Vodafone has become a ‘Premium Partner’ of eSports company ESL, building on its existing sponsorship of  the Vodafone Giants in Spain and Mousesports, Germany’s leading professional e-sports team.

As part of the ESL partnership, it will sponsor the company’s flagship event series: Intel Extreme Masters, ESL One and ESL Pro League.

Vodafone is also set to support a series of initiatives that promote diversity and female participation in historically male-dominated eSports activities –  including a partnership with the female e-sports challenge held during the IEM Sydney event in May.

VODAFONE A ‘PREMIUM PARTNER’

The telecommunications giant will also be ‘Premium Partner’ for three live global events, IEM Sydney – May 2018, Australia; ESL One Birmingham – May 2018, UK, as well as ESL One Cologne – July 2018, Germany.

The sponsorship agreement with ESL includes a new live broadcast segment titled ‘The Vodafone View’, content and advertising distribution, as well as branding and activation at the events.

Dubai recently announced that it will host the UAE’s first ever dedicated eSports arena after TECOM Group and Dubai Media Office announced plans to build the Dubai X-Stadium.

In a first for the region, the Dubai X-Stadium is aiming to become a global hub for video gaming events.

The eSports industry – which brings together sports, gaming and entertainment, is one of the fastest growing in the world, with global revenues expected to hit $1.5 billion by 2020.