Mastercard Signs with League of Legends® as First Global Partner of the World’s Largest Esport
September 19 2018 - 12:01AM
Business Wire
Priceless® Experiences Rolling Out for League
of Legends Esports Community
Mastercard today announced a multi-year partnership with Riot
Games to become the first global sponsor for League of Legends
esports, the largest esport in the world. This first-of-its-kind
global agreement signifies Mastercard’s support of the esports
community and further diversifies the technology company’s
world-class sports and entertainment portfolio.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918006179/en/
Mastercard announces multi-year
partnership with Riot Games to become the first global sponsor for
League of Legends esports. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Esports is a phenomenon that continues to grow in popularity,
with fans that can rival those at any major sporting event in their
enthusiasm and energy,” said Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and
communications officer, Mastercard. “Our Priceless platform is
built around connecting with people through their passions. We are
excited about the experiences and benefits we can bring to the
world’s largest esport - both in-game and to the millions of League
of Legends fans that watch and attend the tournaments each
year.”
“We’re thrilled to team up with Mastercard on this
groundbreaking partnership that will provide meaningful and
long-term value to our fans,” said Naz Aletaha, head of esports
partnerships at Riot Games. “Mastercard is among the first of
world-class brands to take such a big step into esports at the
global level, and we’re proud to have them support League of
Legends esports events alongside their other premier sports and
entertainment sponsorships.”
As the exclusive global payment services partner for League of
Legends global esports events, Mastercard will focus on three
annual global tournaments - the Mid-Season Invitational, the
All-Star Event, and the pinnacle of all esports events, the World
Championship. Mastercard will curate unforgettable Priceless
experiences and offers across onsite event activations,
priceless.com and through other various promotions to bring fans
closer to their passion and everything they love about League of
Legends events.
The first live-event activation will take place at the League of
Legends World Championship this fall in South Korea, and the first
experiences available on Priceless.com will include:
- Opening ceremony rehearsal viewing and
a behind the scenes tour
- Opportunity to watch a game with a
League of Legends pro player from VIP seats
- Test the gaming PCs the pros will
compete on during the World Championship final
“We’ve long been impressed with Mastercard and their fan-focused
approach to partnerships,” said Jarred Kennedy, co-head of esports
at Riot Games. “Our community has made League of Legends the
biggest esport in the world, and we’re excited to work with
Mastercard to bring them new and innovative experiences for years
to come.”
Priceless Promotions
Starting today, Mastercard cardholders in the United States and
Canada (excluding Quebec) will have a chance to win the ultimate
All-Star Event experience when they use and save their Mastercard
information within the League of Legends gaming platform.1 Similar
promotions and additional ticketing programs will continue to roll
out globally throughout the partnership.
In addition, Mastercard will work with its banking partners to
offer unique League of Legends co-branded products in select
markets, starting in 2019.
For more than two decades, Mastercard has been a sponsor of
sports and entertainment. League of Legends is the latest sport to
join Mastercard’s impressive roster of premier partners, including
Major League Baseball, the PGA TOUR®, The Open, The Australian
Open, Roland-Garros, Rugby World Cup and UEFA Champions League,
among others.
About League of Legends Esports Leagues
League of Legends is a premiere global sport with 14
professional esports leagues, 113 professional teams, and over 850
salaried athletes worldwide, overseen and operated by Riot Games.
League of Legends esports games are broadcast live to millions of
fans in 18 different languages across the globe, with viewership of
the regular season averaging 90 million hours-watched live,
week-over-week worldwide.
The League of Legends World Championship tournament consistently
reaches new viewership milestones each year, easily rivaling those
of major traditional sporting event finals; for example, Worlds
2017 reached a total of 1.2 billion hours watched over the course
of the 21-day competition, with the most-watched match pulling in
over 80 million live unique viewers.
About Mastercard
Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology
company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s
fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers,
financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in
more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard products and
solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping,
traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more
secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter
@MastercardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction
Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement
Bureau.
___________________________1 No Purchase Necessary. Void where
prohibited. Open to U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec) cardholders,
18+. Ends 9/30/18. Restrictions apply. Visit
https://web.rgi.gw.pay.riotgames.com/riotpay/psps/payon/assets/static/terms.html
for Official Rules and compete details.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918006179/en/
Mastercard PR:Jennifer
StalzerJennifer.stalzer@mastercard.comorRiot Games PR:Claire
Gregorycgregory@riotgames.com
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