As usual, there were a plethora of new esports sponsorships and partnerships announced last month. Ranging from betting and blockchain collaborations to deals with food and beverage companies, March continued to highlight the commercial power of esports.
To keep you up to date, Esports Insider has compiled the most important esports sponsorship and partnership news in March. To read more about a story below, click the link in the corresponding title.
Interested in analysis of, and context behind, the latest esports partnership news? Subscribe to Esports Insider’s The Dotted Line newsletter here for a fortnightly breakdown of the biggest sponsorships & partnership stories, and what they mean for the industry.
Spotlighted story
PSG Esports partners with Team New Age to enter Fortnite scene
Paris Saint-Germain Esports, the esports arm of the French football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), has teamed up with the North American esports organisation Team New Age (TNA).
The organisations have created a new Fortnite team called PSG.TNA. The team will make its debut during the ongoing Fortnite competitive season.
Call of Duty League secures Aim Lab partnership
The Call of Duty League (CDL) has partnered with FPS performance and training platform Aim Lab.
As a result, the platform will become the first-person training sponsor of the league in addition to becoming a presenting sponsor of the Call of Duty Challengers Scouting Series.
Coca-Cola named founding partner of Wild Rift esports
Riot Games has announced soft drink manufacturer Coca-Cola as a worldwide founding partner of the League of Legends: Wild Rift esports circuit.
The multi-year deal sees the manufacturer will collaborate with the publisher to create ‘unique fan experiences’ for the game and its esports circuit, which begins this year.
Sony Xperia named PUBG MOBILE esports partner
Game developer PUBG Corporation and multinational conglomerate Sony have signed a partnership that will see PUBG MOBILE esports events in 2022 use Sony’s Xperia line of smartphones.
The mobile phones will be supplied to players and teams, with Sony’s Xperia brand becoming the official smartphone partner for PUBG MOBILE Esports’ global tournaments.
Oddin.gg secures partnership with Centre of Betting Vietnam
Esports live-odds provider Oddin.gg has announced a partnership with the Centre of Betting Vietnam (CBV).
As a result, Oddin.gg will provide its iFrame betting solution to CBV. According to the release, CBV claims to be strategically positioned to capitalise on the rise of esports betting in Southeast Asia by putting experienced gambling and iGaming teams in the region under one roof.
ZOWIE named official monitor partner of ESL Pro League Season 15
ZOWIE, the esports division of technology and electronics corporation BenQ, has been named as the official monitor partner for the ESL Pro League Season 15 (EPL S15).
Following the announcement, all competing players will use ZOWIE’s 240Hz XL2456K monitors during the CS:GO series.
Astralis partners with DI to promote Danish esports
Danish esports organisation Astralis has announced a partnership with the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI).
According to the release, the two entities will analyse the potential of ‘digital competition entertainment’ and support the esports industry’s development in Denmark.
Smart teams up with T1 to bolster Philippines esports scene
Smart, a subsidiary of telecommunications company PLDT, has signed an agreement with South Korean esports organisation T1.
The agreement will see Smart provide T1’s Dota 2 team with facilities in the Philippines, which will be used during its boot camp and tournaments.
MAD Lions enter the metaverse with Zilliqa partnership
European esports organisation MAD Lions has signed a multi-year partnership with blockchain and metaverse company Zilliqa.
The deal is the organisation’s largest sponsorship to date and will provide MAD Lions with the capabilities to deliver experiences in the metaverse.
Gillette teams up with 7Sea to launch $20,000 BGMI tournament
Grooming brand Gillette has teamed up with Indian esports organisation 7Sea to launch a $20,000 (~£15,100) Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) invitational tournament.
The Gillette 7Sea Invitational, which commenced on March 25th, was produced by sports and gaming company Skyesports and broadcasted across Skyesports’ Youtube channel, as well as 7Sea YouTube and 7Sea Loco.
Giants Gaming announces partnership with Burger King Spain
Spanish esports organisation Giants Gaming has secured a partnership with the regional branch of global fast-food chain Burger King.
As a result of the partnership, Burger King’s logo will be featured on the front of Giants’ professional team jerseys. The fast-food chain’s branding will also feature on social media and broadcast channels of Giants, as well as the organisation’s players and content creators.
GRID Esports secures two-year VALORANT partnership with Riot Games
Esports data platform GRID Esports has signed a two-year partnership with Riot Games to provide VALORANT data to its platform.
GRID will have exclusive access to data from all of the title’s main global and regional tournaments.
Envy Gaming joins forces with the*gameHERs
North American esports organisation Envy Gaming has partnered with the women-led gaming community the*gameHERs.
As a part of the deal, the two organisations will collaborate on a content series, community building, collegiate initiatives and the development of potential co-branded live events.
Complexity Gaming signs multi-year deal with Lenovo
North American esports organisation Complexity Gaming, a subsidiary of GameSquare Esports, has announced a multi-year partnership with computer and mobile device manufacturer Lenovo.
As a result, Complexity’s Texas-based headquarters will now be named the Lenovo Legion Esports Center.
Misfits Gaming Group announces crypto partnership with Tezos
Misfits Gaming Group (MGG), the parent company of Misfits, Florida Mutineers, and Florida Mayhem, has announced a cryptocurrency partnership with blockchain company Tezos.
Tezos will serve as the official blockchain for Misfits and include marquee branding and sponsorship rights. Tezos will also help Misfits Gaming Group launch its new blockchain gaming platform called Block Born.