AirAsia has entered a deal with the World Electronic Sports Games (WESG) Asean that will see it become the official airline partner of the championship.
This partnership includes flights, media value, and cash prizes, and adds to AirAsia’s ever-increasing commitment to the esports industry. WESG is an international tournament from Alisports, a branch of Alibaba Group.
Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, CEO of AirAsiaX & Executive Chairman of AirAsia Group Berhad stated: “In terms of esports enthusiasts, Asean is one of the fastest growing regions in the world with 9.3 million fans, a number expected to grow 36.1% every year through to 2019. As an innovative digital company, we are thrilled to be the title sponsor and to contribute to esports by supporting Asean’s top professional esports athletes to compete at the global tournament. We also believe this sponsorship puts us at the forefront of the expansion of esports across Asean.”
Acting as a title sponsor, AirAsia’s logo will be present across WESG Asean’s digital platforms. The airline will also “offer various ancillary products and services” at the tournament, including an online store and ticketing agent.
Allan Phang, President of AirAsia Allstars Esports Club added: “This partnership shows our growing commitment to esports. In January, we marked our first foray into esports as a special sponsor and exclusive airline partner of Mineski Pro Team. Two months later, we acquired a majority stake in Team Saiyan – a top-ranked professional esports team – which we have rebranded as AirAsia Saiyan. And today, we are proud to be able to bring WESG to Asean as we continue to support the region’s esports talents.”
Online registration for WESG Asean will close on July 31st, with the ten countries that comprise the region running online tournaments that lead to regional finals, and ultimately, an international grand final in March 2019.
Zhang Dazhong, Founder and CEO of Alisports also commented: “WESG has drawn a lot of attention worldwide in the past two years. It is a great honour to have a new premium partner AirAsia to support WESG in the new 2018-2019 season. AirAsia has always been supportive of traditional sports and has now started a new chapter to be part of esports with Alisports’ WESG. We look forward to the WESG in Asean division with our new partner AirAsia.”
Esports Insider says: AirAsia’s commitment to esports, and its presence in the industry, seems to be forever growing. From the acquisition of a majority share of Team Saiyan to creating its own esports club to now sponsoring WESG Asean, the airline is proving to be a major supporter and mainstay in competitive gaming.