ESports Edition: Level up Your Team With Promotional Apparel

Remember those days where you and your group of friends would head down to the local arcade and spend hours gaming? The group would huddle around screens to see who would reign supreme, and whoever the victor was would get some kind of street credit for being the best in town. When game consoles started to get popular, all of a sudden, you and your friends were at someone's house staying up all night playing first-person shooters. Again, whoever won would get street cred for being the best. The gaming community entered a whole new world when players could compete against each other online--wherever, whenever. Just when we thought things couldn’t get any better, the street creds became actual credits through prize money. Now, electronic gaming (also known as eSports) is a mainstream thing. Who would have thought that anything other than Nintendo's Wii sports would be considered a sport? Well, eSports is what it has turned into, and it hasn't even begun to scratch the surface of potential. 

What is ESports? 

Newzoo defines eSports as “...professional or semi-professional competitive gaming in an organized format (I.e tournaments or leagues) with a specific goal or prize, such as winning a championship title or prize money.” 

Top sponsored eSports teams can earn prize money well into the millions. Team Liquid is the most successful eSports team in 2021 with an estimated $37 million in prize money earned this year. 

Further, universities have adopted eSports into their organization either as varsity eSports programs or student-run organizations such as clubs. Varsity eSports programs can potentially become members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which enables student gamers to be eligible for a scholarship. As of 2020, the Collegiate Star League (CSL) has awarded over $1M in scholarship money to student gamers. This rise of finance invested into eSports indicates a growth in the organization and within the gaming market. 

The Rise of ESports 

It’s important to understand that eSports has been an up incoming market since the 1990s. However, just within the last couple of years, it has seen the largest audience and revenue increase. Newzoo reports an 8.7% year-on-year growth in 2021 with a total audience of 474.0 million. By 2024, this audience is predicted to grow to 577.2 million. This exponential trend in views can be attributed to pop culture. The Esports ecosystem expanded rapidly due to the social component of live streaming and gaming. Twitch and YouTube gaming are video game-specific streaming platforms that enable players/teams to have a connection with their audience, all while utilizing mainstream social media (I.e the use of Instagram strengthens these connections).  

Consequently, with an expanding ecosystem, eSports revenue has also grown. In 2021, eSports revenue reached $1.08 bn with revenues predicted to reach $1.61 bn in 2024, according to Newzoo. 

   2021 ESport Revenue Breakdown 

• Sponsorship $641.0m 
• Media rights $192.6m 
• Publisher fees $126.6m 
• Merchandise & tickets $66.65m
• Digital $32.3m 
• Streaming $25.1m

 

With a committed market audience, enthusiastic professional players/teams, and a platform that allows direct communication with fans and players, the future of eSports is one of the most promising through growth and optimistic revenue margins. According to Newzoo 2021, eSports revenue breakdown sponsorships is the highest-grossing revenue stream. Sponsorship of amateur players/teams, specifically at the collegiate level, is your brand’s opportunity to enter the eSports market. 

How Custom Promotional Products are Used to Level up E-Teams 

"We generally don’t need a lot of equipment. Usually, our gaming equipment is set up for us at tournaments."

It’s common for gaming tournament organizers to provide players with PCs and monitors. This limits brand marketing in terms of tech equipment; however, Perfect Imprints has the solution. Let us help your brand and your team conquer the competition with our eSports sponsorship starter pack! Apparel is a team's business card. It not only builds team confidence, but it stamps team identity while promoting your brand. Below is a list of promotional apparel we recommend you bundle to gear up your newly sponsored eSports team: 

The Jerseys

Just like any competitive team, a jersey is the quintessential apparel your players need to make a statement. Perfect Imprints offers a variety of name-brand performance tops to serve as the canvas for brand exposure. 

Nike Legend Tee

Available in men and women sizes, the Nike legend tee features Dri-fit technology to wick away sweat from the competition and help keep your players dry. The tee is a simple athletic design that comes in 5 colors. With 7 optimal printing placements, it is the perfect tee to craft a legendary team identity with the added benefit of your brand printed on a well-known and trustworthy company. 

Nike Dri-fit Embossed Tri-Blade Polo

For bigger tournaments like DOTA 2, you’ll want your team to dress accordingly. A classy yet competitive look. Achieve this with the Nike Dri-fit embossed tri-blade polo. Coming in 5 colors this embossed tonal tri-blade pattern gives the polo a sophisticated edge while Dri-FIT moisture management technology delivers breathable performance. The polo is THE apparel your eSports team needs to conquer the biggest tournament.

Everyday Team Rep Gear 

Your eSports athletes not only represent your brand on the screen but also off the screen. It is important to keep in mind that your eSports athletes are still students and are in a unique position to market to their peers in perhaps the simplest way possible: what they're wearing. To maximize full brand exposure, your team needs everyday gear. 

The Classic T-shirt 

Level up the classic t-shirt with team spirit. Perfect Imprints provide a wide selection of t-shirts as well as long-sleeve tees--tees like the unisex poly-cotton crewneck t-shirt by American apparel. In the case of daily apparel, simplicity is key. Your team’s mascot and your brand need to be the prominent feature, thus a basic tee is a perfect canvas. 

Sweater Weather Team Apparel 

Sweaters and hoodies are essential clothes for anyone. Therefore, custom sweater weather team apparel is another excellent choice to market your brand. Perfect Imprints provides name-brand sweater weather apparel like the Nike Therma-fit pullover fleece hoodie or the Nike Therma fit fleece full-zip hoodie. Both hoodies are fully customizable and are perfect athleisure wear products to complete your eSports team sweater weather look. If your players are not a fan of hoodie apparel, Perfect Imprints offers an alternative Nike Therma fleece jacket in full zip or half zip edition. 

Topping it All Off 

Last but not least are team hats and beanies. All-around apparel, hats, and beanies can be used on the competitive screen, the everyday outfit, and a topper in your players' live stream. As mentioned before, eSports players have direct communication with their audience through gaming-specific channels, Twitch, for example. Hats and beanies are the perfect promotional items to add to your players' stream because it is relatively inexpensive and versatile. Perfect Imprints offer quality hats such as the Nike Swoosh legacy 91 caps and the Nike team beanie. Picture your brand printed on the front of these two apparels as your player streams. Often, these streams last for hours, and the audience will filter in and out of the stream. This means a new set of consumers will see your brand through the duration of the live stream. 

Adding Some Eye-Catching Flare 

Gaming is a time commitment and requires players to sit in front of a computer screen for hours at a time. Bluelight glasses are becoming a popular trend amongst the gaming community. Bluelight glasses are meant to protect the eyes from harmful blue rays emitted from screens; however, they are also seen as practical fashion. Perfect Imprints provides top-quality blue glasses like the AWS blue light blocking glasses with pouch. Slick and simple, these glasses were designed with comfort and minimalism in mind. Players won’t even remember that they are on. 

On The Road Gear 

Much like other sports events, eSports teams travel to the tournament location. Gear up your eSports team in style with customized backpacks by Perfect Imprints. Much like our apparel, PI offers name-brand backpacks such as the Nike Heritage backpack or the Nike Heritage rucksack. These packs combine simplicity and functionality with their clean design. Pair it with a customizable Stratford 17 oz pop-top vacuum insulated stainless steel bottle, and your eSports team is ready for the road. Just for fun, Perfect Imprints offers a game controller stress reliever to calm any nerves or fight off any boredom while your team prepares for their next tournament. 

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Level up your eSports team and your brand with promotional apparel at the next tournament and earn that street cred with style! Let us help! Contact us today.