Riot enters partnership with MasterCard
Riot has forged a deal with MasterCard in an effort to promote the League of Legends eSports scene.
Riot teams up with MasterCard
Riot Games has announced yesterday that they have entered into a partnership with one of the top payment processing companies in the world – MasterCard. The news was posted on the official MasterCard website and it spread like wildfire in the gaming industry.
Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer at MasterCard says:
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. … 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.
As part of the new deal, MasterCard will help with the promotion of the three major Riot-run tournaments – the Mid-Season Invitational, the All-Stars Event and the World Championship. A perk that MasterCard users will have is to gain access to exclusive special features and rewards. For example, MasterCard will offer viewings to the Opening Ceremony rehearsal for the World Championship and the event itself on 2 and 3 November. Tickets can be purchased on the Priceless.com platform.
Furthermore, promotions will be extended to MasterCard users who use and save their credit card information in the League of Legends client. For example, attendance to the All-Stars event will be up for grabs to lucky individuals and many other prizes will be coming in the future.
What this deal means for League of Legends and the eSports industry
Up until this point, MasterCard is one of the largest partners that any eSports company has been able to bring in. Riot Games seem more than happy with the deal and Naz Aletaha, Head of eSports Partnerships says:
We’re thrilled to team up with Mastercard on this groundbreaking partnership that will provide meaningful and long-term value to our fans. … 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.
With a force like MasterCard entering the world of eSports, it is a major hallmark for the industry. While certain major brands have been sponsors for several years, rarely have they had the influence that MasterCard does. This new deal serves to legitimize League of Legends, and eSports, in general, to the world. It is very likely that many other worldwide business behemoths will follow suit and further the progress of the eSports industry.
MasterCard has worked with multiple traditional sports leagues in the past, such as Major League Baseball, UEFA Champions League, Rugby World Cup and many more. By partnering with Riot to promote League of Legends tournaments, MasterCard is demonstrating that it recognizes the eSports industry as an equal to the ones mentioned above.