Are you getting it on with the eSports career? Good! Whether it’s through your streaming channel or being part of an established eSports team, there’s nothing quite like getting your job to the top. But of course, one thing will get to your mind: how will you be able to get monetary help from sponsors to get your eSports career going.
Much like the sports teams you see on TV, successful people who’ve laid out successful eSports careers have sponsors who have had their backs. After all, you can’t expect them to fund themselves, and the sponsors are there to help.
While having the necessary skills to eSports career up and running is an absolute must, the route to success becomes far less strenuous if you manage to bag a sponsor.
So, curious about knowing how to hook up with sponsors for your eSports career? Read on and find out!
Table of Contents
The Role Of Sponsors in eSports
You might think sponsors don’t do much in the world of eSports, but a more in-depth look shows they can do quite a lot behind the scenes. They might not sweat it out with the mouse and controllers, but they certainly got a meaty role to play.
So what can sponsors do? Here are some of the things:
Advertising Publicly to Viewers
The main thing sponsors do in the eSports world is advertising publicly to viewers. The sponsors can show viewers their brand and what they offer from significant soda brands to telecom companies.
Before eSports came along, sponsors would usually do the old-school way of advertising, such as broadcasting TV ads, putting up billboards, and displaying ads in magazines. Nowadays in eSports, the sponsors can now showcase their brand with eSports events through new ways.
They can do this through live streaming events, recorded videos, and other online tasks that can help the sponsors spend wisely. It’s even becoming a growing revenue model. https://www.admonsters.com/esports-changing-advertising-game
Investing and Establishing Partnerships
Another aspect with sponsors is investing and establishing partnerships.
When they can find the eSports teams or streamers with many viewers, the sponsors can take the time to support and develop a partnership.
Add to that, they also can pay the team and streamers with their own funds. This, in turn, will have the sponsors earn back what they spent because as more and more viewers watch the team and streamers in a few events, they’ll gladly buy what the sponsors have advertised.
Having a Connection with Celebrities and Owners
Finally, sponsors can have a connection with celebrities and owners involved with the eSports world. This can give the sponsors a chance to reach out globally to more potential customers and help the eSports teams and streamers get more viewers to watch them.
Bringing themselves closer to potential customers
Finally, sponsors are able to bring themselves closer to potential customers. Since they’ll team up with an eSports team or streamer, it’ll give them the opportunity to connect with the viewers. It may even bring a new view on what eSports is all about for everyone else so it’s a win-win scenario.
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Hooking Up With Sponsors
Now that you have a good idea of what sponsors do, it’s time you got hooked up with them. You already know the benefits, so how can you get them to back you up? Here are the ways to go for:
1. Choose the type of sponsors you can afford
The first step you can take is choosing the type of sponsors you can afford. You may think they’re all the same but there are actually different types and depending on who you pick, the funds will come to you differently. But what are the types of sponsors? Here they are:
- Title Sponsor: The highest sponsorship status, this sponsor type can give out 75% to 100% funds which means they’ll gladly lend their name to an eSports event, team or streamer. In return, the sponsor will have extensive rights so you can expect some ground rules to be laid out. You can think of it as the sponsor having a higher stake.
- General Sponsor: Second to the title sponsor, this sponsor type can give out 50% to 75% funds. They may not have the same amount of rights as the title sponsor, but there may be a chance the general sponsor can still have a presence with the streamer, team, or event.
- Official Sponsor: This sponsor type can give out 20% to 50% funds. They’re the ones who may not have too much of a stake but will gladly fund certain aspects such as insurances.
- Technical Sponsor: Giving out 10% to 20% funds, the technical sponsor provides support with what you see most of the time in eSports: computers, equipment, and other stuff that make the events and teams shine.
- Participating and informal sponsors: These sponsor types can give out up to 10% funds which means they don’t have much of a stake at all. The ones who fall under this category are the indie brands, up-and-coming sponsors, and other organizations who are making a slow start.
When you’ve familiarized yourself with the sponsor types that are out there, you can start thinking who among these types you’d like to be partners with. Will you let the title sponsor have the higher stake? Need some equipment that would be more conveniently set up for you? Make your pick.
2. See the sponsorships that you’re able to get
If checking the types of sponsors we’ve laid out for you in the previous step is too much on you, you can check out the sponsorships that you’re able to get instead.
