Riot Games and Mastercard announced Wednesday that the credit card company will become the first global sponsor of the League of Legends esports franchise. Specific terms of the agreement were not released, but it will be a multi-year deal.
Mastercard will bring its “Priceless” experience to fans, starting in October when LoL’s World Championship commences in South Korea. The deal will also see Mastercard sponsor major annual tournaments such as the Mid-Season Invitational and the All-Star Event. Starting in 2019, Mastercard will work with its banking partners to offer League of Legends co-branded cards.
“Over the past two years, we’ve been educating ourselves on the eSports industry to determine the best path that would enable us to connect with this passionate community in an authentic way,” said Emily Neenan, Mastercard’s VP of global consumer marketing and sponsorships according to Digital News Daily.