sport. So I can say, for example, that Brazilians and I don't have the data to back it right now. I'm just assuming, but I'm guessing I'm right. Brazilians have a deeper, deeper relation to football, just like the Argentinians do most likely than, for example, Americans. Americans, the soccer or the football. is a growing sport there and the major consumers of soccer in the US are still women. So there are different ways to consume it. But in short, yes, I know that they do. And we have a common saying here, Ma'ana is going to know it, but maybe also Fernando has in Argentina. We always say that every Brazilian is a coach or an analyst. And tools like Sophoscore actually give you the means. be a real analyst because you are in par with real analysts in terms of data depth and you can just argument pretty much anything. Well, I actually have a data here that I was looking for right now. Well, the World Cup isn't even here and the SOFA score already has over half a million people waiting to check on which teams are going to play, when they're going to play. And the reason I know this is because I have the SOFA score. I use it. But yeah, so there are already so many people in line and we're going to see so much more trying to exactly look for the data. And I am one of these people as well. So I am a little guilty of that. But yeah, I'm pretty excited for it. And I 100 % agree with you on that. The preparation is different. You want to see who's playing. You want to guess maybe who's playing as well. So yeah, I'm pretty excited for it. Happy, happy that you're on board. With Sofa's score. customer there. But lastly, before we wrap this episode up, of course, expectations are high for the World Cup, but also for SPC Summit Rio 2026. Ricardo, what are you expecting from the event next March? ah Actually, it's not just the event. The event is, it's my sincere opinion, the best event for the iGaming industry. No matter if it's in Brazil or elsewhere, I think the organization is really, really fantastic. In Brazil, I have been since the very first edition in Rio, whenever you guys were there at the Windsor Hotel. ah And I can tell you that the timing of SBC is always frankly very good because it's in the beginning of the year where many decisions are still being made and many strategies are still being drawn. And we have an important year this year, as you mentioned, it's a World Cup year. So this will be the very first chance that the industry locally in Brazil has the chance to meet and define the fi... Actually, it's not even define, it's refine the strategies that have been developing last year. So for us, it's going to be a major event. It's going to be the very first time that we are exhibiting at the SPC Summit. And that shows our expectations towards the event and the year. And we're really looking forward to be there. It's going to be uh maybe a chance to negotiate three months ahead of time. by being in the right place, the right time with the right people. So expectations are really high. Ricardo, of course, looking forward to see you in Rio and thank you very much for joining iGaming Daily in this Road to Rio series. Again, my pleasure, guys. It's a pleasure to meet you. And you can meet Ricardo as well at SBC Summit Rio. He will be speaking on day two of the conference. during the panel, the game behind sports sponsorships so you can hear more of Ricardo there. Thank you very much Ricardo, thank you very much Ana Maria and Neya MacDonald for producing this episode. I'm Fernando Nott and to our listeners out there, we'll see you in the next one. Goodbye.