Turner and WME | IMG Announce Arby's, Credit Karma and Buffalo Wild Wings as Official Marketing Partners for ELEAGUE
Turner and WME | IMG have announced the first group of brands to join ELEAGUE as official marketing partners. Arby's will serve as the Official Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) partner, with Credit Karma as the Official Personal Finance partner and Buffalo Wild Wings in position as the Official Casual Dining partner. All three brands have signed on for the inaugural and second season of ELEAGUE, set to launch Tuesday, May 24, across digital platforms with a Friday night showcase on TBS airing May 27 at 10 p.m. ET. Additional partners are expected to be announced soon.
As official marketing partners, Arby's, Credit Karma and Buffalo Wild Wings will gain customized, contextual brand exposure spanning ELEAGUE multi-screen coverage across TBS and digital platforms. Personalized brand campaigns include sponsor integration within the AdTrack feature, which facilitates uninterrupted game coverage; custom, contextual brand integrations and ad space within limited commercial time.
"ELEAGUE presents our partners with an incredibly attractive environment to showcase their messaging to a highly-engaged, dedicated millennial fan base," said Seth Ladetsky, senior vice president of Turner Ad Sales. "The combination of these brands, and additional soon-to-be-announced partners, underscores the value of our eSports coverage."
"eSports is built on passion and loyalty from fans and athletes, and we look forward to supporting that through our sponsorship of ELEAGUE," said Rob Lynch, Chief Marketing Officer and Brand President of Arby's. "We've learned through connecting with our guests in social media that gaming resonates with them. We're looking to foster a deeper connection in the eSports community by creating content for ELEAGUE geared specifically for the diehard fans tuning in."
"We're always exploring emerging platforms to engage with passionate sports fans," said Bob Ruhland, VP of North America Marketing at Buffalo Wild Wings. "We're excited to partner with ELEAGUE as the popularity of eSports grows, and we'll continue to identify new ways for our Guests to enjoy an immersive sports experience in our restaurants."
ELEAGUE is bringing together the world's elite Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams to provide its passionate fan base and those new to eSports with an adrenaline-pumping spectator experience that will be presented live across digital platforms along with a Friday night showcase on TBS. ELEAGUE will consist of a total of 24 teams during its debut season, which will span 10 weeks, including a six-week regular season and culminating with the playoffs and global championship to be held Saturday, July 30.
To receive updates on the latest news on ELEAGUE in the debut season, join the conversation at http://www.e-league.com, on Facebook (facebook.com/eleaguegaming) and Twitter (@EL).
About Arby's
Arby's, founded in 1964, is the first nationally franchised sandwich restaurant brand, with more than 3,300 restaurants worldwide. The Arby's brand purpose is "Inspiring Smiles Through Delicious Experiences(TM)." Arby's delivers on its purpose by celebrating the art of Meatcraft(TM) with a variety of high-quality proteins paired with crave-able sides, such as Curly Fries and Jamocha shakes. Arby's(R) restaurants are Fast Crafted(TM), a unique blend of quick-serve speed and value combined with the quality and made-for-you care of fast casual. Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. is the franchisor of the Arby's brand and is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. Visit Arbys.com for more information or socially connect with Arby's at: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
About Buffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc., founded in 1982 and headquartered in Minneapolis, is a growing owner, operator and franchisor of Buffalo Wild Wings(R) restaurants featuring a variety of boldly-flavored, made-to-order menu items including its namesake Buffalo, New York-style chicken wings. The Buffalo Wild Wings menu specializes in 21 mouth-watering signature sauces and seasonings with flavor sensations ranging from Sweet BBQ(TM) to Blazin'(R). Guests enjoy a welcoming neighborhood atmosphere that includes an extensive multi-media system for watching their favorite sporting events. Buffalo Wild Wings is the recipient of hundreds of "Best Wings" and "Best Sports Bar" awards from across the country. There are currently more than 1,180 Buffalo Wild Wings locations around the world.
To stay up-to-date on all the latest events and offers for sports fans and wing lovers, like Buffalo Wild Wings on Facebook, follow @BWWings on Twitter and visit www.BuffaloWildWings.com.
About Turner Sports
Turner Sports, a division of Turner, is an industry leader in the delivery of premium sports content across all multimedia screens. Turner Sports' television coverage includes the NBA, Major League Baseball, NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, ELEAGUE, boxing and professional golf. The company also manages some of the most popular sports destinations across broadband and mobile platforms including Bleacher Report and its top-rated Team Stream app, NCAA.com and the critically acclaimed NCAA March Madness Live suite of products, PGA.com and the Sports Emmy Award-winning PGA Championship LIVE, as well as an accompanying collection of mobile sites and connected device apps. Turner Sports and the NBA also jointly manage NBA Digital, a robust collection of offerings including NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, NBA Mobile, the NBA App, NBADLEAGUE.com andWNBA.com.
About WME | IMG
WME | IMG is the global leader in entertainment, sports, events, media and fashion. Operating in more than 30 countries, the company specializes in talent representation and management; brand strategy, activation and licensing; media production, sales and distribution; and event management.
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