Nike Signs Its First Esports Sponsorship Deal

The news says the big sports brand finally acted on the idea. We will see Nike in Esports!

The odd thing is that we haven’t seen them do this sooner. In these times, the industry is booming and every regular sports team has its own Esports branch. Even KFC has its own tournament. Adidas and Puma both already entered the scene, and now we see Nike follow their steps. Better late than never!

So, here’s the deal: the global sports brand signed a deal with China’s League of Legends Pro League for four years. They will supply every squad with their clothing and footgear, starting in 2019.

Aside from clothing itself, Nike said that it plans to work on custom-designed training programs for Esports athletes to help them improve.

Naturally, both parties profit from this deal. Nike gets heavily promoted, the teams receive rewards. The Chinese league consists of 16 different teams and one of the largest follower numbers in the world. The sports brand will also sell its branded products at live tournaments.

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Nike stated: “Since its inception, Nike has always believed that in all sports, a strong will and body will make athletes better. As China becomes a new Esports cultural center, Nike is pleased to support the next generation of athletes and establish a long-term cooperative relationship with Esports to contribute to the future development of sports ecology.”

Esports industry went from being booed at, to be under consideration for inclusion in the 2024 Olympics. Nike in Esports is a great advertisement.

2022 Asian Games is a multi-sport event and it will include Esports. It will be held every four years for athletes from all around the Asian continent. Tournaments are already regularly aired on Turner Broadcasting, ESPN, Disney and the such.

As this is now more and more considered an actual sport, it is wise of a sports brand to step in.

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