Bud Light over the next six months will begin its "first forays supporting video game athletes," according to Mike Snider of USA TODAY. During the DreamHack Austin competitive gaming event May 6-8, Bud Light will "announce a list of top competitors in several of the most popular games ('Counter Strike: Global Offensive,' 'Dota 2,' 'Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft' and 'Heroes of the Storm')." E-sports fans can "vote for their favorites and the top five will be announced as the Bud Light All-Stars" at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in L.A. on June 14. Those winners "will be featured in special online game content on streaming video service Twitch and a behind-the-scenes eSports series on video game network Machinima." In October at TwitchCon, the Bud Light All-Stars "will compete in a three-round elimination tournament." The growing fan base for e-sports has "led to increased attention from advertisers," and a vast majority of fans "fall within the coveted millennial market." Bud Light VP/Marketing Alexander Lambrecht said that the invested and engaged fans "led Bud Light to get involved" with e-sports (USATODAY.com, 4/25).
