OverActive Media, the parent company of Toronto Defiant, Toronto Ultra and MAD Lions, has entered a multi-year partnership with Universal Music Canada.
The strategic partnership will see the companies collaborate on content with the aim of occupying the intersection of esports and music.
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Prior to the announcement of the partnership, the two companies had already worked together – joining forces to provide entertainment at the launch of the Toronto Ultra branding last October.
Chris Overholt, President and CEO of OverActive Media, discussed the partnership in a release: “We are so excited to finally announce this partnership with our friends at Universal Music Canada, and we think this will be a game-changer for the relationship between both industries. Music is so integral to our players in both their personal and professional lives, and we are thrilled to have our brands creating original content and working alongside rising Canadian talent and global musical superstars.”
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As per a release, music from Universal Music Canada’s artists will be used content pieces and playlists will be curated by players that represent the company’s Overwatch and Call of Duty franchises. Said teams will walk out to music from the label’s artists during their respective leagues, too.
Jeffrey Remedios, Chairman & CEO of Universal Music Canada, added: “Our partnership with OverActive Media allows us to grow awareness of our artists and their music with the highly engaged gaming community. The popularity of esports has skyrocketed, and we look forward to being OAM’s official music sponsor during these early days as they kick-off their Toronto leagues and in the years to come.”
Esports Insider says: The music and esports industries have crossed paths before with mixed reactions to some activations. It’d be wise to expect UMC artists to perform at both Defiant and Ultra homestand events throughout 2020 in addition to the disclosed activations.