- The telecommunications company is named founding partner of Wild Rift esports North America
- Verizon will collaborate to create “immersive fan experiences”
- This is yet another entry into Riot and Verizon’s list of successful collaborations
Riot Games and Verizon come together in partnership to bring League of Legends: Wild Rift esports to North America.
A New Partnership to Broadcast Wild Rift Esports
When it comes to large game tournaments that need to be broadcasted, a game company may often seek the help of communications companies, that are well versed in the needed technology. This is why Riot Games has partnered with North American telecommunications giant Verizon to bring League of Legends: Wild Rift esports to the continent.
Wild Rift is the mobile version of Riot Games’ flagship game League of Legends. In recent years Wild Rift has seen a huge spike in popularity, which led to the development of esports around it. To facilitate this, Riot has partnered with Verizon, naming it the exclusive 5G network and wireless services provider of the Wild Rift North American Series. This partnership announcement comes just days after Riot Games revealed it’s hosting its first LAN event in North America.
Verizon will also collaborate on other projects with Riot to create “immersive fan experiences” alongside integrating the brand into Wild Rift tournaments throughout 2022. “After such a passionate response to the Wild Rift game, launching season one of the esport was a natural next step for the title,“ commented Matt Archambault, Head of Esports Partnerships and Business Development for Riot Games North America and Oceania.
Riot and Verizon go Back Together
When searching for a partner, Riot Games did not have to look too far. It and Verizon have collaborated on numerous occasions before, like the VALORANT caster program the two companies created last year. Additionally, Verizon also partnered with Riot for various League of Legends and VALORANT tournaments like the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) and the inaugural First Strike tournament, taking place in late 2020.
“When assessing elite partners for the launch, it was clear that Verizon's category recognition for speed, scale, reliability, and technology sophistication across mobile seamlessly align with the expectations of the Wild Rift community,” added Archambault for the two companies’ latest collaboration.
As part of the partnership, Verizon secured the right to use Wild Rift’s IP across its marketing and social media promotion, including any additional content it creates. The company will also be able to use the “Founding Partner logo” that will feature across both platforms.
