Esports talent agency Tier One Entertainment and telecommunications giant Smart Communications, Inc last week announced a long-term partnership at a press conference in the Philippines.
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The partnership — announced in Quezon City — will include event collaborations, branded campaigns, and the signing of 14 of Tier One’s talents as Smart and TNT ambassadors (TNT is Smart’s mobile-phone service provider).
The brand ambassadors, including content creators and actresses that are popular in the Philippines, will promote the brand in Smart and Tier One-led events, as well as third-party events and tournaments.
“These are the new faces of celebritydom and star power: gamers. Online personalities with following in the millions, whose gaming streams reach thousands of viewers that tune in day in and day out,” said Joanne Llavore, VP of Sales and Business Acquisition of Tier One. “Their digital content influences the next generation. And with the help of Smart they can do what they do best, faster, more efficiently, and to even more people.”
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“Smart has contributed to the cultivation and the growth of the industry,” added Fidan Medel, Associate Vice President, Go-to-Market and Subscriber Management, Smart Communications. “Both in terms of professional players and even the casual gamers, or those that are still starting … We do acknowledge that, especially in this time, how important gaming is. Not only to pass time, but more importantly, to connect with your loved ones, which I think is at the core of gaming.”
Smart is a well known Asian company headquartered in Manila, Philippines, which along with its parent company PLDT, founded esports org Omega Esports. Smart has also sponsored esports events in the Philippines such as the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’s MSC 2019. Meanwhile, Tier One Entertainment manages some of the Philippines’ most popular talent. According to the World Bank, the country has a population of 106.7m, highlighting the Philippines’ esports participation potential.
Esports Insider says: This is massive news in the Philippines. Smart is the AT&T or BT of the Philippines, and Tier One manages various content creators with millions of followers and subscribers. The partnership highlights Smart’s intent: access the youth via content creators, gamers, and esports competitors.