A lot of the biggest news this week comes from Dallas, Texas. The two biggest stories are arguably the unveiling of the Dallas Fuel shirt sponsor ahead of the start of the inaugural Overwatch League season as well as the Dallas Cowboys acquiring the majority ownership of esports organisation compLexity. Away from Dallas, and Unibet has become the official betting partner of the Blast Pro Series. Rocket League has had a busy week, with partnerships with ELEAGUE/IMG as well as HyperX and MGM Resorts being revealed.
Dallas Fuel reveals Jack in the Box as official jersey sponsor
The first jersey sponsor of the Overwatch League has been revealed with Jack in the Box partnering with Team EnvyUs’ franchise Dallas Fuel.
Jack in the Box is a fast-food chain based in the United States. The company was founded in 1951 in San Diego, California yet now has over 2,200 locations, primarily on the West Coast. The chain sells everything from burgers to tacos and has significant financial clout, with the 2016 Annual Report stating revenues of $1,599,331,000.
It’s the first reveal of an Overwatch League jersey sponsor, although we would expect many more to follow before the league’s launch come January. Through the partnership, Jack in the Box will be named the “Official Quick Service Restaurant” of the Dallas Fuel and Team Envy, and be featured on official Dallas Fuel team merchandise available to fans as depicted above.
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Dallas Cowboys acquire a controlling interest in the Dallas Cowboys
Owner of the Dallas Cowboys NFL team Jerry Jones and Real Estate tycoon John Goff have today announced the acquisition of a majority stake in esports team compLexity Gaming.
As an organisation compLexity are veterans of esports, with history stretching back to 2003. Claiming over 130 championships in different gaming titles, they have the pedigree most teams lack. Joining in that success, the Dallas Cowboys have the joint-second highest amount of Super Bowl attendances and wins making this a successful partnership. compLexity currently have rosters in CS:GO, DOTA2, Hearthstone and GWENT, as well as a strong roster of streamers, who are set to benefit from this deal.
Full terms of the deal have not been released, but is set to see Jason Lake remain as CEO at compLexity and retain a minority stake in the organisation. Co-Founder Jason Bass sells off his share of the company and is set to leave the organisation. The deal will also see the team move to the home of Dallas Cowboys, The Star, in Frisco, Texas. The two will also start work on a “state-of-the-art operations center”, featuring production studios and training facilities, where compLexity will be based.
Blast Pro Series reveals Unibet as “Official Betting Partner”
The Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament, Blast Pro Series, is set to welcome six top tier teams to Copenhagen as they bid to take the lion’s share of the $250,000 (£190,000) prize pool. The tournament is organised by RFRSH, who also have ownership stakes in various esports organisations.
The first iteration of the tournament will take place in late November, with the grand final taking place on November 25th. The organisers anticipate over 10,000 esports fans to attend the final day at the Royal Arena as big names such as SK Gaming and FaZe grace the stage. There will undoubtedly be palpable home support for both Astralis and North, with both being Danish fan favourites.
Unibet, the regulated bookmaker operating across multiple global territories has been revealed as the official betting partner of the event. It marks the first big sponsorship from Unibet in the esports space.
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Rocket League and Psyonix partner with ELEAGUE, HyperX and MGM Resorts
ELEAGUE, the popular television product created by Turner and IMG will enter Rocket League for the first time, with “The ELEAGUE Cup: Rocket League”. The feature series will be featured on TBS, with live gameplay showcased on both Twitch and YouTube.
The competition will show some of the world’s best teams whilst building the narrative around teams, players and the game itself. The game itself is a fan favourite, combining football (or soccer for readers across the pond) and flying cars. Narrative around players in esports is still something often found lacking so it’s great to see ELEAGUE commit to painting the wider picture.
It’s the third piece of news in a week as the RLCS Twitter account revealed that HyperX will be the “Official Headset Sponsor” of the game’s biggest tournament, and MGM Resorts more generally as a sponsor. The MGM news may come as a surprise given the company’s plethora of gambling orientated venues including an array of casinos. Previously Psyonix has outlined a strict anti-gambling stance, reacting defensively to Unikrn offering odds on Rocket League matches.
Read the full article here.