Sponsorships are what some can see as partnerships in eSports but much like the latter, they’re not created equal. In this case, sponsorships are a rising trend in the eSports world because unlike the common sponsor types you’ve read about, sponsorships have everything all arranged and settled.
It’s only a matter of reading the T&Cs, agreeing to them, signing a few papers, and getting started. So much of the work has already been done and it’s now settled on paper.
But before you get all hyped up, it’s a good idea to know the types of sponsorships that you’re able to get. Here are the types you can go for:
- Affiliate Code Sponsorship: Seen as the most common, affiliate code sponsorships is a 3-way deal where the sponsor, sponsoree (you), and consumer go hand in hand to receive the benefits.The way it goes is sponsor will give a discount code on some items for the sponsoree which is you. In return, you’ll promote the sponsor and show the discount code you were given to the viewers. From there, viewers will see the promotion, take advantage of the code, and receive great benefits.When the viewers buy something with the code and get products from the sponsor, a percentage of the profits will go to you. So in a way, everybody wins in this kind of sponsorship.
- Hybrid Sponsorship: For this sponsorship, it’s got what the affiliate code sponsorships got and much more. While it resembles the latter, there’s a lot of benefits a sponsoree like you can get out of this.For starters, you can get some exclusive deals that only sponsors will offer the sponsorees. You can also dig in on some cool stuff that are exclusively reserved for you when you go well with the sponsor backing you up.This kind of sponsorship is also a big welcome for those with teams and highly-regarded streamers.
- Pure Sponsorship: Finally, we have the pure sponsorship. For this kind, it’s where the sponsors and sponsorees will have exclusivity. Unlike the other sponsorships we’ve just discussed, this is where you’ll get consistent support and benefits.
To put it simply, you scratch the sponsor’s back, they’ll scratch yours too. Put a nice word out about them, they’ll give you good stuff in return.
It’s the highest level in sponsorship because when the sponsors see that you’ve got influence over the community and such, they can already see where the revenue potential is.
Now that you have an idea of the sponsorships, your next question will be which to go for. Depending on what sponsorship to go for, you’ll need to achieve a feat of achievements and requirements to get them.
This means if you’re eyeing for the hybrid or pure sponsorships, you’d better make sure you got the viewers, influence, and other factors for great rep because the sponsors who will agree to them won’t just accept the ordinary ones.
But if you’re just starting out, the affiliate code sponsorship will do just fine because you’ll be associated with sponsors who help you out in your career and in turn, you’ll help promote them in small doses.
3. Check out the sponsors that feel right for you
Now, your next step from here is picking the sponsors that feel right for you. As you’ve learned earlier, there are a lot of sponsor types and sponsorships to go for, so when you’ve made the call for the specific one, you can now check the brands under your desired category.
One example is going for the well-known brands that will gladly support you, such as Coca-Cola, T-Mobile, and Mercedes Benz. They’re easily the title or general sponsors, so if you don’t mind them taking the spotlight, you can go with them.
Another example is checking out the celebrities who will gladly sponsor eSports teams and streamers. There are many of them, so you can try checking out their website and finding out how you can contact them.
The final example is having sponsorship from established teams. They may not have a worldwide reputation from well-known brands, but you can help the team grow and show the world more with the established groups.
4. Research the sponsors thoroughly
Before you head on and contact your desired sponsor, it’s a good idea to check their website and see the rules and regulations they have. Unlike traditional sports, eSports has a heavy focus on privacy regulation which means there are a lot of obstacles and hurdles to go through.
It can be daunting but when you’ve gone through it all and see that it can work with you, that’s good. But if not, it’s best to go for an alternative and see if another sponsor has something that won’t hamper your eSports career.
It’s also a good idea to research other parts about them as well. From their history to their commitment, have a feel for what the sponsors are all about. When you’ve done your research and it’s all good, then you can take your next step.
By doing this, you’re able to understand the sponsors you want to back you up much better. It may even give you insights and opportunities on how it’ll go in the long-term and make comparisons.
5. Let them know you know who they are and how they can help you
When you’re in the first stages of establishing your relationship with a sponsor, it’s essential to let them know that you know who they are and how they can help you. For example, you can let the sponsor know you like their products to convey a sense of gratitude.
