The Overwatch League has announced automotive giant Toyota as a brand-marketing partner for the league’s inaugural season.
The news may not come as a surprise to many, with Toyota adverts already featuring on the broadcasts alongside Intel and OMEN, two previously confirmed sponsors of the league.
Toyota is a “North American Launch Partner” for the Overwatch League and the deal will see future collaborations including behind-the-scenes exclusive branded content to fans. In addition, Toyota will have additional broadcast integrations and a vehicle present at the Los Angeles-based Blizzard Arena.
“Toyota is excited to be a launch partner of the Overwatch League,” said Steven Curtis, Vice President, Media & Engagement Marketing for Toyota Motor North America. “We love the passion of esports fans, and the goal of our partnership is to help take the Overwatch League and the fan experience to the next level.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome Toyota to the Overwatch League,” said Pete Vlastelica, President and CEO of Blizzard Entertainment’s MLG division. “When we were building the league, our desire was to create a premium experience for players and fans, and partners like Toyota are helping us do just that.”
The first week of the Overwatch League exceeded many expectations, with the opening night seeing over 400,000 concurrent viewers on the English broadcast. Last nights games attracted around 150,000 concurrent on the same stream so the initial hype has calmed down a touch, but it’s still bringing impressive viewership nonetheless. According to Blizzard statistics, the opening weekend drew more than 10 million viewers worldwide.
Esports Insider says: We knew Toyota was a partner but it’s good to see it being officially announced – and to hear that there’ll be future collaborations. Congratulations to both parties on the deal as we watch the OWL’s continued development.