Esports giant ESL and Universal Music Group Central Europe have announced a multi-year partnership to bring esports and music closer together. The two parties aim to discover and promote new talent through ESL tournaments and events.
Where esports and music combine
A new joint record label launched by ESL and UMG will serve as the go-to place where artists and producers can submit their work. This way, artists can present their work to millions of esports fans through ESL’s global events and channels.
“Music is a universal language and, like gaming, one of the key-pillars of pop-culture,” said ESL SVP Global Sales & Business Development Bernhard Mogk. “We are looking forward to giving new artists and talent a new platform to perform on and to provide even more entertainment to our fans, both on-site and for everyone watching our live streams around the world. This joint venture with Universal Music is a win-win for everyone.”
New music will also flow into ESL’s global live broadcasts and social media channels. Live tournaments will now feature performances during half-time shows, spicing up the spectator experience.
“I’m delighted that UMG and ESL, two market leaders in global entertainment, have joined forces,” said Central Europe Universal Music Group and Deutsche Grammophon President and CEO Frank Briegmann. “Together, our dedicated new label, with its laser-sharp focus on the artists and music of esports, will provide the soundtrack to the gaming experience for this massive global audience for years to come.”
ESL is continuously delivering
ESL is one of the massive organizations constantly pushing esports forward. The amount of work the company puts into expanding the presence of competitive gaming is reaching new highs every year.
The UMG-ESL project follows a plethora of other initiatives by ESL for promoting esports. ESL also recently joined forces with Wacken Open Air, a festival that took place earlier this month, to promote competitive gaming. Setting up a Free-2-Play area for fans, ESL thought of the idea as an “interesting opportunity to test the esports phenomenon in a new setting and take it into a new environment.”
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