Spanish esports organisation MAD Lions KOI, owned by Overactive Media, has announced a partnership with beverage brand Pepsi.
Announced on X earlier today, Pepsi has become the organisation’s official beverage sponsor. As a result, Pepsi’s branding will be prominently featured on MAD Lions KOI’s front jerseys for the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) until the end of the season. Financial terms and the specific duration of the deal were not disclosed.
MAD Lions esports holding company OverActive Media recently acquired KOI, the esports club founded by Spanish personality Ibai Llanos and former FC Barcelona player Gerard Piqué, as well as Movistar Riders. Aside from owning an LEC franchise slot with MAD Lions KOI, the Toronto-based company owns Toronto Ultra in the Call of Duty League.
The Pepsi partnership further strengthens the organisation’s portfolio, which includes Spanish car brand CUPRA, telecommunications company Movistar, sportswear manufacturer Kappa, gaming peripherals company Razer and blockchain company Zilliqa, the latter of which supports MAD Lions KOI’s fan loyalty programme ‘The Pride’. The various Spanish sponsors highlight MAD Lions’ focus on the Spanish-speaking market, leveraging both the organisation’s Spanish players as well as Ibai’s presence to grow a passionate and close fanbase.
Earlier this year, MAD Lions KOI’s parent company published its Q1 financial report for 2024, which saw increasing revenues compared to the same period last year. On the other hand, however, the acquisitions inevitably also brought higher operating costs, which were 16% higher compared to Q1 2023.
Nikko Krättli, New Business at OverActive Media, commented on the partnership through a LinkedIn post: “Really glad to announce that food and beverage conglomerate PepsiCo has selected us to execute their influencer marketing strategy and position its flagship brands in Spain for the coming years. Winning this pitch is a significant achievement for us and comes with great responsibility.”
