Manila – Mastercard announced a multi-year partnership with Riot Games to become the first global sponsor for League of Legends e-sports, the largest e-sport in the world. This first-of-its-kind global agreement signifies Mastercard’s support of the e-sports community and further diversifies the technology company’s world-class sports and entertainment portfolio.
“E-sports is a phenomenon that continues to grow immensely in popularity,” said Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer, Mastercard. “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 e-sport.”
“We’re thrilled to team up with Mastercard on this groundbreaking partnership that will provide meaningful and long-term value to our fans,” said Naz Aletaha, head of e-sports partnerships at Riot Games. “Mastercard is among the first of world-class brands to take such a big step into e-sports at the global level, and we’re proud to have them support League of Legends e-sports events.”
As the exclusive global payment services partner for League of Legends global e-sports events, Mastercard will focus on three annual global tournaments – the Mid-Season Invitational, the All-Star Event, and the pinnacle of all e-sports events, the World Championship. Mastercard will curate unforgettable Priceless experiences and offers across onsite event activations, Priceless.com, and through other various promotions to bring fans closer to their passion and everything they love about League of Legends events.
The first live-event activation at the League of Legends World Championship this October in South Korea will feature first experiences available on www.priceless.com, including an opening ceremony rehearsal viewing and a behind the scenes tour, the opportunity to watch a game with a League of Legends pro player from VIP seats, and the chance to test the gaming PCs the pros will compete on during the World Championship final.
“We’ve long been impressed with Mastercard and their fan-focused approach to partnerships,” said Jarred Kennedy, co-head of e-sports at Riot Games. “Our community has made League of Legends the biggest e-sport in the world, and we’re excited to work with Mastercard to bring them new and innovative experiences for years to come.”
