Chinese Dota 2 squad Paris St. Germain-LGD Gaming just entered a one-year sponsorship deal with local streaming platform DouyuTV.
The news was broken earlier today by the LGD organization via their official Twitter account. The deal will involve placing the DouyuTV logo on each player’s jersey, beginning with their appearance at The International 8. DouyuTV has been a longtime sponsor of several different professional Dota 2 clubs over the years, including global fan favorites like Team Secret and the now-defunct Team DK.
DouyuTV is one of the most popular streaming sites in China. Chinese esports pros and personalities stream regularly on the platform. The company is planning to raise up to $700 million in capital next year through a US IPO and investments from Chinese conglomerate Tencent Holdings.
Earlier this year, LGD agreed upon a name partnership with French football club Paris St. Germain, home to famous footballers like Neymar Jr. and 2018 World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe. The partnership itself led to a rebrand of the team, wherein LGD combined their name with PSG and began wearing their team colors on their uniforms.
Since then, LGD have gone on to place third overall in the inaugural Dota 2 Pro Circuit season, and they won two Pro Circuit Majors. They’re one of the heavy favorites to win TI8, which makes them a prime candidate for a big-time sponsorship like this one. As The International is the single most lucrative tournament in esports, it’s clear that DouyuTV is targeting maximum exposure with the deal.
The International 8 will kick off on Aug. 15 in Vancouver, Canada. Thanks to the crowdfunding campaign fueled by the TI8 Battle Pass, the prize pool has exceeded $23 million with around two weeks still remaining in the campaign period.
