Celebrity Esports has announced that UK streaming platform NOW will be the latest brand to sponsor a team for the upcoming Celebrity Esports Superstar League.
The NOW Ninjas will feature the celebrity duo of Jimmy Carr and Joel Dommett, alongside a fan competition winner, throughout the seven-episode series.
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NOW joins the likes of Primark and Grenade in securing team naming rights for CES Superstar League’s inaugural edition.
Jamie Schwartz, Director of Brand, Marketing and Merchandising at NOW, commented: “NOW is a destination for those who love and live for brilliant entertainment. This esports sponsorship provides a fantastic opportunity to expand the audience we provide quality entertainment for and engage with a growing gaming community.”
The celebrity-focused entertainment esports series is set to air its first episode on May 28th. According to the release, filming will take place at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in London, with the episode being made available on Celebrity Esports’ YouTube channel.
Designed to blend the world of esports and celebrity culture together, Celebrity Esports has described itself as a possible gateway to introduce mainstream audiences to competitive gaming. Some of the celebrities announced for its 2021 season include singer and footballer Chelcee Grimes, UK dance group Diversity, and boxer Tony Bellew, among others.
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Leo Skagerlind, Celebrity Esports’ CEO and Founder. said: “Having sponsors like NOW on board is really important to Celebrity Esports. We are extremely confident that the show is going to be a huge success, but having brands like NOW backing us at such early stages and wanting to share in our success shows it’s not only us that can see how big the series is going to be.”
In total, the series will feature six teams, with each side having two celebrities and one fan. It has yet to be revealed what titles have been selected for the event.
Esports Insider says: Whilst the Celebrity Esports Superstar League isn’t for the purists, its ability to secure partnerships with huge non-endemic brands does highlight its importance within the esports industry, especially when introducing new companies to the sector. It’ll be interesting to see what the reception is for the series and whether it can garner mainstream appeal.