Riot Games enlists Nielsen for League of Legends esports sponsorship valuation

Riot Games has brought Nielsen on board to measure League of Legends esports events for would be sponsors and future partners to display how the return of investment on their sponsorship.

Nielsen will take a comprehensive look at sponsorship valuations across Riot’s many global esports leagues and competitions. The idea of the move is to allow Riot Games to show potential partners the value of advertising within its League of Legends ecosystem. The deal will also be used to assist brands that do partner with Riot to get the most out of their investment.

Nicole Pike, Managing Director of Nielsen Esports had this to say: As esports continues to gain momentum with brand marketers and advertisers, the need for independent, third-party verification of audiences and brand exposure is critical. With this agreement, we have the opportunity to help monetize Riot Games’ platform and validate this growing market.

Riot Games will provide Nielsen with access to its aggregated streaming viewership data, which includes multiple platforms worldwide alongside its new Pro View product which they launched in May. This data will then be incorporated into the Nielsen Esport24 syndicated sponsorship valuation product. Riot Games is also a member of the Nielsen Esports Advisory Board alongside MLG, Blizzard, NBA 2K League, The Next Level, Sony PlayStation, Turner and Twitch among others.

Doug Watson, Head of Esports Insights at Riot Games added: “Trust and transparency are vital components of building and maintaining relationships with brand partners. As major companies invest in our tournaments, we want to help them see the value of their exposure and identify how best to engage with our passionate fan base.”

Riot Games has signed a number of partners in the past year including the likes of Mastercard, State Farm, Nike, Dell/Alienware, Red Bull and many more as it looks to continue to expand its global leagues, especially those who operate a franchise model like the LPL.

Esports Insider says: Data is key when gaining sponsors for your esport – and reliability is extremely important. Riot Games has brought on a number of new partners in recent months, especially in the newly rebranded LCS & LEC. With Nielsen now assisting Riot Games with sponsorship approaches, similar deals to those mentioned above are likely to follow, and sponsors will start to see their ROI.

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