AT&T and 100Thieves partner up for 2021
Published: Jan 15, 2021
AT&T has joined forces with 100Thieves to become their Official 5G and Fiber Innovation sponsor through a multi-year organization wide esports team sponsorship.
Details of the partnership
As part of the agreement, AT&T is becoming the presenting sponsor of 100 Thieves’ VALORANT esports team, which is fresh off its big championship win at the VALORANT First Strike North American Finals.
As part of their partnership, 100Thieves will work with AT&T to create gaming content like videos, articles, and live streams, and live events highlighting 5G and AT&T Fiber. AT&T has also committed to building an AT&T VALORANT Training Room at the 100 Thieves Cash App Compound, equipped with a variety of AT&T products and services to provide a new training experience for the 100Thieves VALORANT team.
In addition to the sponsored rooms at their headquarters, AT&T will be featured on all team jerseys and fans can expect limited edition merch drops in the future.
Quotes
Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag wrote in the release:
“AT&T has been elevating the culture of gaming and esports with some really unique and inclusive programs, which is a perfect match for 100 Thieves. We can’t wait to do amazing things together. We know our VALORANT team is the best team in North America, thanks to our First Strike championships win. Being able to work with AT&T and utilize their products and services will only elevate the team’s play going forward.”
Shiz Suzuki, assistant vice president, AT&T – Sponsorships and Experiential Marketing, also wrote:
“100 Thieves continues to push the envelope in the gaming industry with an unmatched blend of esports and gaming tastemakers. Their approach to content and elevating and supporting women in gaming is something we share as a brand. We can’t wait to power their efforts as a network while also creating cultural moments together, putting the fans at the center of everything we do.”
AT&T in esports
AT&T are signaling their continued interest in the esports market. They have also renewed their ongoing sponsorship of Cloud9. AT&T became the presenting partner of Cloud9’s first ever all-women professional esports roster, Cloud9 White, in October 2020.
Cloud9 White is competing in VALORANT at the same tournaments as Cloud9’s men’s team (Cloud9 Blue). Cloud9 claims their goal is for the women to play on the same team as the men. This has yet to occur and currently, the teams are practicing against each other and sharing strategies and feedback to grow both of the rosters shared pool of talent.
It is clear that AT&T is interested in continuing to support the esports industry and they believe that VALORANT is the next big esport. Cloud9 and 100Thieves are some of the top teams competing in the VALORANT esports scene at the moment.
Esports betting odds
In the North American rankings on Liquipedia, 100Thieves comes in at number three, with Cloud9 tailing only slightly behind at number six. The odds for anyone betting on the VALORANT esports would certainly be in favour of 100Thieves. However, if a major corporation like AT&T is interested in both of the teams, they will definitely have the resources going forward to either bridge the gap or rise to the top.
