SBC to launch dedicated Affiliate Leaders Awards at 2025 SBC Summit in Lisbon

SBC will introduce the Affiliate Leaders Awards at its upcoming SBC Summit in Lisbon. The new awards program is dedicated to recognizing affiliates, operator partners, and suppliers contributing to the affiliate marketing segment within the sports betting and iGaming sectors, and is set to take place on September 17, 2025, at the MEO Arena.

The ceremony will be the first standalone affiliate awards hosted by SBC. Previously, affiliate-focused recognitions were limited to a few categories under the general SBC Awards framework.

Extension of the Affiliate Leaders initiative

The event builds on the existing Affiliate Leaders Summit, first introduced at the 2024 SBC Summit and later held at SBC Summit Rio and SBC Summit Americas.

The summit, part of a broader initiative that includes a community platform, magazine, and news portal, focuses on supporting the affiliate ecosystem through content on SEO, AI, acquisition strategies, and dedicated networking formats.

“Over the last year, we’ve doubled down on providing dedicated spaces and meaningful content for the affiliate community,” said SBC Founder and CEO Rasmus Sojmark. “We’ve listened closely to what this community needs and the Affiliate Leaders Awards is the next phase – not just recognising their contributions, but celebrating them in the way they deserve.”

Award structure and categories

The Affiliate Leaders Awards will include several categories across three stakeholder groups:

• Affiliates: Categories will include Affiliate Network of the Year, Affiliate Content Manager of the Year, Affiliate Campaign of the Year, and Social Media Campaign of the Year, among others.
• Operators: The awards will recognize operator teams and strategies that engage and support affiliate partners.
• Suppliers: Categories will spotlight platforms, tools, and service providers focused on affiliate performance and technology

“With the launch of the Affiliate Leaders Awards, SBC adds a new layer of visibility and recognition. We want to highlight the innovation happening across the affiliate world – not just from the biggest names, but from rising stars, emerging content formats, and the tech providers enabling it all,” Sojmark said. “And we want to do that in a setting that brings everyone together – affiliates, operators, and suppliers – in a night of celebration, inspiration, and connection.”

Entries are now open and will be accepted through July 4, 2025. Interested participants can apply and review category requirements via the Affiliate Leaders Awards website.