Mastercard is doubling down on esports, announcing Wednesday that it will sponsor the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) as part of its relationship with Riot Games.
The move builds on the credit card provider's previous League of Legends esports partnership. Valorant is the fastest-growing esport in the world, Mastercard noted.
VALORANT is a free-to-play, first-person hero shooter game developed and published by Riot Games.
“As one of the first brands to see the energy and passion Riot’s esports bring to fans around the world, Mastercard will bring the power of its Priceless experiences to VALORANT Esports, and we’re absolutely thrilled to expand this partnership,” said Leo Faria, Global Head of VALORANT Esports at Riot Games.
“The VALORANT Champions Tour is laser focused on building a new kind of global sport that’s bold and inclusive for a new generation, and we look forward to collaborating with Mastercard on initiatives that will deliver next level experiences to our vibrant community.”
The Mastercard logo has already been added to VCT Masters broadcasts currently underway from Tokyo, and there will be more bradcasts to come this summer at VCT Champions in Los Angeles.
“Mastercard has been a valued partner for League of Legends esports for years, offering priceless benefits to players and fans that we’re excited to expand to our growing VALORANT esports ecosystem," Riot Games chief commercial officer said. “Now is the perfect time to welcome them into the VALORANT esports family, as we experience rapid growth across our global player base and gear up for VALORANT Champions in Los Angeles later this summer."
Shares of Mastercard added 0.5% Wednesday morning to $376.64.
Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com
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