League of Legends (LoL) Launches In-Game Sponsor Ads

Riot Games has announced a new digital sponsorship banner that will appear during League of Legends (LoL) esports broadcasts across the world.

MasterCard and computer hardware company Alienware will be among the first brands featured in the new signage this year. It will appear inside the LoL battlefield known as Summoner’s Rift.

While the banners will be visible to those watching LoL broadcasts, pro gamers will not see the banners during matches so as to not alter the map they’re used to playing. The new branding can change appearance throughout a match and will appear in multiple locations across an in-game map.

Naz Aletaha, head of global esports partnerships at Riot Games, “For the first time in League history, SR Arena Banners put our partners’ brands directly on the field of play, creating an immersive experience that echoes the energy found in major sports arenas.”

Banners will begin appearing in broadcasts starting this June during the 2020 Summer Split for the North American League of Legends (LoL) Championship Series. The digital signage will continue to appear at the 2020 World Championship. Riot has yet to announce a schedule for that competition amid uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The World Championship event is rostered to host finals matches at Shanghai Stadium. Riot plans for the tournament to consist of 24 teams from regional League of Legends (LoL) circuits across the globe including China, South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia.

Apart from a global sponsorship deal with MasterCard, Riot Games’ League of Legends has partnerships with the likes of Oppo and Louis Vuitton.