German esports organisation SK Gaming has welcomed international supermarket chain Lidl as its fresh food partner.
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Lidl, which will make its first official move in esports through the deal, is expected to provide SK Gaming with a range of fresh foods and products at the organisation’s player facilities in Cologne and Berlin, Germany.
According to a release, the supermarket chain’s supply of goods is said to be a ‘cornerstone’ of SK Gaming’s performance nutrition plans.
The partnership will see Lidl’s branding appear on SK Gaming’s 2021 jersey, as well as on various joint activations planned throughout the course of the year. Moreover, the pair has created a commercial planned to air on several German television stations, including Sport1.
Lidl joins the ranks of other high-profile SK Gaming partners including T Mobile, Mercedes-Benz, and Nike. In August, the organisation also announced a partnership with German brewery Krombacher and its Vitamalz drink brand.
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In addition to SK Gaming, Lidl sponsors the German national handball team as a fresh food partner, and is said to have recently shifted its focus to a younger, digital generation.
The German supermarket chain becomes the latest firm in the sector to join the esports industry via sponsorship. Currently, Edeka is a partner of Bundesliga football club Hertha BSC’s esports academy, meanwhile, REWE entered into the esports through 1. FC Köln via the Virtual Bundesliga in March 2020.
Esports Insider says: Lidl is a fairly big brand for SK Gaming to welcome into its suite of partners, and it’s likely a testament to the organisation’s long-standing history in esports. This past year certainly earmarked esports as an important area for companies to pay attention to. We wouldn’t be surprised to see more major, non-endemic brands entering the space this year in large volumes.