July 30 – E-sports team Evil Geniuses have sold a minority stake to Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers and their Chinese ownersFosun. No value or percentage was given for the stake in Evil Geniuses.
The deal gives Evil Geniuses a physical presence in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. It is the first e-sports team to have this global coverage.
A focus for Evil Geniuses will be Wolves’ Asian market expertise and local training facilities to fuel their expansion in the region.
Wolves branding will be on Evil Geniuses’ uniforms. They will also work together to create English and Chinese language content, sponsorship opportunities and jointly branded merchandise.
“We are thrilled to partner with Wolves, a storied football club and strong sports and entertainment brand that aligns with our values and mission,” said Nicole LaPointe Jameson, Evil Geniuses’ Chief Executive Officer.
“This deal will help power Evil Geniuses’ expansion into the Asian markets while also providing new capital to sign more world-class players and grow into new esports titles.”
The deal is more than just a marketing hook-up with Wolves who have made clear that they have major ambition in the e-sports business.
Wolves’ General Manager of Marketing and Commercial Growth, Russell Jones said: “We’ll be pooling resources across analysis and performance as well as marketing and commercial to service and grow both organizations. We are looking forward to working with Evil Geniuses on a number of fan engagement initiatives over the next few months, and when travel routes allow, we will be encouraging our teams to visit and engage with one another.”
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