Game developer Riot Games has announced food delivery service Uber Eats as a partner of the LEC, League of Legends’ EMEA franchised league.
The deal will see Uber Eats branding be featured throughout the LEC broadcasts, specifically during countdowns and the competition’s ‘Match of the Week’.
According to a release, the delivery service will also be present on Summoner’s Rift, League of Legends’ in-game map, and the newly revamped Riot Games Arena. Other Uber Eats activations, such as in-person pop-ups and digital activations, have also been teased throughout the LEC season.
Uber Eats becomes one of the LEC’s four main partners for the 2024 season, with the competition previously securing deals with KitKat, Kia, and LG UltraGear. Unlike its other partners, this is Uber Eats’ first commercial collaboration with the LEC.
The partnership highlights a run of commercial deals that Riot Games has managed to secure for its two major Western leagues — the LEC and LCS.
However, during this period the game publisher also announced a series of layoffs which affected 11% of its overall workforce. Alongside Riot Forge and Legends of Runeterra being affected heavily, personnel from the LEC and LCS were involved in the cuts.
Artem Bykov, LEC Commissioner at Riot Games, commented on the deal: “We’re delighted to welcome Uber Eats as the latest partner to join the LEC this year, having already revealed the return of some long-term partners ahead of the season.
“Uber Eats is a giant in its market and a brand that we believe will really resonate with our fan base. We can’t wait to see how the team will level-up the experience of fans watching the LEC each and every game week.”
The LEC is currently airing its Winter 2024 playoffs stage. In terms of viewership, the competition has grown significantly compared to LEC Winter 2023. Currently, LEC Winter 2024 has recorded a peak viewership of 741,450, according to Esports Charts.
