NEYMAR JR AND RONALDO NAZARIO CHALLENGE EACH OTHER TO #RAISEIT IN POKERSTARS CAMPAIGN
#RaiseIt calls on the public to outdo sporting heroes in a series of challenges
ONCHAN, Isle of Man – July 20, 2016 – Team PokerStars SportStars Neymar Jr and Ronaldo Nazario are wowing the internet with a playful battle of one-upmanship as part of a PokerStars social media campaign named #raiseit, created by leading poker operator, PokerStars, an Amaya Inc. (Nasdaq: AYA; TSX: AYA) brand.
The #raiseit campaign, which was kicked-off by the Brazilian football legends, encourages their social media fans to challenge friends using the #raiseit hashtag. So far four video duels have been released by Neymar Jr and Ronaldo, already achieving more than 19 million organic views, over 100,000 shares and over 1.1 million likes on their Facebook channels.
The first video launched by Neymar Jr shows the Brazilian captain’s incredible football technique, hitting a difficult shot into the boot of a parked car. Ronaldo Nazario followed up by shooting a football into the back of an accelerating car.
The campaign embraces the global popularity and social media reach of PokerStars ambassadors Neymar Jr and Ronaldo Nazario (approx. 65 million Facebook fans combined) and encourages fans, friends, peers and the public to #raiseit in a number of social duelling videos comprising sport, skilful stunts and tricks.
Neymar Jr said: “I love the adrenaline rush and excitement you get from challenging others, but it’s just as rewarding setting challenges for yourself. The #raiseit videos feature many things that we all do in everyday life and it really pushes the boundaries with encouraging people to try crazy new tricks and hone their skills. Creating the #raiseit videos has been a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to see what the internet does in response.”
Simon Tilbury, Associate Director of Advertising for PokerStars, said “Thecently made news when he hit a royal flush in an online tournament at PokerStars, and went on to make the final table. He posted his hand to his Instagram account (where the new PokerStars ambassador has more than 30 million fans) and it has now been liked more than 510,000 times.
Team PokerStars Pro Liv Boeree currently sits in second position in the High Roller position with three players remaining. For regular updates on how Neymar Jr and Gerard Pique are doing at EPT Barcelona, visit the PokerStars Blog.
The flagship €5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event is also under way and has broken the current record for the biggest EPT Main Event ever held. More than 1,673 players entered the event and registration is still open. There are some big names taking part including Team PokerStars players Andre Akkari, Bertrand 'ElkY' Grospellier, Johnny Lodden, Isaac Haxton as well as Team PokerStars SportStar Fatima Moreira De Melo, an Olympic Gold Medallist. The field also includes hundreds of players who won their seats online – many for as little as €11.
The EPT12 Barcelona Poker Festival is running August 18-30 at Casino Barcelona. The festival has broken many records this year and is the most attended festival PokerStars has ever held in Europe. With 35 additional poker tables and 28 extra tournaments this year, an external marquee was constructed to accommodate the massive schedule of events and number of players.
About PokerStars
PokerStars operates the world’s most popular online poker sites, serving the global poker community. Since it launched in 2001, PokerStars has become the first choice of players all over the world, with more daily tournaments than anywhere else and with the best security online. More than 135 billion hands have been dealt on PokerStars, which is more than any other site.
PokerStars.com and PokerStars.eu operate globally under licenses from the Isle of Man and Malta governments, respectively. PokerStars also operates under licenses in locally licensed jurisdictions including Italy, France, Estonia, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, United Kingdom and Schleswig-Holstein in Germany.
PokerStars is the key brand of Rational Group, which operates gaming-related businesses and brands, including PokerStars, Full Tilt and the European Poker Tour. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, Rational Group companies in the UK and Isle of Man won recognition as one of the best workplaces in the UK being awarded a top 25 position by the Great Place to Work Institute’s Best Workplaces – Large category rankings. Rational Group entities in Costa Rica and Dublin also achieved the same accolade in their respective local rankings in 2014. PokerStars is owned by Amaya Inc. (Nasdaq: AYA; TSX: AYA).
About the European Poker Tour
The European Poker Tour (EPT) is the world’s richest and most popular poker tour. Since 2004, the EPT has paid out over €730 million in tournament prize pools and hosted successful festivals across Europe. The EPT also visits the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), which takes place every January in the Bahamas, one of the richest poker festivals in the world.
Season 12 of the EPT builds on the success of more than a decade of world-class live poker events, and major poker festivals are being held in Barcelona, Malta, Prague, and Dublin. The PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT Grand Final will be held in Monaco.
The EPT is owned by Amaya Inc. (Nasdaq: AYA; TSX: AYA). Further information on the EPT is available online at http://www.ept.com/
About Casino Barcelona
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