Top brands and celebrities sponsoring eSports
Author: Hawk Live LLC
Last updated:
By 2025, cyber sports is booming aggressively and builds a friendly interface for the brands to connect with potential young consumers. As Forbes states, the investments in cyber sports have increased for more than 200 percent since 2019 and still increases. Adidas, New Era, Kingston, McDonald’s, Subway, and HyperX are frontrunners to sponsor cyber sports events and teams. In this post, we looked at which companies and which celebrities are the most invested in cyber sports.
Which brands are investing in cybersports?
The most recent Esports World Cup in 2024, hosted in Saudi Arabia, included 22 titles across PC, console, and mobile gaming with a winnings pool amounting to over 60 million dollars. A lot of modern companies listed as main sponsors of the tournament have not only contributed to the prize pool but have also made a substantial investment toward the organization of the event.
Adidas, Pepsi, KitKat, TikTok, Sony, Amazon, Unilever, and Warner Bros. Discovery are some of the non-gaming sponsors joining the tournament. Adidas supplied the players and staff with apparel, KitKat entertained the fans during intermissions of the games, Pepsi set up the fan zones, and TikTok did the exclusive streaming. The sponsors took advantage of the tournament to cut through and establish their brand on the international market because of the huge audience it received.
Brand | Contribution to Cybersport | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Adidas | Official merch partner of the Esports World Cup, providing equipment for players, staff, and organizers. The company also sponsors major eSports teams including G2 Esports, 100 Thieves, and North. | |||
KitKat | Sponsor of Esports World Cup game breaks with the "Have a Break" concept. The brand previously supported League of Legends EMEA through Sportfive. | |||
Pepsi | Sponsor of Esports World Cup fan zones including Rockstar Bar and Falcon Esports HQ. Also supports Falcon Esports, a team from Saudi Arabia. | |||
TikTok | The official entertainment platform of Esports World Cup with exclusive features and a weekly show. Actively promotes cybersports content on its platform. | |||
Sony | Responsible for creating the documentary and musical anthem for Esports World Cup. Previously collaborated with various eSports events but without directly supporting the teams. | |||
DAZN | Broadcasts Esports World Cup for free, making eSports more accessible to a wider audience. | |||
Warner Bros. Discovery | Broadcasts Esports World Cup through CNN, Eurosport, and Max, expanding the tournament's reach. | |||
Star Sports Network | Provided Esports World Cup broadcasts in India on TV and YouTube, making cybersports accessible to a local audience. | |||
Unilever (Clear Men, Axe) | Promotes men's cosmetics brands through sponsorship of Esports World Cup events. | |||
Amazon | Official commercial partner of Esports World Cup, integrates the tournament into Alexa and offers discounts for participants. | |||
Audiotool | Organizes a remix contest for Esports World Cup game audio tracks. The brand previously supported DreamHack Atlanta 2023. | |||
ARAMCO | SIM arena sponsor at Esports World Cup, providing high-quality racing simulators for participants and spectators. | |||
STC Group | Provides communications and infrastructure at Esports World Cup, owns naming rights to the tournament's arenas and studios. | |||
Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical | Partner of Esports World Cup and sponsor of the POWR Esports team, provides the hub and participates in the organization of the fan zone. | |||
Jameel Motorsport | Organizes VR racing and motorsport events at Esports World Cup. | |||
Barn's Coffee | Exclusive coffee supplier at Esports World Cup, involved in organizing the lounge area for participants. | |||
Qiddiya City | Esports World Cup host provider. | |||
Credit: Esports World Cup
According to GamesMarket’s estimates, primary sponsors like Axe, Amazon, and KitKat are believed to spend between 1.5 and 2 million Euros each for the organization of the events for Esports World Cup 2024, while secondary sponsors such as Adidas and Mastercard are estimated to invest between $400,000 and $600,000.
The Esports World Cup 2024 exhibited how powerful international companies have shaped the hosting of one of the biggest events last year. In addition, there are other companies that have been known to fund the growing esports business as a result of their increasing investment.
