Danish sportswear brand Hummel and its UK license and rightsholder SportsPro have struck a three-year deal with Guild Esports, the UK-based organization co-owned by David Beckham.
The sponsorship, which Guild says is worth up to £1 million ($1.2 million) but that it has also quoted at £700,000 (likely the base figure as Guild will receive performance-linked sales payments), sees Hummel become the official technical kit partner of the esports outfit.
It will supply sporting apparel for Guild, and its logo will have a presence on Guild's professional teams’ jerseys for competing in competitions.
SportsPro will provide Guild’s players and supporters with apparel, whilst Guild’s professional jerseys and branded products will be available on Hummel’s website from October.
The deal is Hummel's first in UK esports.
Jasmine Skee, chief executive of Guild Esports, said: “We are delighted to have Hummel, an internationally renowned sportswear brand, as our new technical kit partner. This partnership is an important milestone in our merchandising efforts: for the first time, our fans have the potential to buy a premium quality range of Guild-branded products at some of the UK’s biggest retailers.”
Allan Vad Nielsen, chief executive of Hummel, said: “Guild's unique talent pipeline based on the traditional sports academy model aligns with our vision of building a strong foundation for the future of esports, and we look forward to working together to empower and inspire the next generation of esports athletes and fans.”
Chris Kirby, chief executive of SportsPro, said: “The SportsPro and Guild teams have worked tirelessly in securing this deal, fans will be truly excited upon release of such collaborative collections.”
Hummel is also the official kit supplier for the Danish national football team, as well as for Premier League clubs Everton and Southampton and LaLiga club Real Betis.
Meanwhile, Epic Games, the major US video game developer, has acquired Brazil-based game studio Aquiris.
The acquisition, which expands on an investment that Epic made in the company in early 2022, will see Aquiris renamed Epic Games Brasil and become Epic's first studio in Latin America. The Aquiris team of developers will join Epic.
Aquiris was founded in 2007 and is best known for its Wonderbox and Horizon Chase franchises.
Mauricio Longoni, chief executive of Aquiris, and now studio director of Epic Games Brasil, said: “Joining Epic Games builds on our successes in creating memorable games including Wonderbox, Horizon Chase 2, and Looney Tunes World of Mayhem, which we will continue to operate.
“We are delighted to leverage our experience using Unreal Engine on game development to contribute to the future of Fortnite. Aquiris has been at the forefront of game development in Brazil and Latin America, and becoming part of Epic Games will spotlight our region’s developers for the entire industry.”
Alain Tascan, executive vice president of game development at Epic Games, added: “With the creation of Epic Games Brasil, we look forward to tapping into the immense talent the region has to offer and establishing our presence in Latin America.”
