Honda is partnering with Riot Games to become the exclusive automotive sponsor of the League of Legends Championship Series. It’s a move that expands Honda’s interest in esports and in League specifically, and Honda hopes it helps increase its reach with a young, up and coming market.
Honda has already has an established partnership with the reigning LCS champions, Team Liquid, and the company said its new sponsorship of the LCS makes it the “first automaker in North America to sponsor both an esports league and an esports team competing in it.”
As LA.biz reports, Honda’s sponsorship of the LCS begins today in the Summer Split Playoffs in Los Angeles. It’ll include featuring Team Liquid players during tournament advertising, and sponsorship of the league’s MVP award and the LCS Scouting Grounds.
“We understand the passion of esports fans and how strongly they support the gaming community, and Honda is fully vested in creating one-of-a-kind, unforgettable experiences for gamers as we launch the next phase of Honda’s endeavor in esports and gaming,” said Phil Hruska, media strategy manager for American Honda.
It’s a partnership that makes sense from both Riot’s and Honda’s perspective, of course. Riot now has a new financial partner for its professional league, and Honda gets its brand in front of the eyes of what they call “the next generation of car buyers.” And with League’s global popularity, that’s a lot of pairs of young eyes.
From the gaming community’s perspective, it shows that esports is continuing to attract the attention of massive companies that previously had passed over videogames in favor of more traditional sports for their ad buys. League’s a big deal, obviously, but a sponsorship deal with a company like Honda is a nice confirmation of that fact.
As far as I’m concerned, I just want a little 2019 Civic for my Little Legend to drive around in Teamfight Tactics.