Esports events company ESL has named bookmaker 1xBet the official global betting partner of the ESL Pro Tour CS:GO and its ESL One Summer & Winter Dota 2 events.
RELATED: EPOS secures two-year ESL Gaming Australia partnership
The deal will span the entirety of 2021 and remain in effect until IEM Katowice 2022. The partnership will see both 1xBet and ESL collaborate to ‘enhance the overall experience for esports players and fans’, according to a release.
Jasmin Haasbach, Director Global Brand Partnerships at ESL commented on the partnership: “We are delighted to have teamed up with 1xBet for the first time in what is a truly global partnership. Here at ESL, experiences are at the heart of what we do and we have no doubt this landmark partnership with one of the global leading sportsbooks will improve the ESL Pro Tour CS:GO experiences for players and fans around the world.”
In addition to presumed brand placement across ESL Pro Tour and ESL One properties, the two entities will introduce a series of planned activations throughout the course of the partnership. This includes special custom segments such as data-driven player cards, match predictions, and custom CS:GO and Dota 2 maps utilised throughout event broadcasts.
RELATED: ESL Gaming extends media rights partnership with Telia
Alex Sommers, 1xBet spokesperson added: “There is no better way to start 2021 than to further build on the successful launch of our already extensive esports offering. We are very happy to have secured this exclusive landmark partnership with the global category leader in the space
“The ESL Pro Tour circuit is the ultimate professional CS:GO competition, and we’re thrilled to become the first-ever global betting partner here. There is no doubt our partnership with ESL will allow us to expand our esports footprint within the global esports community.”
1xBet will replace Curacao-based esports bookmaker GG.Bet, who partnered with ESL in a similar global deal throughout 2020. In that same year 1xBet became a sponsor of the Ukrainian organisation Natus Vincere, and also counts HellRaisers amongst its former partners.
[primis_video widget=”5183″]
Esports Insider says: Counter-Strike and Dota 2 are arguably the two highest-grossing esports betting products, and it’s likely one of the reasons ESL is never short of a gambling partner. 1xBet has been ingrained in esports for several years now, though how this partnership is integrated into ESL’s events and received by the community remains to be determined.