DreamHack has announced the return of the UKLC for its summer split, alongside a headline sponsorship from Barclays.
The competition will return on June 14th, with eight teams across the United Kingdom and Ireland competing.
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The partnership between the UKLC and Barclays was negotiated by Lagardère Sports UK, though terms of the deal have not been disclosed at the time of writing.
Steven Norris, Head of Brand Partnerships at DreamHack, spoke on the partnership in a release: “It’s clear that Barclays truly understands the power and potential of esports. As the presenting partner and headline sponsor for the UKLC, they’re blazing the trail for more British brands to become part of the esports ecosystem.”
Six teams will be invited to the UKLC, with two other teams booking their spot in the competition through a qualification process. There will be a total prize purse of £20,000 distributed to the teams and players at the end of the split.
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The UKLC is part of the newly-launched Northern League of Legends Championship from DreamHack and Riot Games. The NLC is described as the “new competitive ecosystem for the Nordics & UK.”
Ben Davey, CEO of Barclays Ventures, also commented: “We are so excited to be partnering with Dreamhack to present the UKLC, the pinnacle of UK league of legends, showcasing and nurturing the top UK esports talent. With our heritage of supporting sport and seeing the power it has to bring people together, the UKLC partnership was an obvious first step for Barclays into professional esports. We’re really looking forward to learning from the community how we can support teams, players, and fans to thrive and grow.”
Esports Insider says: Barclays has been working in gaming and esports for a little while now, this is not its first involvement by any means, but it’s the first sponsorship of a professional league for the bank. With that in mind, the UKLC seems like a great fit and we hope to see some interesting activations come out of the partnership.