Korean esports organisation T1 Entertainment & Sports (T1) has signed a three-year partnership with tourism company Red Sea Global.
The announcement came during the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh, where T1 is the defending EWC champion in League of Legends. The partnership was brokered by T1’s exclusive commercial agent CAA Sports. Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.
The partnership will see Red Sea Global’s logo featured on the front of T1’s official team jerseys. Moreover, the company will be a presenting sponsor for T1’s YouTube content for major and international competitions.
According to a release, this deal marks the first time a tourism developer partners with an esports organisation.
RSG, which is under the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) portfolio, aligns with the government’s goal of diversifying its economy with the mega project Vision 2030. That being said, Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the esports scene has often been criticised as an attempt to ‘esportswash‘.
T1’s Growing Portfolio
Red Sea Global joins T1’s expansive partnership portfolio, which features brands such as Red Bull, Goal Studio, SOOP, Mercedes-Benz, Samsung Odyssey, Steelseries, Inspire and Secretlab. In the past weeks, T1 also announced a sponsorship with Spotify to become the main presenting partner for T1’s upcoming Home Ground event, which will feature official LCK and VCT matches.
T1 is one of the 40 club partners at this year’s EWC, having finished in the top eight in the previous edition. On top of League of Legends, T1 will also field rosters on VALORANT, Tekken 8, Teamfight Tactics, and Overwatch 2, among others.
Josh Ahn, COO, T1 Entertainment & Sports, commented on the partnership: “Just as we at T1 strive for mastery in competitive gaming, RSG is setting new global standards in luxury hospitality and regenerative tourism.
“We will seek to bring to life a shared ethos of excellence, precision, and performance. Together, we look forward to creating unique experiences that will resonate with our global fanbase.”
