Cloud9 esports has announced an apparel partnership with Puma ahead of the 2019 North American League of Legends Championship Series. Cloud9’s LoL team will wear Puma-branded jerseys, pants, and shoes during the 2019 season, which begins Jan. 26.
Cloud9 esports was founded in 2013 and is one of the largest American esports organizations. The deal with Puma marks Cloud9’s first-ever apparel partnership agreement and also represents Puma’s largest financial commitment within the esports industry, according to a Cloud9 press release.
“Esports are becoming increasingly popular with our consumers, so this is a very exciting deal for us,” said Adam Petrick, Puma’s global director of marketing, in the press release. “Cloud9 is poised to have a great LCS season, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it. We look forward to working with the Cloud9 team to make sure their players look as stylish off-stage as they do on-stage.”
While Cloud9’s current apparel deal with Puma only extends to its League of Legends team, the organization also fields professional esports teams in popular gaming titles such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, Fortnite, Super Smash Bros Melee, Rocket League, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. In 2017, Cloud9 announced a Series A fundraising round that included NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, former NBA center Andrew Bogut, and MLB outfielder Hunter Pence.
SportTechie Takeaway
Major sponsorships have begun pouring into esports in recent months. This past week, London-based esports team Fnatic announced its jersey’s for the upcoming European League of Legends season will be sponsored by smartphone manufacturer OnePlus. Last year, ESPN+ began streaming the League of Legends North American Championship Series as part of a non-exclusive multiyear deal with Riot Games. Through streaming deals with popular platforms such as ESPN+ and Twitch, Cloud9 and other League of Legends teams are becoming extremely attractive advertising partners for brands looking to appeal to esports’ younger demographic.