The NBA 2K League announced today that State Farm will be joining Intel, Dell Alienware, HyperX and Scuf Gaming as a full league sponsor, and the first non-endemic brand to invest in the league.
The insurance company will have the presenting rights to pregame segments on the Twitch broadcasts of league games called “Game Mode”, which will feature players sharing strategy and insights from their games. State Farm assets will also be featured on the virtual court during the two mid-season tournaments and the 2K League Finals in August.
?️ From pregame music to watching game film, check out what the #NBA2KLeague players do to get in the zone with this @StateFarm Gametime feature. #StateFarmAssist pic.twitter.com/iSuNuuhfjR
— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) May 20, 2018
While it’s only halfway through the year, this is State Farm’s third major esports partnership in 2018, as it’s also made deals with League of Legends North American League Championship Series, and the Rocket League Championship Series.
Brendan Donohue, Managing Director of the NBA 2K League, commented: “As a longstanding partner of the NBA and the WNBA, State Farm has a proven history of authentically connecting with fans and has demonstrated a commitment to esports. We’re excited for State Farm to engage with our NBA 2K League community through helping create unique content and compelling storylines about our players.”
While only two weeks into the regular season, 2K League sponsorships have been popping up left and right and more non-endemic brands are taking note. Cavs Legion has deals with Rocket Mortgage and Hot Pockets, while Grizz Gaming has a sponsorship with the American Navy, just to name a few.
Esports Inside says: NBA 2K League sponsorship announcements seem to be a daily occurrence lately despite the fact that the league has only just begun. While the viewership numbers have merely been average, companies are willing to put their money down. State Farm itself is slowly but surely becoming one of the largest non-endemic brands to invest in esports as it continues to add to its repertoire.