Cover Image Courtesy: ESL One
ESL, the world's largest esports company, announced yesterday that it's North American division will be expanding relationships with an existing partner, AT&T, in order to advance esport experiences through technology and entertainment.
Under the deal, AT&T will continue to operate under the designation of being the ‘Official Telecommunications Partner’ for ESL North America while continuing to boost ‘Esport Visibility’ & ‘Fan Engagement’ for ESL Event, ESL Mobile Open and more.
This includes events such as the currently on-going IEM Chicago 2019, up-coming ESL One: New York 2019 and also covering the expansion of ESL Mobile Open to new regions.
As a part of their new deal, AT&T will be creating new opportunities for fans onsite by providing them unparalleled access to IEM Chicago & ESL One New York, such as:
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Best Seats In The House - A separate viewing area for select AT&T customers.
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AT&T Signing Session & Fast Pass - A separate signing session while faster access to players and personalities during meet-and-greet lines.
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Fan Early Access - Select AT&T customers get to enter the event venue before the scheduled opening.
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Event App - A special app for fans presented by AT&T for those attending the events at Chicago & New York to stay updated on the competition and other such stuff.
Apart from this, AT&T will also offer support for the expansion of the highly successful ESL Mobile Open to all of America.
The first-of-its-kind mobile esports tournament allows amateur gamers in the states to compete at LAN events on the same stage as professional esports athletes. The inaugural season of the mobile esports event held earlier this year was an instant hit with more than 1,35,000 participants while reaching an audience of 5 million via social media, influencers and live broadcast.
AT&T along with ESL will expand this with two more seasons lined up to cover the entirety of North America, with the live finals taking place at ESL One New York & DreamHack Atlanta, respectively.
Paul Brewer, SVP Brand Partnerships, ESL North America had to say the following,
"Our relationship with AT&T has created groundbreaking opportunities that have generated interest in esports beyond the traditional fan. By expanding it, we’ll continue collaborating with AT&T to innovate the space and create the next big thing for both casual and hardcore gamers."
Let’s see how this extension of an existing partnership works for the two companies. With a lot more focus being given to mobile esports tournament, ESL North America has introduced a smart tournament format to engage with the mobile gamers, quickly adopting this platform and staying away from a risky investment.