The NBA 2K League has announced a partnership with Champion that will see both its athletes and their esports avatars in official league gear produced by the apparel company.
As part of the deal, Champion becomes the official outfitter of the NBA esports league ahead of the NBA 2K official draft at Barclays Center on March 5.
Champion will provide the league’s 21 teams with game uniforms, including both the players and their in-game avatars. Gamers will also receive warmup travel and practice apparel. Champion will additionally produce specialized apparel for marquee events, such as the NBA 2K League Draft Clash and the league’s finals.
“The need for esports apparel is quickly evolving and Champion is pleased to be an integral part of this historical opportunity,” said Jon Ram, Champion’s president of global activewear. “Being the official outfitters for the NBA 2K League is an exciting and pivotal opportunity for Champion to continue our evolution and expansion to outfit teams within the esports and traditional sports communities.”
This season is the NBA 2K’s second year. After a successful 2018, the league has expanded by another four teams, bringing the total number of gamers competing to 126. During the offseason, 52 players from the first season were retained, leaving 74 roster sports open.
SportTechie Takeaway
The esports apparel world represents a unique opportunity for branding. The digital nature of the competition means that both ads on and around the court, as well as apparel on the avatars, can be easily tweaked based on sponsorship opportunities. With this NBA 2K league deal, Champion, which has a long history outfitting athletes in traditional basketball and other sports, now has an opportunity to expand its brand to new esports audiences.