Betway to sponsor the Berlin International Gaming esports team
The popular online bookmaker, Betway, have made another sponsorship deal with a top esports team. It was recently announced that Betway would be partnering with the Germany-based esports organization, Berlin International Gaming (BIG), in a two year deal that would give the bookmaker exclusive access to team shirt sponsoring, social media opportunities and player promotions.
All about Berlin International Gaming
Berlin International Gaming have recently become a sensation in the Counter Strike Global Offensive realm. In the team’s ranks are formidable esports stars like Owen ‘smooya’ Butterfield who is currently the best-ranked UK CSGO player, alongside other talented stars like Germany’s tabseN and Turkey’s XANTARES. BIG have only been around since January 2017, but in a short space of time they have already made strong appearances at CSGO tournaments such as ESL One Cologne 2018, the PGL Major 2017 and the Major Legends London 2018.
Such achievements have made BIG increasingly attractive for a range of sponsors. These have included Hewlett Packard’s Omen range of computer hardware, Hörluch’s headphone products and the Noblechairs seating company. However, BIG’s sponsorship deal with Betway marks the first time that the esports team have aligned themselves with a betting company.
Who else does Betway sponsor in esports?
Betway have already had plenty of experience of sponsoring esports teams. The betting company hit the headlines when they sponsored the Swedish CSGO team, Ninjas in Pyjamas, in what was reported to be a six-figure deal in 2016. In addition to this, Betway have also broadened their brand exposure through partnerships with the Brazilian Counter Strike team MiBR, and the famous Chinese Dota 2 organisation, Invictus Gaming.
But it doesn’t stop there as Betway have even branched out to sponsor some of the world’s most famous esports tournaments. These include the likes of ESL and the FaceIt Counter Strike Major, and so Betway will be increasing the visibility of their brand across some seriously significant global audiences.
Betway’s big plan for esports
Betway were founded in 2006, and have already made a strong impression in the sports betting scene. But the rise of esports has meant that Betway have had to fight hard to get a share of this increasingly popular market. Dedicated esports betting sites such as GG.Bet and Rivalry have already found success in sponsoring competitive gaming teams and tournaments, and Betway will be keen to make their presence felt so as to encourage gaming fans to visit their betting site.
A recent report by Newzoo stated that the esports industry is expected to be worth a staggering $1.7 billion by 2021, and live streaming figures of major gaming tournaments have already eclipsed the audiences of many traditional sporting competitions. This has caused many to speculate that esports could equal the popularity of traditional sports in the near future, and so the race is on for companies to take advantage of this potentially lucrative domain. And with their latest sponsorship, Betway esports seem especially well placed.