Milo W. March 16, 2019
Nike is now the official footwear partner for China’s League of Legends Pro League.
Riot Games announced the partnership between the sports equipment manufacturer and the LPL in an online press release. Nike will be designing the official jerseys and footwear for all 16 teams in the league starting this year. Fans will also get the chance to get their hands on the newly branded LPL merchandise.
Gaining Nike as an official partner is nothing to be taken lightly. The company is one of the most iconic and successful brands in traditional athletics and is now ready to make a significant commitment to the esports industry.
Vice President of Category Marketing Eric Wei says Nike is excited to support the LPL and its players.
“Esports athletes share the same determination and competitive spirit as all athletes, they spend their lives preparing for intense competition, working relentlessly to improve their reflexes, coordination, vision, mentality and teamwork,” Wei said.
China’s League of Legends Pro League has been through a lot of big changes over the last year. In 2018 the organization adopted a partnership model called “Home & Away.” Using this model, the LPL chose five teams to adopt cities in China to represent as their home squads. Today, the teams can play matches in their own dedicated esports arenas.
2018 also saw the first LPL world champion crowned when Invictus Gaming emerged victorious at the 2018 Riot World Championship, defeating Fnatic in the final.
The success of China’s top League competition continues to grow now that it has joined forces with Nike. Co-CEO of TJ Sports Leo Lin, whose organization manages the LPL behind the scenes, says that this collaboration will only strengthen both the league and esports as a whole.
“Our unprecedented partnership with Nike will enable LPL teams and players to continue to shine on the world stage. Esports is a digital sport and our collaboration with Nike will push it to new heights,” Lin said.
Although they haven’t been revealed to the public, Riot Games assured fans that LPL players will be seen sporting their brand new uniforms before the start of the 2019 World Championships.