ONE enters partnerships to launch global eSports championship series

SEEING how eSports has taken much root in the last few years, ONE Championship has decided to tap into it, partnering with major groups to bring about a global eSports championship series.

Officially launched on Wednesday, ONE eSports, touted as Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series, is designed to give added dimension to the ONE brand and lead the eSports industry in the region.

It was announced that ONE has entered into a partnership with Dentsu, Inc., Japan’s largest global advertising agency, to launch ONE eSports as a joint venture together in 2019.

Memoranda of understanding were also inked with Razer, Singtel, and other top industry players.

Under the deals, ONE intends to lead a plan to invest up to $50 million alongside key partners into ONE eSports to create Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series while also featuring multiple blockbuster game titles across Asia and hold a number of eSports events held alongside ONE martial arts events beginning next year.

“It is with great excitement that I announce ONE eSports. We see a natural crossover between martial arts and gaming fans in Asia and an opportunity to bring them together under Asia’s home of millennial live sports. ONE Championship is committed to bringing its same brand of large-scale event production and live broadcast capabilities, unique world-class content production, global media distribution, storytelling expertise, and marketing experience to ONE eSports. Our mission is to celebrate Asia’s eSports heroes on the global stage. The establishment of ONE eSports transforms ONE Championship into Asia’s largest producer of millennial sports content,” said Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, as he made the announcement.

Dentsu also expressed the same excitement, seeing how it would complement the growth of eSports in Asia.

“We are pleased to announce this partnership with ONE Championship as we look to further develop the rapidly growing eSports industry in Japan and the rest of Asia. We recognize good synergy between martial arts and eSports, making this a fantastic opportunity for both ONE Championship and Dentsu to participate in this growing segment in Asia, as well as leverage multiple content platforms for additional sales and business opportunities,” said Shuntaro Tanaka, Director, Content Business Design Center of Dentsu.

The planned eSports Championship Series is expected to keep 2019 packed for ONE, with the group having announced earlier an expanded 30-event schedule for next year for its global scale martial arts events spread across Asia, including Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, Seoul, Jakarta, Shanghai, Beijing, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, and many other cities.

ONE Championship is to hold an event tomorrow in Singapore, titled “ONE: Heart of the Lion” and headlined by the unification bout between reigning world bantamweight champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil and interim champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of the Philippines. —