LOS ANGELES, April 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NRG Esports'
World Champion Rocket League team and The General®
Insurance announced today that the parties have entered into an
unprecedented new partnership in which NRG's Rocket League team
will be renamed "The General NRG" for all future competitive
and non-competitive events. The partnership is the first of
its kind in North American Rocket League and goes into effect
immediately.
The team, which just won the Rocket League Championship Series
Season X 2nd Major tournament this past February, will
be outfitted in The General NRG-branded jerseys for all events. As
part of the comprehensive partnership, NRG's owned and operated
"The Grid" broadcast, the team's personalized live stream of
its gameplay during the Rocket League Championship Series weekly
tournament circuit, will now be presented by The
General, elevating NRG's industry-leading Twitch streams and
productions and giving viewers an even better experience.
Shaquille O'Neal, a part-owner of
NRG, longtime brand ambassador and loyal customer of The General,
forged the partnership, laying the foundation for a seamless and
organic union. The General and NRG both acknowledged early on
the natural synergy between the high-octane gameplay of Rocket
League and the need for quality auto insurance at affordable
rates.
"The explosion of the esports industry has been really exciting
and it's just getting started," said Shaquille O'Neal. "Both The General and NRG
connect with similar audiences, so a partnership here is a natural
fit. I can't wait to watch it come to life."
This partnership is part of a larger journey that aims to drive
significant growth relative to the industry and adjust how The
General is publicly perceived by investing in programs that reflect
the diverse backgrounds and interests of its customer base. Earlier
this year, The General announced a brand refresh and launched a new
ad campaign to dispel misperceptions of the brand, starring NRG
part-owner and The General brand ambassador, Shaq.
"The General is thrilled to partner with NRG and is excited to
support the team as it looks to secure more hardware for its
already robust trophy case," said Elicia
Azali, Chief Revenue Officer for The General. "We're
incredibly thankful that Shaquille recognized the clear alignment
between the two brands and was instrumental in bringing us all
together for this partnership."
NRG has proven to be one of Rocket League's most consistent and
potent competitive forces. They won the Rocket League World
Championship in December 2019 and
reached the mountaintop once again in early 2021, setting the tone
for a year of continued competitive success and organizational
growth, highlighted by this unique partnership with The
General.
"We're thrilled to bring The General into the world of esports
and NRG. Coming in as the entitlement partner of our historic
Rocket League team is such a natural fit for The General," said
Brett Lautenbach, President of NRG
Esports. "We're excited that they will be a part of our journey
towards another World Championship title."
The naming rights and The General NRG-branded jerseys will first
be seen during The General NRG's next competitive event: Rocket
League Championship Series Season X North America Major of the
Spring Split. The parties will continue to develop and roll out
fan-focused activations through the remainder of Rocket League
Championship Season X and into Season XI.
About NRG Esports
NRG is a professional gaming and entertainment company
headquartered in Los Angeles,
California. Founded in 2015, NRG has embodied competitive
esports excellence and the best of gaming culture over the last
half-decade. Known for championship teams and innovative gaming
lifestyle content, NRG is the most-watched org in the world on
Twitch and YouTube. NRG boasts the most-viewed and storied
competitive Fortnite roster in the game, the reigning world
champion Rocket League team, and an Apex Legends squad with
numerous national and international titles under its belt.
Additionally, NRG's Call of Duty league team, OPTIC CHICAGO, is the CDL'S most popular team, and
the San Francisco Shock, the org's Overwatch League team, is a
world champion powerhouse having just won back-to-back World's
Grand Finals. NRG's owned content channels span YouTube, TikTok,
Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and our newly launched Snap
Discover show. NRG's recently launched social gaming brand
(December 2020), Full Squad Gaming,
already has 2.1M followers on
TikTok and is positioned to become the biggest gaming brand on the
platform! Currently, the corporate owned channels reach over
25M unique viewers a month, fostering
over 125M fan engagements. Our player
channels reach an additional 75M
unique viewers a month. NRG also has opened the NRG Hot Pockets
Castle in Downtown Los Angeles.
This innovative studio/play space is a fantasy factory for
gamers featuring giant creative installations, studio space,
scrim/stream areas and general craziness. Organization and
content sponsors include Nestle, Popeyes, Roccat, Turtle Beach,
General Mills, Net App and T-Mobile.
About The General Insurance
The General Automobile Insurance Services, Inc. (The General®)
is a licensed insurance agency and subsidiary of PGC Holdings Corp.
(PGC), which is wholly owned by American Family Mutual Insurance
Company. Through its insurance company subsidiaries and their
predecessors, PGC has been writing automobile insurance since 1963,
serving customers who may find it difficult to obtain insurance
from other carriers at a reasonable rate. Visit www.thegeneral.com
or www.thegeneral.com/shaq; follow The General on Twitter,
Instagram and Facebook.
About Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal is one of the
world's most successful athlete-turned-businessman, whose
accomplishments both on and off the court have translated into a
highly sought-after consumer brand. As an entrepreneur, sports
analyst, DJ, restaurateur, and brand ambassador, Shaquille O'Neal's signature "Business of Fun"
mantra resonates throughout each of his countless endeavors.
The 15-time NBA All-Star's unprecedented athletic career spanned
nearly two decades and earned him countless awards and honors,
including NBA Most Valuable Player, NBA Rookie of the Year, four
NBA Championships and a First Ballot NBA Hall of Famer.
Currently, O'Neal is an analyst on TNT's Emmy Award-winning "Inside
the NBA."
O'Neal, who has a PhD in Leadership and Education, gives back
through a number of annual philanthropic programs including Shaq to
School, Shaqsgiving, and Shaq a Claus.
The launch of his Las Vegas
eatery Big Chicken has further elevated Shaquille's status as he
has positioned himself as a successful restaurateur. A second Big
Chicken location is open in Glendale,
CA and additional locations will debut at sea on Carnival
Cruise Lines Radiance and Mardi
Gras.
Follow Shaquille O'Neal on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Media contacts:
Brett Lautenbach, NRG Esports,
630-464-5050, brett@nrg.gg
Amy DiMaio, The General,
615-744-1219, adimaio@thegeneral.com
Michelle Ciciyasvili, Shaquille O'Neal, 646-380-5836,
mciciyasvili@abg-nyc.com
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SOURCE The General Insurance