Key esports sponsorships and partnerships: September 2022

Image credit: Esports Insider

Each month, Esports Insider recaps the previous months’ biggest esports sponsorship and partnership news. Below is our list of the biggest partnerships from September 2022.

September saw VALORANT announce the partner teams for its franchised sytem, Halo announce a new team, a Lil Nas X collaboration, alongside a string of notable mainstream non-endemic brand partnerships from the likes of Samsung, KFC, Puma and Nissan, amongst others.

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Image credit: Riot Games

Following months of speculation, Riot Games has officially announced its full list of partner teams for the VALORANT Champions Tour.

In total, 30 teams were selected and will be evenly split into VCT’s three new international leagues: EMEA, Pacific and the Americas.


mercedes-benz riot sponsor
Image credit: Riot Games / Mercedes-Benz

Game developer Riot Games has extended its partnership with luxury automobile brand Mercedes-Benz at least until 2025.

The three-year extension aims to further develop global esports culture and the worldwide LoL community, the companies said. However, details on future activations beyond its Championship Ring activation were not revealed.


Image credit: Cloud9

Food delivery and logistics company Just Eat Takeaway.com (Just Eat) has partnered with Riot Games for the upcoming League of Legends World Championships.

As a part of the agreement, the competition’s streams in Germany, Poland and Spain will feature Just Eat sponsorship activations. This includes in-game sponsor rotation, logo placement during breaks and countdowns, as well as affiliate links for viewers of the tournament. Just Eat will also sponsor the analysis segments in mentioned markets


Lil Nas X esports
Image credit: Lil Nas X

American rapper Lil Nas X has been named ‘President of League of Legends‘ by game developer and publisher Riot Games.

As ‘President’, Lil Nas X will co-design a new League of Legends champion skin, create the theme song for the 2022 League of Legends World Championship and perform at the finals later this year. Note: His role as ‘President’ is a predominantly honorary tite as part of a collaboration with Riot Games, not a business role.


Image credit: Gen.G

Multinational esports organisation Gen.G has announced that it will collaborate with synthetic motor oil brand Mobil 1 to launch two Rocket League esports teams.

The two companies will work together to create one men’s and one women’s team, both of which will compete under the Gen.G Mobil 1 Racing brand.


Image credit: Shutterstock

David Beckham-backed British esports organisation Guild Esports has secured a major partnership with media and entertainment powerhouse Sky UK.

Guild claimed in the announcement that it believes the multi-faceted deal is one of the largest esports sponsorships ever signed in Europe. Similar to the Gen.G-Mobil 1 deal, Guild’s Sky partnership also includes the stablishment of a women’s roster.


Image credit: Guild of Guardians

Blockchain mobile title Guild of Guardians has announced a significant web3-focused partnership with seven esports organisations. As a result, Cloud9, Fnatic, NAVI, Ninjas in Pyjamas, SK Gaming, T1 and Team Liquid will be integrated into Guild of Guardians as playable characters.

According to a release, these characters will be tradable as digital collectibles on Immutable X, a carbon-neutral NFT platform. The partnership is expected to help raise awareness of the game ahead of its launch whilst also highlighting web3 gaming possibilities.


Gen.G personnel
Image credit: Gen.G

Multinational esports organisation Gen.G has extended its partnerships with sportswear brand PUMA.

The new multiyear deal sees Gen.G launch a new global collection which will be promoted by the team’s creators and players. This includes its League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) 2022 Summer champion team.


promo image for the mountain dew real change challenge
Image credit: Mountain Dew

The HBCU Esports League has announced a partnership with soft drink brand Mountain Dew to launch the MTN DEW Real Change Challenge.

Both parties will work together to shine a spotlight on student gamers at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), with a focus on increasing black representation in esports. Moreover, students will compete for an overall prize pool of $500,000 (~£469,000), as well as coaching and exposure to esports professionals. 


Image credit: Prodigy Agency

Rocket League developer Psyonix has released details for the 2022-23 season of its international collegiate league Collegiate Rocket League (CRL).

Alongside format details, Psyonix announced the expansion of CRL to include Mexican universities for the first time. Automobile manufacturer Nissan will also return as title sponsor of the 2022 collegiate Fall split.


Gen.G
Image credit: Gen.G

Multinational esports organisation Gen.G has partnered with American audio manufacturer Bose to create online events, experiences and activations for fans.

The partnership is set to include two new content releases, as well as a sponsorship of Gen.G’s NBA 2K team. For now, the biggest content drop will be a series of eight livestreams beginning September 21st.

Jake Nordland
Jake is Esports Insider’s Features and Trending News Editor. Part of the ESI team since early 2021, he’s interested in education, grassroots, and sustainability in esports.

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