Call of Duty League unveils partners for inaugural season

With the franchised, geolocated Call of Duty League beginning play this weekend, Activision Blizzard announced the list of brand partners that will sponsor the new league.

MTN DEW AMP GAME FUEL, PlayStation, SCUF Gaming, and ASTRO Gaming are all returning sponsors from the previous Call of Duty World League, while the United States Air Force is a newly-added partner for 2020.

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PepsiCo’s MTN DEW AMP GAME FUEL has been named the official beverage of the league, as well as its City Circuit and Challengers components. The three-year deal runs through the 2022 Call of Duty League season.

Erin Chin, Senior Director of Marketing for MTN DEW, commented in a release: “We’re honored to continue our partnership with the Call of Duty League in celebration of players around the world and their love of the iconic game. As MTN DEW AMP GAME FUEL enters another banner year, we’re thrilled to keep delivering unique partnerships and best-in-class experiences for the gamers and fans who inspired the product’s creation.”

ASTRO Gaming’s new deal also runs through the 2022 season, making its hardware the official headset of the Call of Duty League. The company’s audio gear will be used at all league home series events, plus ASTRO will sponsor the league MVP award and co-produce a content series based around the league. Additionally, ASTRO will produce and sell officially-branded headsets for the league and all 12 teams.

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As the official controller brand of the league, SCUF Gaming will also produce branded team controllers as part of its deal, which runs through 2021. It will also sponsor a ‘Behind the Controller’ documentary video series, and activate during League Weekend events.

Sony’s PlayStation partnership is wide-ranging, as the brand’s PlayStation 4 console is the official platform of the league and PlayStation is the presenting sponsor of Call of Duty Challengers. PlayStation will also present select video content and the online Challengers Points Leaderboard.

The U.S. Air Force is a newly-signed sponsor for the 2020 season alone, and it will be featured in broadcasts and activate at events with flight simulator stations for fans to try out.

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Brandon Snow, Chief Revenue Officer for Activision Blizzard Esports League, added: “This coming weekend in Minneapolis we kick off the next chapter of Call of Duty esports, and we couldn’t be prouder to have these incredible brands as partners for the inaugural Call of Duty League season. Our partners not only support the players on their mission to win the first Call of Duty League Championship, they provide our fans around the world a better experience while attending Home Series matches or streaming at home.”

In addition to the sponsorship agreements, the Call of Duty League also announced apparel deals with Outerstuff and Mitchell & Ness. Fanatics, the licensed merchandise company that operates the Overwatch League online store, will do the same for the Call of Duty League.

Esports Insider says: There’s a lot of change coming with the Call of Duty League, but with so many returning sponsors in the mix, at least some things will be familiar. The long-term deals especially show faith in Activision Blizzard’s plans.

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