CS:GO Team North Ink Partnership With Pinnacle
Esports organization North has entered a partnership agreement with the online betting site Pinnacle. North signed the 18-month deal on July 17. It involves a Pinnacle visual on North’s jerseys.
Both parties have also agreed to work together to produce quality esports content. So what makes this partnership significant in the grand scheme of things?
Counter-Strike specialists
North is a relatively new face in the world of esports. Founded in January 2017, the Scandinavian organization made a name for itself in the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive scene by securing a number of top-four finishes in ECS, ESL, and DreamHack tournaments. North eventually branched out to competitive FIFA, but the team is still best known for CS:GO.
In fact, North’s will to expand to other esports might be the main reason behind this partnership.
Partnering up with Pinnacle really is underlining the journey we are on with North. It feels great that we are able to continue the next phase of the journey together with a such a well-respected and household name that shares our ambition of narrating the esports story as it develops. Our passion for gaming is very strong, and Pinnacle really understands our aim of expanding even further.
– North Chief Commercial Officer, Jonas Gundersen.
As for Pinnacle, this is its first team partnership in competitive gaming. The bookmaker has offered esports wagers since 2010, making it one of the oldest esportsbooks out there. Pinnacle has also been the official betting partner of BLAST Pro Series and FACEIT’s Esports Championship Series—both notable tournaments in the Counter-Strike circuit. Striking a deal with a professional CS:GO team seems like the next logical step on the bookmaker’s journey to increase its presence in esports.
Of course, the deal still needs to pay off. North is currently going through a rough patch in Counter-Strike. The team is adjusting to appointing its star player—Valdemar “valde” Bjørn Vangså—as its in-game leader (IGL). Moreover, the organization struggled to build momentum for the majority of 2019. Thus, it remains to be seen whether it can re-establish itself as a CS:GO powerhouse.
Image courtesy of North.
