Partnerships between cyber sports organizations and investors affect the revenues of the former. The main profit of cyber sports teams is formed only at the expense of advertisers. Recently, most of these partnerships have been related to alcohol brands.
Collaboration with cybersports organizations
Alcohol brands are constantly on the lookout for partners, and cybersports is no exception. If we take the last 2-3 years, only Bud Light will become a sponsor of such teams as EVO, Toronto Ultra, Evil Geniuses, and CLG. In 2023, the organizer of cybersports tournaments BLAST, signed a contract with the whiskey and vodka producer. Also worth noting is the collaboration between G2 Esports and Jägermeister.
But things are not so simple. The main problem is that the primary audience of such teams is underage fans. It is much easier for alcohol brands to feel themselves in the iGaming industry. Gambling on the Internet has become the favorite form of entertainment for millions of people. Various types of online roulette are especially popular. The top-ranked gambling-related website, European-roulette, provides information about online casinos with roulette. Presented on this site, descriptions of dozens of famous casinos gave enough information for analytics. It turned out that some of these casinos have partnered with alcohol manufacturers.
Advertising of alcoholic beverages
Statistics show that the number of underage viewers at cyber sports broadcasts is 37% of the total. If we take traditional sports, this figure is below 23%. At the same time, drinking while watching sports broadcasts remains the most accessible and popular form of entertainment.
For cyber sports teams, sponsorship from alcohol manufacturers guarantees a good profit. You also must consider that not every game is suitable for alcohol advertising. If we take Counter-Strike and Dota 2, the audience is getting older yearly, and the number of underage viewers is decreasing, which is not valid with Fortnite or Rocket League.
Some eSports teams avoid such partnerships for ethical reasons. Such advertising could alienate fans. Also, no one wants to break the law and create legal problems for themselves.
Is alcohol advertising so dangerous?
It is a serious problem that affects society’s health. Underage viewers imitate their idols and try to copy their behavior. If they see a cyber athlete promoting beer or whiskey, of course, they will follow in his footsteps. Therefore, partnerships between alcohol producers and cyber sports teams must comply with applicable laws and ethical standards.