BMW Ramps Up Global Esports Sponsorship Portfolio

BMW is ramping up its presence in global esports and has announced a partnership with five organisations, including South Korea’s T1 and China’s Funplus Phoenix.

While financial details were not disclosed, it is believed to be a long-term partnership with entitlements that include providing liveried vehicles for the team to travel to and from events, heavy social media engagement, team apparel branding, and collaborative content creation.

Also a pioneer of branded content (under BMW Films), BMW has been an early partner of esports, since 2017, starting with a sponsorship of the League of Legends European Championship finals that year and the title sponsor of the BMW SIM LIVE sim racing event in 2019. This new deal is a clear indicator, the company believes, of how non-endemic brands are venturing into esports.

Christopher Keonig, spokesperson for BMW’s esports brand and marketing clearly outlined why engaging a younger audience is crucial to the German automotive giant, “BMW wants to be perceived as a global and credible partner in the esports sector. This global commitment allows us to expand our communication activities in sports sponsorship. We can implement new creative approaches and interact with a new target group.”

With COVID-19 enforced lockdowns prevalent across the world, it hasn’t been a surprise to see esports engagement rise and brands investing in the platform. However, Keonig clarified that the timing was merely a coincidence. “We ourselves still feel that the current situation is very volatile and uncertain, but we nevertheless decided to announce our commitment. The contracts had already been signed in 2019 before the coronavirus crisis and we already had to postpone the announcement due to the global situation,” he said.

In recent years, esports has been a platform where non-endemic, premium brand sponsors – including the likes of Louis Vuitton and competitor auto manufacturer Mercedes-Benz – have emerged. BMW’s latest play in the esports arena demonstrates how the platform has fast become a compelling medium to engage and build brand awareness with younger audiences.