The Esports Sponsorship Cheat Sheet

Josh Cella, Head of Global Partnerships at Activision Blizzard advised Hashtag Sports conference attendees that, "Esports is very uncluttered – there’s still so much white space for us to work with brands."

That being said, there are different forms of sponsorship that interested brands can occupy with this rapidly evolving space. As esports matures, many of the sponsorship benefits such as jersey sponsorship mirror that of professional sports, though there are esports intricacies that first time sponsors should be aware of before dipping their toe in the esports waters. Some brands may choose to associate with esports teams or individual players and influencers while others are more interested in aligning with events, tournaments, broadcast platforms, or gaming venues. The esports industry has yielded tremendous growth in both the quantity and quality within each type of the sponsorable properties.

In the midst of such rapid development, non-endemic brands are now flocking to the genre and naturally creating a more commercial-friendly industry that appeals to a much broader audience. Meanwhile, endemic brands will continue driving growth and brand affinity by authentically enhancing the user experience. Aside from the long hours in which these users consume esports games and content, this unique “niche” audience is extremely loyal and willing to spend long hours on-site at live gaming events – leaving no shortage of time for a brand to engage in-person beyond the massive digital reach of a gamer’s participation as a whole.

The Numbers