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ESL and Vodafone have entered into a partnership that will see the latter act as the premium sponsor for ESL’s flagship events. Major events like Intel Extreme Masters, ESL One, and the ESL Pro League will now be backed by the global telecommunications company.
Partnership promoting diversity and women in esports
Announced this week, the partnership also includes collaboration between the two companies in an increasingly important segment of esports – diversity. ESL and Vodafone will jointly support a variety of initiatives focused on promoting diversity and women in esports.
“We are delighted to launch this partnership with ESL and create one of the biggest international networks for esports at a time when audiences are growing rapidly and new technologies are poised to deliver better experiences,” said Vodafone Group Chief Operations & Strategy Officer Serpil Timuray. “I look forward to joining our customers across 25 countries in viewing ESL’s exciting esports tournaments, both at home and on their mobile devices.”
Next month’s IEM Sydney will mark the implementation of the sponsorship. And Vodafone will collaborate with the world’s top female esports personalities.
The deal also includes a live broadcast segment titled “The Vodafone View.” Content and advertising distribution, as well as branding and activation at the events, are also part of the partnership.
Vodafone expanding presence in esports
The premium partnership is not the first time ESL and Vodafone have collaborated on esports-related matters. In February, the media giant joined a line of other sponsors for IEM Katowice. The StarCraft II and CS:GO tournament welcomed the company as a premium sponsorship partner.
Additionally, as part of its strategy to increase involvement in the esports industry, Vodafone recently signed a couple of sponsorship deals with professional esports teams. Vodafone Spain backed Giants Gaming, a Spanish organization that entered the scene in 2012. The deal resulted in the team’s rebranding to Vodafone Giants.
Vodafone Germany also partnered with a pro team, the German esports organization mousesports. The partnership made Vodafone the team’s head sponsor.
Vodafone joins an increasing number of big-name companies working on their involvement in the competitive gaming industry. SAP and Telefónica are two recent examples. With its continuous growth, esports is attracting more attention than ever, and with high profile companies like Vodafone joining the scene, this momentum will just keep on growing.
Editorial credit: Photos by D / Shutterstock.com
