SKY Brasil launches esports sponsorship platform
Operator aims to add value to the gamer community through communications and activations at the e-Brasileirão and Go For Gaming events
SKY, Brazil’s largest satellite paid TV operator, announced its newest sponsorship platform, esports. The brand will debut with the sponsorship of e-Brasileirão, the national championship of virtual soccer - Pro Evolution Soccer (PES), organized by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). It will also support the 2018 charity project Go For Gaming. In addition, esports narrator, YouTuber and Streamer Willian Gordox will be the brand spokesperson.
The new platform objective is to bring visibility and promote the gamer community. SKY recognizes the professionalism of the segment and the importance of the eAthlete as a sportsman, and wants to demonstrate that computer gaming should be taken seriously. "SKY is known for being a sponsor of traditional sports. Our strategy is to expand this sponsorship, get closer to the gamer, contribute to the growth of this market, and value a community that attracts more and more viewers in Brazil,” says Alex Rocco, Marketing Director, SKY Brasil.
As part of this expanded reach, SKY has developed a 360º strategy, integrating all marketing elements such as competitions amongst partners, special advertising for SKY customers’ channels, activities to build relationships, and social media content.
The activations during the e-Brasileirão event will include brand presence on panels during the 20 A-series face-to-face games, as well as the finals (totems, backdrops, LED panels), videos during the face-to-face final, brand presence during the broadcast of the final games (on Globo) and inside the Tournament HUB. It will also include InGame LED signage during the online Brasileirão segment matches; content and links to the SKY Brasil website within the online platform; and a prize offered to the Top eScorer of the round on the social platforms on which the competition will be held.
In addition, SKY presents the Go For Gaming charity project in partnership with eBrainz, Fishfire and ESL. The fundraising campaign will benefit Liga Solidária (Solidarity League), which serves more than 10,000 people annually in vulnerable communities. The event, taking place in December, will host Battle Royale and FPS matches among donors, influencers and guests.
According to data from the 2018 Game Brasil Survey, primary consumption of esports takes place via the internet, but paid TV already represents a significant space for content consumption, with 46.2% of the hits, falling behind YouTube, with 65.8%. "Now is the best time to engage with this audience and strengthen our position as a brand that supports this sport and as an expert in providing entertainment inside and outside the home,” added Rocco.