Gaming is an international phenomenon. People all over the world are engaging in gaming, and ESports being a legitimate sporting tournament makes this evident.
The global Esports market has also observed a meteoric rise, valued at US$1.96 billion worldwide. Clearly, this is an international cultural phenomenon.
This blog explores how ESports sponsorship is a way for brands, both gaming and non-gaming, to capitalize on the rising global popularity of gaming.
The Rise of ESports as a Global Industry
The online gaming industry has been growing rapidly on an international level, with mobile gaming applications and cloud gaming increasing the popularity of this industry. Different types of gaming applications exist on the mobile platform, such as iGames. Today, you can download a rummy app on your device and play on the go.
Online gaming has now received mainstream attention. A direct result of this is that official tournaments are held with players competing on well-known multiplayer online games such as:
- League of Legends
- Counter-Strike
- Rocket League
Three of the most successful and recognized teams in the Esports circuit are:
- Team Liquid
- Fnatic
- FaZe Clan
Why are Brands Investing in ESports Sponsorships
The global Esports industry has shown a marked rise, as the projected market has been estimated to grow from US$ 2.06 billion in 2024 to US$ 9.29 billion by 2032.
Brands have taken notice of this, offering sponsorship deals in the ESports sector to reach a young and tech-literate audience. This aspect has infiltrated the general online gaming industry as well.
Card games play a major role in the growth of this industry and have thus carved out a major potential market for sponsorship. Online card game subgenres such as rummy online have also become a reliable source of revenue, with brand deals appearing on banners.
As of January 2025, Esports tournaments have 318 million worldwide viewers on either a consistent or an inconsistent basis, making these tournaments attract the attention of brands.
Types of collaborations and sponsorships in Esports
Brands engage with the Esports industry through different forms of sponsorships and brand collaborations.
Team Sponsorships
Renowned brands have partnered with notable ESports teams, such as TSM and blockchain platform Avalanche, in 2023. Another top Esports team, Fnatic, received the sponsorship of Energy drink company, Red Bull, and the American fast food company, McDonald’s, sponsors FaZe Clan.
Event Sponsorships
Significant Esports tournaments have also been funded by well-known brands. Riot Games hosts the League of Legends World Tournament and the technology company Intel hosts the Intel Extreme Masters tournament.
Player Sponsorships
Notable personalities in the Esports industry have been associated with brand sponsorships
- Lee Sang-hyuk, also known as Faker, a famous League of Legends player is sponsored by brands such as Nike, BMW, Samsung and others.
- Johan “n0tail” Sundstein, another renowned -sports player, is sponsored by Red Bull.
In-Game Sponsorships
In-game sponsorships have also been a unique way that brands have engaged with gamers and Esports audiences. A famous example is the MasterCard banner on the Summoner’s Rift map in League of Legends.
Another ESports title, Rocket League, has introduced in-game sponsorships through skins of the Japanese automobile brand Nissan.
Non-Gaming brands entering the Esports sponsorship market
Even Non-gaming brands have entered the Esports market.
- Fashion industry giant, Louis Vitton entered into a partnership with Riot Games, the League of Legends developers, and released a League-themed clothing and accessories collection.
- Automobile manufacturers, Lamborghini, BMW and Ford partnered up with Psyonix, the developer of the car-based multiplayer game, Rocket League, using in-game skins.
Measuring the success of Esports sponsorship
There are certain definite measures of success for brands participating in Esports sponsorships.
Brand visibility
The millions of viewers of Esports tournaments are the source of customer engagement for brands. This implies that the tournament viewers are also taking note of the brands and brand names.
Social media engagement
Online gaming has created a community through engaging on social media.
Suppose, you are participating in a card game online, once you download a rummy app, you might be asked to log in with your Facebook or Twitter account. This leads to social media engagement.
Thus, every sponsor of the game will receive engagement from multiple social media accounts on a few rummy online games. Esports sponsorships work similarly, however, on a larger scale.
Success stories
Red Bull, Intel and Razer have had long-term relationships with the Esports industry, sponsoring teams, tournaments and players. The mainstream success of Esports have led to these relationships bearing fruit.
Razer has now become synonymous with gaming peripherals, while Intel has developed high-performance technologies essential to the gaming experience.
Risks in Esports partnerships with brands
- The Esports industry is a volatile industry, which can lead to brands needing to consider the potential for some risks in forming partnerships:
- A team will not always perform consistently across all Esports tournaments. In such cases, the brand associated with that team might also lose customers. Fans will subconsciously connect the brand to the team’s success, leading to the brand’s reputation suffering.
- Controversies can occur among teams or regarding a game. Association with a controversial game or team can harm a brand’s reputation.
Conclusion
There has been a rise in the mainstream recognition of gaming, leading to the rapid growth of the Esports industry. The result of this is that brands have a real scope of entering into partnership deals with Esports teams, tournaments and players.
Cultivating a niche and evaluating the consistency of a team’s success can be crucial to maintaining a fruitful long-term partnership in the industry.