AT&T and Kaiser Permanente Sponsor Cloud9 Esports
AT&T and Kaiser Permanente Sign Deals With Cloud9 Esports Sponsors
Cloud9 is an American esports organization with rosters in League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Call of Duty, Hearthstone, Super Smash Bros Melee and Smite. It is based in Santa Monica, California.
The automotive maker BMW has signed on as the team’s new sponsor, the company’s first team sponsorship. The partnership will be visible at upcoming events with the team.
AT&T
AT&T has signed a deal with top esports organization Cloud9 to sponsor the team. The telecommunications company plans to leverage its sponsorship of the team to grow relationships with new and existing customers. The deal will give AT&T presenting rights to a new weekly digital show featuring team highlights and player profiles. The team will also compete in a new three-season mobile esports league created by ESL, Sport Techie reports.
Founded in 2013 as a League of Legends team, Cloud9 has expanded to include franchised teams in Apex Legends, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Rocket League and Overwatch. It also operates non-franchised teams in Dota 2, Hearthstone and World of Warcraft. The organization has participated in more than 600 tournaments and boasts one of the biggest fanbases in esports.
BMW
Cloud9 is the first North American League of Legends team sponsored by BMW. The company’s sponsorship will allow the team to connect with its audience through innovative experiences and premium content. In addition, the sponsorship will help the team to expand its global footprint and reach.
The organization fielded teams in a variety of video games, including League of Legends, DotA 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Hearthstone, and Call of Duty. Its full name is Cloud9 HyperX, named after its sponsor, Kingston HyperX.
At the 2017 World Championship, C9 entered the Play-In stage with high expectations. They faced NaJin White Shield, Alliance, and KaBuM! eSports in Group B, which was dubbed the “Group of Death.” The group proved to be a tough one, but the team managed to make it out of the group.
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente sponsors the esports team Cloud9 in League of Legends, which is part of their broader esports portfolio. The company also supports teams in Overwatch, Fortnite, CS:GO, Apex Legends, and more.
The summer split was a good one for C9, winning all of their games and qualifying for the All-Star event. The only setback came when Hai suffered a lung collapse, leaving the team to play with Link as his replacement.
The team signed automotive sponsor BMW earlier this week, which will be its first team sponsorship. In addition to the monetary support, the deal includes production of a weekly digital show featuring team highlights and player profiles. The show will be available on the team’s social media channels. The show will debut later this year.
Microsoft
The two companies will collaborate on developing new technology to help Cloud9’s teams uncover insights across a variety of titles and compete more efficiently. They will also work together on creating new live and non-scripted content formats. Red Bull will provide its high-performance training program, which has helped athletes like Lindsey Vonn and Louie Vito, to the team.
In the 2021 LCS Lock In, C9 had an inconsistent start to the season and lost a series against a strong Team Liquid roster. The team would eventually shake off early adjustment struggles and qualify for the playoff quarterfinals.
AT&T closed its first esports sponsorship deal with Cloud9, granting the company the rights to a weekly digital video series called “The Nines.” The company will also sponsor a communications hub in the team’s forthcoming headquarters and put its logo on the back and sleeve of the team’s competition jerseys.
Puma
After acquiring the former roster of Quantic Gaming, Cloud9 became the first North American team to qualify for the World Championship. They were placed into Group B with Fnatic, ahq, and Invictus Gaming, where they surprised by going undefeated in the first week. Their wins were helped by Hai’s performances on Lee Sin and Balls’ play on Darius.
Despite their best performance, they lost to Team Liquid in the quarterfinals. They still had enough championship points to attend the next season’s World Championship. Following the tournament, the Cloud9 squad made several changes to their roster. They replaced coach Reapered and mid laners Lindwurm and Licorice, who both went to join Golden Guardians. The team also added Academy top laner Fudge. The new lineup had a strong showing at 2021 LCS Lock In, though they lost 2-3 to Team Liquid.
