Two weeks into its inaugural season, the Overwatch League "signed two more sponsorship deals," announcing telecom T-Mobile and candy brand Sour Patch Kids as its official partners, according to Angelos Anastasopoulos of THE ESPORTS OBSERVER. T-Mobile is becoming OWL’s wireless provider and title sponsor of both the regular season MVP and Finals MVP awards. The deal marks Sour Patch Kids' "first entrance into esports and will be accompanied by branded on-site events at the Blizzard Arena." In the past, the brand "was active in the general gaming sphere." The announcement of T-Mobile and Sour Patch Kids "ups the total number of Overwatch League sponsors to five" (THE ESPORTS OBSERVER, 1/26).
TAKING FLIGHT: Anastasopoulos also reported Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia "entered professional esports" as the official airline of Dota 2 organization Mineski. The one-year deal was announced on the sidelines of ESL One Genting 2018 in Malaysia. Although this sponsorship "marks AirAsia’s entrance into top level esports, the company has dipped its toes into the space before -- on an amateur level." Founded last August, the AirAsia Allstars Esports Club is the company’s "inhouse esports team." Other airlines with ties to esports include ESL sponsor Emirates (THE ESPORTS OBSERVER, 1/27).
For more coverage of the business of esports, visit our partners, esportsobserver.com.
