Canadian whisky brand Crown Royal has teamed up with Columbia Records and NBA2K teams Hawks Talon and Detroit Pistons GT to launch a music and gaming series called The Crown Crossover.
The show features Columbia Records artists Quinn XCII, Joey Bada$$, CHASE B and more, playing NBA 2K against gaming influencers. Select members of Hawks Talon and Detroit Pistons GT will discuss basketball and their latest projects while sipping Crown Royal cocktails on-air.
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Running each Wednesday through the end of August, The Crown Crossover is livestreamed and hosted on Crown Royal’s official Facebook page. Hosts include Jeff Eisenband and Phil Visu.
The gaming, music, and basketball series will feature gamers iPodKingCarter, Aerial Powers, Erin Ashley Simon and Mike LaBelle as they compete against musicians.
Crown Royal has expanded its existing NBA partnership with the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks to include their NBA2K affiliate teams. Per a release, Crown Royal will be working with each team to ‘engage with fans at this exciting connection of gaming and esports’.
Nicky Heckles, Vice President of Crown Royal, said: “Our partnership with Columbia Records, the Pistons GT and Hawks Talon for The Crown Crossover livestream is another way for us to take our passion and love for the game of basketball and bring it directly to our fans. This weekly experience brings some of the league’s brightest stars, professional gamers and musicians together in a way we can’t help but be excited about.”
The first two episodes featured Columbia artist Quinn XCII. Fans will be able to watch the final four episodes with Joey Bada$$ and Chase B every Wednesday this month.
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Hannah Satzke, Brand Partnerships Columbia Records added: “Being able to bring together music and gaming culture into one program with our partners at Crown Royal is an authentic match. We are excited to launch this series with Crown Royal and our incredible group of talent.”
Esports Insider says: Esports and transmedia are becoming fast friends, as brands find unique ways to engage audiences across music, comics, fashion, and more. Crown Royal’s partnership expansion to include NBA2K affiliate teams makes perfect sense, as does the team-up with Columbia Records. The music giant joins rivals Universal Records, Virgin EMI Records and others as the race to engage esports fans presses on.