Riot Games has announced several broadcast partnerships for the 2021 VALORANT competitive season.
Riot partners with Freaks 4U Gaming & SPORTFIVE in Europe, CIS and Turkey
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German production company Freaks 4U Gaming has joined forces with Riot to organise and broadcast the 2021 VALORANT competitive season in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and Turkey. The partnership between Freaks 4U Gaming and Riot builds upon an existing League of Legends collaboration in the German-speaking market.
Entertainment agency SPORTFIVE complements the partnership as a comprehensive marketing partner for the Challengers, Challenger Finals, and Last Chance Qualifiers stages of the VALORANT Champions Tour in the aforementioned regions.
Daniel Ringland, Head of VALORANT Esports for Europe and MENA at Riot Games, spoke on the partnership in a release: “We couldn’t be more excited to launch our partnership with Freaks 4U Gaming and SPORTFIVE to bring the future of VALORANT esports to Europe, Turkey and the CIS. Both companies bring a wealth of experience, expertise, and enthusiasm to the table and I’m confident that together we will build something fans love.”
As well as producing the main broadcasts in each territory, Freaks 4U Gaming will also localise broadcasts in German and French.
Thomas Ottl, Executive Director Global Esports at SPORTFIVE, added: “Being responsible for the marketing mandate for one of the hottest esports titles of the upcoming years is a tremendous pleasure for us. With our expertise and our global sales force, we’re excited to open up a unique opportunity for brands to become a top-tier partner. Furthermore, to enlarge our portfolio within our partnership with Freaks 4U Gaming and Riot Games makes us excited and is a great next step in our relationship.”
Riot partners with ProGaming Italia for Italian broadcasts
Riot Games also announced today it has partnered with ProGaming Italia for the promotion of VALORANT in Italy, which includes exclusive Italian-language production rights of all international competitions.
Broadcasts in Italy will cover all three levels of the VALORANT Champions Tour — Challengers, Masters, and Champions.
Freaks 4U Gaming & ProGaming Italia to develop ‘Agent’s Range’
ProGaming Italia has also entered a strategic partnership with Freaks 4U Gaming. The two companies will develop Agent’s Range, a new VALORANT platform for Italian players and fans, which is set to launch in March. Agent’s Range will contain news and exclusive content, according to a release.
“We are proud to have found in ProGaming Italia and Freaks 4U the two fundamental partners … capable of bringing the power of VALORANT esports to Italian players in their own language, and we are certain that the final product will exceed everyone’s expectations,” said Carlo Barone, Brand Manager Italia at Riot Games.
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2021 VALORANT Champions Tour kicked off earlier this month in Europe with the first of three Challenger tournaments in Stage 01, followed by the first of three Challenger tournaments in the CIS and Turkey last weekend.
The Champions Tour begins with the Challengers stage. From there, successful teams advance to the VALORANT Masters stage, with events taking place in March, June, and September. Successful teams will then advance to the Champions stage in December.
Esports Insider says: Despite its original plans to let the VALORANT esports ecosystem grow organically, Riot Games at this point fully controls its growth. To operate competitive VALORANT, the game publisher has already agreed a number of deals with experienced partners, including Nerd Street Gamers and Liga de Videojuegos Profesional (LVP). Based on that, it is clear that Riot Games is looking to create another full-blown esport.