Pacific Championship Series unveils three-year CTBC Bank deal

Riot Games has announced privately-owned Taiwanese bank CTBC Bank as a partner of the Pacific Championship Series (PCS).

The deal is said to be the first of its kind in the region and aims to “enhance” the experience for both players and fans across Southeast Asia.

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The three-year deal will see the bank assist in the expansion of operations beyond Taiwan, integrating new broadcast production facilities in Bangkok, Thailand, and Singapore.

Chris Tran, Head of Esports at Riot Games Southeast Asia, commented on the partnership in a release: “CTBC Bank’s commitments to integrity, innovation and care for their customers directly echo the driving principles of the PCS. We’re thrilled to team up with them on this groundbreaking partnership, which will provide meaningful and long-term value to our fans. We couldn’t be more excited to build the future of League of Legends esports in the region together.”

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The PCS was first unveiled back in September 2019 as a merger between the League of Legends Master Series (LMS) and League of Legends Southeast Asia Tour (LST). The PCS is operated by Riot Games and FunPlus Esports alongside Garena, the official publisher of League of Legends in Southeast Asia.

James Chen, President of CTBC Bank, discussed how the brand is using esports to understand its customers: “The global gaming market is growing rapidly, and supporting esports in the region is one of the key ways that we’re getting a better understanding of younger customers and their needs. Our long-standing commitment to technology and innovation has driven us over the past few years to launch products and services like LINE Pay credit cards and a redesigned online banking site and mobile app.

“Now, through this long-term partnership with Riot Games and the PCS, we aim to continue cultivating Southeast Asian markets and to become one of the region’s most influential financial brands.”

Esports Insider says: Having created the league to build a strong regional infrastructure, Riot Games partnering with CTBC Bank to further expand improve broadcast and production quality appears to be a big step forward for the league and its growth.