TNL eSports Brand Tracker 002: Adidas and Team Vitality
TNL Take: If the the first two Brand deals of 2017 are any indication of the way the year will turn out - it's going to be a very good one for eSports team owners.
French squad Team Vitality recently announced an Exclusive Apparel sponsorship with Adidas.
Team Vitality hosts 8 teams across games like Call of Duty and Rainbow Six to FIFA and of course, League of Legends.
Adidas isn't new to eSports having last year sponsored both the 2016 FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) and a FIFA 16 tournament at the 2016 MLS All-Star Game.
Adidas has also sponsored several teams ranging from the Copenhagen Wolves to SK Gaming - that should sound familiar - going back 11 years.
They also currently have a partnership with the same team that Ronaldo invested in last week, CNB e-Sports Club:
This is a super smart move by Adidas to get a piece of the eSports merchandising money pie. If you've ever been to an eSports event you've noticed that it's very similar to a "regular" Sports event, a sea of jerseys repping your favorite team.
And this merch isn't cheap - Fnatic has a team jacket that goes for $80.
In May of last year in The Next Level 008, was my first look at the Collegiate eSports space and I mentioned how important the Apparel category would be and that Nike or Under Armour would enter the space in less than 2 years.
I was wrong on who but I'm glad to see the 3 stripes continue to invest in eSports.