PORTUGAL Law and Practice Contributed by: Miguel Santos Almeida, Maria Novo Baptista and João Saúde, Sérvulo & Associados
the most-watched television programme in Portugal on that day. The growing attractiveness of women’s football is also evidenced by the increasing interest of major Portu - guese free-to-air and sports broadcasters in acquiring broadcasting rights to women’s football competitions, as well as by high-profile international transfers, such as Kika Nazareth’s move from SL Benfica to FC Bar - celona, which significantly increased media exposure and commercial interest in Portuguese women’s foot - ball. 8.2 Organisations and Initiatives to Promote Women’s Sport In Portugal, the development of women’s sport is mainly promoted through public policy and federa - tion-led initiatives. The Portuguese Institute for Sport and Youth (IPDJ) supports women’s sport through funding programmes and equality measures aimed at increasing participa - tion at grassroots and youth levels. National sports federations – particularly the Portuguese Football Federation – have implemented specific strategies to develop women’s competitions, youth pathways and club structures, including licensing requirements and financial incentives for clubs with women’s teams. These initiatives are complemented by broader gen - der equality programmes and public funding schemes, which seek to accelerate the sustainable growth of women’s sport at a local level. 9. Esports 9.1 Development and Growth of Esports Esports in Portugal have undergone an exponen - tial evolution in recent years, with the emergence of numerous athletes, clubs, coaches, event organisers, specialised media, several enthusiast communities, and several national and international competitions and events. In fact, Portuguese players are in 22nd place in the earnings ranking. Despite the exponential development of the economy of esports in Portugal, it is still a severely underregu - lated sector of the sports industry. In fact, esports is
not formally recognised as a sport in Portugal, which means that sports legislation and specific regulations do not apply to esports. 9.2 Key Trends and Notable Deals in Esports Portugal was one of the first countries to have a foot - ball federation embrace an esports section, in 2017. The esports section of the Portuguese Football Fed - eration counts alongside football teams licensed for online competitions but also includes the presence of clubs specifically created for online competitions. In 2025, the Portuguese Football Federation inau - gurated the Diogo Jota Arena, which is dedicated to virtual football. Traditional sports clubs are also deepening their pres - ence in esports. Recently, Sporting CP partnered with Spanish esports organisation DUX Gaming, forming competitive teams in titles such as EA Sports FC, and expanding into women’s esports and racing esports through a partnership with Williams Sim Racing. The current NFT market in Portugal reflects a broader global transition. Early phases were driven largely by scarcity and speculative demand, but the market has since shifted as minting tools became cheaper, fast - er and widely accessible across major blockchains. Supply has increased significantly while demand has softened, leading to a decline in total sales value and making it more difficult for buyers to distinguish between genuinely valuable digital assets and mass- produced NFTs. As a result, NFTs’ value increasingly depends on brand strength rather than novelty alone. Within the sports industry, Portuguese organisations and sponsors continue to use NFTs primarily as tools for digital exploitation and fan engagement. Clubs and leagues license assets to platforms such as Sorare and socios.com. As an example, RealFevr has devel - oped NFTs based on moments from the Portuguese football league for use in its game ecosystem. 10. NFTs, AI and the Metaverse 10.1 Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
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