Brand | Contribution to Cybersport | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
US Air Force | Sponsors Cloud9 by placing its logo on the team's uniforms. Hosts broadcasts on Twitch and its own cybersports events. Uses cybersports as a recruiting tool for youth. According to TheGuardian, the US Air Force invests between 3% and 5% of its advertising budget in cybersports each year. | |||
Mountain Dew / PepsiCo | Funds Splyce, Team Dignitas, and SK Gaming, as well as major CS2 tournaments. Main partner of the Gamers8 series. Recently struck a deal with Esports World Cup. As stated by MarketingWeek, the firm's entire funding in sports and cybersports exceeds $322 million. | |||
Coca-Cola | Sponsors e-NASCAR, Riot Games, Pittsburgh Knights, paiN Gaming, and Tespa. Was a partner of the LoL World Championship, Wild Rift, and helped Riot Games develop LoL cybersports. As reported by MarketingDive, the corporation alone spent $795 million dollars in cybersports in the year 2020. | |||
Mastercard | Official sponsor of LoL World Championship, Mid-Season Invitational, and All-Star Events. Founded Mastercard Gaming Academy, which helps to develop promising players. Based on information from the company’s site, Mastercard investment in Valorant began in 2023. | |||
Red Bull | Hosts its own tournaments including Red Bull SoloQ, Red Bull Wololo, and Red Bull Kumite (Street Fighter). Supports cybersports at the team and event level. As noted by GlobalData, the company has circumstantial data showing it maintains around 10 corporate sponsorship contracts a year, each exceeding a $1 million. Many cyber sports organizations, including OG, Team Spirit and G2 eSports, are Red Bull's partners. | |||
Intel | The largest technology sponsor of eSports. ESL FACEIT Partner. Organizes Intel Extreme Masters (IEM), one of the most prestigious CS tournaments. Supports student and amateur cybersports. As per ESL’s statement, the firm collaborated with Intel in 2019 and one of the largest makers of processors announced intentions to pour $100 million into cybersports. | |||
Credit: Business Insider
Top Celebrities Investing in Cybersports
Celebrity athletes, movie stars and singers have also started to follow e-sports. Jordan Michael is among the biggest investors, having put $26 million into aXiomatic Holding, which supports Team Liquid. Renowned football icon Ronaldo became a partial owner of the Brazilian organization CNB e-sports Club.
Credit: YouTube
People in the music industry also care about e-sports. The famous singer Rihanna cooperates with Riot Games through Fenty Beauty, which created looks for the show Arcane, while Imagine Dragons, who also partially own esports team Rogue, wrote the theme song for the LOL world championship.
Cybrosport is becoming more popular among Hollywood stars as well. Post Malone bought a stake in the company Envy Gaming, while Will Smith in partnership with Keisuke Honda put $46 million into Gen.G. So did Ashton Kutcher when he joined the cyberbetting platform Unikrn back in 2015. J.Lo also supported the industry in the past by investing $15 million into NRG Esports.
Name | Contribution to Cybersports | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Michael Jordan | As reported by Forbes, the athlete made a $26 million investment into Team Liquid. | |||
Ronaldo | Co-owner of CNB e-sports Club. The soccer player is said to own half of the firm, as Hollywood puts it. | |||
Alexander Usik | Co-founder of WePlay Ultimate Fighting League. | |||
Vasyl Lomachenko | Member of WePlay Ultimate Fighting League. | |||
Rihanna | The Business Insider claims that through her Fenty Beauty company, she has big partnerships with Riot Games and the Arcane series. | |||
Post Malone | According to DallasNews, became a co-investor in Envy Gaming in 2020. HyperX ambassador. | |||
Will Smith | As per CNBC, thhe actor poured $46 million into Gen.G in investments. | |||
Ashton Kutcher | Invested $31 million dollars in the gambling platform Unikrn - as stated by International Business Times. | |||
Jennifer Lopez | As stated by ESPN, the actress has put $15 million dollars into NRG Esports. | |||
Imagine Dragons | As per the latest reports by EsportsInsider, the band has not only put in work for LoL and Arcane but also has tracks under pre-recording with Rogue and ReKTGlobal. | |||
David Beckham | As reported by Reuters, he is the sixth highest invested co-owner of Guild Esports, owning 3.05% of the organization’s stake. | |||
Why do Celebrities and Brands Invest in eSports?
The world of esports is increasingly capturing the attention of famous brands, celebrities, and major investors and has already attracted millions of viewers globally. A report by Newzoo analysts shows that the audience for esports will surpass 577 million in 2024, and will only continue to grow afterward, solidifying it as an industry that most celebrities and companies can invest in while improving their image and making profits.
Why eSports is a Good Investment:
Engagement with the Youth. The audience for esports tournaments is primarily aged between 16-35, meaning they’re particularly sensitive to traditional marketing, but responsive to modern technology. By investing in esports, brands can market to the young people through sponsorship and merchandising.
Better Engagement. Viewers don’t only watch esports events; they actively engage with gamed literature, forums, the streams, and even the communities that revolve around these games. As a result, brands get the opportunity to have deeper engagements with these consumers.
Financial profitability and industry expansion. The cybersport industry has been experiencing growth, bringing in billions of revenues from sponsorships, media rights, and merchandising, for example, Nike and Adidas have already collaborated with renowned organizations to launch special collections for the gamers and their fans.
Acknowledgement boosting. Will Smith and David Beckham's endorsement of professional teams bolster their acknowledgement in the gamer community brand equity. Investing in content creation communities is a prime use of capital to increase and enhance brand reputation.
Asset portfolio expansion. Post Malone purchasing a stake in Envy Gaming and Michael Jordan investing $26 million in Team Liquid enabled these celebrities to gain an entry into a new industry, proving that diversifying portfolios through investing in vioeo games become a new paradigm of game celebrity investment.
Final words
It is evident that cybersport is not just a pass time for many people but rather a great industry filled with untapped opportunities. It is the marketers and makes the brand who leverage this challenge as an opportunity rather than threats. With the winning tournament and prize money rising, there is a golden investment chance for the new long-term mid-level bird in the cybersport sphere.
