Gaming has transformed into a global sensation, surpassing the combined revenues of the movie and music industries. Esports, or competitive gaming, has emerged as a major spectacle, rivaling and even surpassing many traditional sports.
Esports has garnered immense popularity, appealing to people of all ages, genders, races, and cultures. Incredibly, 90% of Gen Z individuals are enthusiastic gamers.
Mastercard has announced its extended support for esports by expanding its sponsorship from Riot Games‘ League of Legends to include the rapidly growing esport, VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT). This collaboration strengthens Mastercard‘s longstanding partnership with Riot Games, the publisher of Valorant. In 2018, Mastercard became the first global sponsor of League of Legends, the world’s largest esport. The gaming and esports industry has continued to thrive since then and is projected to generate over $325 billion in annual revenue by 2026. This partnership offers opportunities to connect with new and highly engaged audiences, enhancing their experiences with the sport both in-person and digitally.
Mastercard‘s impactful entry into the VCT community is scheduled for later this summer. The pinnacle will be Valorant Champions 2023, where the best Valorant teams worldwide will gather in Los Angeles, the birthplace of Riot Games. This event presents an ideal occasion to demonstrate support for VCT, particularly during the esport’s inaugural international tournament in North America, where esports fandom will be at an all-time high.
Valorant, known for its strategic gameplay, teamwork, and character development, stands out as the most gender-diverse game in esports. The VCT Game Changers circuit within Valorant aims to promote diversity in the upper echelons of the sport, acting as a stepping-stone for women’s participation.
Throughout the years, Mastercard has built a robust sponsorship portfolio in women’s sports, including initiatives like Women in Rugby, the National Women’s Soccer League, and sponsorship of numerous female athletes worldwide.
Here is the comments on the partnership from both sides:
We are so excited to welcome Mastercard into the Valorant family and are looking forward to collaborating on diversity, inclusion and sustainability projects on behalf of our global player base. Valorant strives to be authentically global and I can’t wait to explore all the things we can create for players later this year at Valorant Champions in my hometown of Los Angeles.
Anna Donlon, Valorant Executive Producer
Mastercard has been a valued partner for League of Legends esports for years, offering priceless benefits to players and fans that we’re excited to expand to our growing Valorant esports ecosystem. Now is the perfect time to welcome them into the Valorant esports family, as we experience rapid growth across our global player base and gear up for Valorant Champions in Los Angeles later this summer.
Jonathan Zweig, Chief Commercial Officer at Riot Games
As one of the first brands to see the energy and passion Riot’s esports bring to fans around the World, Mastercard will bring the power of its Priceless experiences to Valorant Esports, and we are absolutely thrilled to expand this partnership. The Valorant Champions Tour is laser-focused on building a new kind of global sport that’s bold and inclusive for a new generation, and we look forward to collaborating with Mastercard on initiatives that will deliver next level experiences to our vibrant community.
Leo Faria, Global Head of Valorant Esports
Gaming has evolved into a global phenomenon. Yes, its revenues are now bigger than the movie and music industries combined and competitive gaming — esports — has morphed into a full-fledged global spectacle that rivals, and even dwarfs, many traditional sports. The passion for esports is undeniable, transcending age, gender, race and culture. In fact, an incredible 90% of Gen Z are gaming enthusiasts.
Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
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