German automobile manufacturer Audi has announced a partnership with Future FC, the FIFA brand owned by the Astralis Group.
Audi first started working with the group in February 2017 when the automobile giant sponsored the Danish Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team. In January 2019, Audi then joined as principal partner of Astralis Group’s League of Legends franchise, Origen.
Jakob Lund Kristensen, CCO and Co-founder of Astralis Group commented in a release: “Since the launch of the first agreement, we have had a close dialogue with Audi about new opportunities to develop our team and exploit the strong community of value. Not only did Audi join Astralis from the start, they were also an important part of our launch of Origen, and now we are taking the step further into a world that in many ways fits even better with the shared values.”
The deal will see the Audi logo visible on the Future FC jersey, which is set to be released soon. Audi and Astralis Group will also work closely to develop content and fan engagement through their social media channels.
Morten Friis-Olsen, Head of Marketing at Audi Denmark also discussed the deal: “Future FC is a new and exciting chapter in Audi’s collaboration with the Astralis Group, where we naturally build on the explosive development and digital opportunities that esports has already given us.
“The collaboration on Future FC based on the FIFA game and all its users and fans is extremely relevant and attractive to Audi, as sports and especially football partnerships are inherent in our DNA – and not least as an extension of our ambition to be an active and attractive part of an innovative world exposed to fantastic experiences.”
Future FC was announced in August, not long after Astralis Group was formed following an internal shift within RFRSH Entertainment. The split came following public pressure as to avoid a potential conflict of interest, with RFRSH Entertainment owning both Astralis and tournament circuit BLAST Pro Series. Now, Astralis Group houses Astralis, Origen, and Future FC.
Esports Insider says: With Audi having a long-term relationship with Astralis, it was only natural that it would transition into a partnership with Future FC. It’s great to see a large non-endemic brand like Audi is continually committed to supporting the esports industry through deals such as this.