Cloud9 has announced that its Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team is now sponsored by the U.S. Air Force until May 2019, at least.
As part of this new partnership, new video content will be produced and the U.S. Air Force’s logo will be prominently displayed on the players’ jerseys. The Air Force will also be a presenting sponsor of Cloud9’s monthly CS:GO web series, Reloaded.
Jack Etienne, Owner and CEO of Cloud9 touched on the partnership: “Cloud9 is proud to create awareness of the Air Force for our amazing fan base. By developing a dynamic partnership with the Air Force, we will be able to deliver extraordinary content that will show fans a totally different side of the team. No one else in the world can put our team into a jet and let our fans watch the sheer thrill come over their faces. It’s going to be amazing.”
The video content that will be produced includes the CS:GO team – which doesn’t have a complete roster at the time of writing – taking part in numerous Air Force experiences. The first instance of this will be at the Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia this week, where the team will get insights into the world of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialists.
Maj. Ross McKnight, Chief of the National Events Branch at the Air Force Recruiting Service Headquarters added:“We are very excited to partner with Cloud9’s stellar CS:GO players, who display the same level of discipline, rigor and achievement that we value in our Airmen. The partnership will provide an opportunity to create engaging and relevant content in the esports space and to show Cloud9 fans some of the ways in which they can make a difference in the U.S. Air Force.”
Earlier today it was announced that the U.S. Air Force had expanded its partnership with ELEAGUE ahead of the CS:GO Premier, taking place on July 21st-29th with a prize pool of $1,000,000 (£767,645). Cloud9 is also sponsored by Red Bull, OMEN by HP, Twitch, HTC, HyperX, MSI, NEEDforSEAt USA, and LoLwiz.
Esports Insider says: Along with the Air Force’s reimagined partnership with ELEAGUE, it’s apparent that it’s serious about advertising to esports fans. This is yet another high profile partnering for Cloud9, the video content definitely sounds interesting and the Air Force’s suits the new jersey design rather nicely.