Spanish soccer club Valencia CF is looking to get involved with eSports sponsorships by signing a partnership deal with a Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft team.
Developed by Blizzard Entertainment, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is a spin-off on the legendary Warcraft series, and features players competing by playing cards from hand. The game is estimated to have over 50 million active players, making it a promising sector for sponsorship and branding opportunities.
The Valencia-sponsored team's debut was slated for the Gamergy eSports tournament held in Spain in June, and featuring two of the country's most popular Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft streamers on the Twitch service.
This particular sponsorship goes to show that there is a lot of potential for symbiotic business relationships between eSports and traditional sports, and could signal increasing instances of powerful and established sports teams looking to invest in disruptive eSports.
Cross-Sport Sponsorships
This Sponsorship Brings Together Spanish Soccer and eSports Teams
Trend Themes
1. Cross-sport Partnerships - The Valencia CF sponsorship demonstrates the potential for collaborations between traditional and eSports teams.
2. Esports Sponsorships - The growing popularity of eSports presents branding opportunities for traditional sports teams.
3. Powerful Sports Teams Investing in Esports - Established sports teams like Valencia CF are showing interest in disruptive eSports ventures.
Industry Implications
1. Sports Sponsorship - Cross-sport partnerships allow for innovative sponsorship opportunities within the sports industry.
2. Esports - eSports sponsorships offer branding and marketing possibilities within the rapidly expanding eSports industry.
3. Gaming and Entertainment - The convergence of traditional sports and eSports creates disruption and investment opportunities in the gaming and entertainment sector.