Gaming fans watch the match between Team Liquid and OpTic Gaming during the first day of the International 2018 Dota 2 Championships. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)
Champion has made a name for itself with its athlete leisure and traditional sports apparel, but the company is now eyeing a new growth category in esports.
Over the past few weeks, Champion has announced deals to become the official apparel provider of the NBA 2K League and a maker of fan apparel for esports organization OpTic Gaming.
The NBA 2K partnership includes outfitting the league’s 21 teams with game uniforms, spanning both the human players themselves, and their in-game avatars. The company will also make special jerseys for marquee events.
Last week, the retailer additionally announced a year-long collaborative campaign to make co-branded athleticwear with OpTic Gaming. OpTic and Champion will work together on a number of projects to bring apparel to the esports giant’s fan community, to be sold nationwide at Champion retail stores and online.
While detailed terms of either deal haven’t been disclosed, Champion said the OpTic Gaming partnership represents one of its biggest deals yet in esports.
“The awesome OpTic community, the Green Wall, is all about style and confidence, and just like their name says, Champion comes from a legacy of winners dating back a hundred years. It’s a perfect fit,” said Joe Hills, OpTic’s head of brand strategy.
Hills said the deal with Champion is a big deal for OpTic because both organization’s are working to “push mainstream awareness of esports in popular culture.”
“It’s a show of faith for Champion, who want to co-brand their apparel to a community of passionate and loyal fans from all over the world,” he said.
In the second quarter of 2019, the two brands will embark on an “unprecedented retail activation” for an esports enterprise, with new designs and activations being revealed over the next few months. The two deals mark a highly-publicized pivot for Champion, which is expanding its suite of products from more traditional sports, such as basketball, to include the rapidly mainstreaming esports industry as well.
“Since the 1919 founding of Champion Athleticwear, we have always been looking to the future of sports apparel,” said Matt Waterman, Champion general manager, in a statement. “This rich tradition continues with this collaboration.”
Champion’s group president of global activewear, Jon Ram, said the esports deals represent an “exciting and pivotal opportunity” for Champion to continue its evolution and expansion to outfit teams across sports. “Together we can push the boundaries and bring esports to a wider audience,” he said.
