Blizzard’s Overwatch League continues to strengthen their infrastructure by signing two big sponsors.
Any sports organization knows the tremendous marketing opportunity they possess for companies with the funds to take advantage of it. It’s why we see NFL analysts only using Microsoft Surfaces or the World Series MVP driving away in a Chevy truck. The world of professional gaming, with its assortment of esports leagues, is no different.
The fledging Overwatch League is in the midst of cementing itself as one of those major leagues. The 12 inaugural teams have been busy creating social media presences for themselves while announcing team rosters and branding.
Meanwhile, the league itself has also been busy, and announced today its first corporate sponsorships. HP Inc. and Intel have signed multiyear agreements with the Overwatch League, and will be providing OMEN by HP gaming PCs and displays for Overwatch League games. The PCs will be powered by Intel Core i7 processors. Intel will also sponsor Overwatch competitive events outside of official Overwatch League play. This will no doubt include future Overwatch World Cups as well as the Overwatch Contenders league.
Blizzard Entertainment’s president and CEO of its Major League Gaming division stated in a press release, “Multiyear collaborations such as this illustrate the momentum behind the Overwatch League.”
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It’s safe to assume that this is just the start of the Overwatch League’s corporate sponsorships. While it’s unclear if this specific league will be successful, the esports fanbase in general has long been proven to be a huge market. The Overwatch League can also rely on its newness and the popularity of some of their players to draw in the audience that it needs to be considered a success.
Bottom line, no one knows the long-term viability of the Overwatch League. However, large sponsorships like this certainly help.