You can also let the sponsors know how their mission and values bring great energy for you as you go about your eSports career. It’s all about allowing the sponsor to know that with them, you’ve got the extra punch in you to get things rolling.
When going through this step, make sure you got all the info they need. If it’s not enough, you can try contacting their service center and inquire on the other things they need. When you got them, gather them up and make the contact with everything assembled.
6. Show them what you can bring to their table
But it’s not all about you: it’s got to be about them too. That’s why it’s equally essential to let the sponsor know what you can bring to their table. Since you’re on an eSports career, you’ll need to showcase your talent and let the sponsor know why they should back you up.
An excellent way to get started is showing the potential sponsors your winning streak from official eSport battles. When you do this, you’ll begin to have more viewers, giving the sponsors a good reason to back you up.
Another way is letting the sponsors know about your objective and how it can help them. Doing this will enlighten the sponsors and have a better reason for why they should back you up.
This step will be essential to do especially when you’re sending an application for getting a sponsorship from them. Another way to put it is you have to make a convincing argument that you’re the key for getting them more revenue.
7. Boost your rep and gain more viewers
It may seem strange to do this but actually, it’ll help you get a sponsor. How so? If you’re the person who the eSports world sees as well-known and liked, that will attract more viewers. In turn, this will have the sponsors pay closer attention to you.
As you learned from the previous step, one way to get started in gaining a potential sponsor is showcasing your winning streak in official eSports battles which will have more viewers watching you.
But eSports battles don’t have to be only way for this: You can also try your hand at eSports streaming and letting your viewers know where they can find you. As you begin to have a growing number of viewers, it’ll boost up your rep.
As you’re doing this, you can make a bond with your viewers and give them a sense that they’re connected to you. You’re not trying to be the next PewDiePie but if you’re able to convey to the viewers who you are and entertain them through the eSports, then you’re great!
When you have done this, having a chat with your potential sponsor won’t be too hard anymore because they can already see how good you are in the eSports world, so getting a deal will be easier than ever.
8. Suggest ways to incorporate their offerings in your ventures
Do you know in many well-known YouTube videos, the hosts like to advertise a product by one of “their sponsors” before getting into the videos? You can do something like that similarly with the sponsor you’re trying to hook up with.
Now, if you happen to be an eSports streamer, you can definitely do it the YouTube way and tell your viewers that you’re supporting an offering by a sponsor. This will surely make your desired sponsor happy because you’re advertising what they’re offering at no extra cost.
But what if you’re part of a team? What if you’re not able to do the ways of the streamer? You can suggest wearing the shirt that displays a sponsor’s name or flashing out the offering so that the audience will see that you have support for a specific something.
There are other ways to go about this, but the main takeaway here is you’re making the best effort to show the world you got love for the sponsor, so you’ll gladly advertise and show them they got something that’s great and awesome.
9. Get in touch with associations that have the sponsors you like
Another way you can get sponsors is getting in touch with the associations that have them. Yep, the eSports associations that handle events, tournaments, and other aspects of the eSports world.
Why do this? Because you’ll find that through the associations, you’ll see the sponsor types and have a good idea on who they’ll support. It’ll also help you make the decision if the sponsor you wanted is the right choice or not.
You can also get in touch with some of the people involved deeply within the sponsors such as managers, PR reps and more. In a way, it will save you time in officially contacting their website because you already have a more direct way to get in touch with the sponsors.
10. Sign up with a sponsor with an open page
If you’re not able to get the high-level sponsors, then you can try the ones who have an open page and are ready for you. One of them is CustomEsports who has their application page laid out here.
Right from the start, they’re clear about sponsoring you and will give you a good idea on what you’ll get from the deal when they accept you. You can even check their homepage showing the brands who back them up.
This is a good alternative for getting a sponsor because you not only get a clear insight on what the sponsor will do for you but you’ll also see other brands who trust them. In turn, it’ll give you a better opportunity in securing a deal.
11. Open up or join a club
For some sponsors, they can back up a single player as long as they got the rep and viewers. But for the rest, they require that you be in an eSports club to adhere to the rules and regulations they have.
This means if the sponsor you want requires you to be in a club, then go for it and open up or join an eSports club. By doing this, you’ll open up the opportunity to secure a deal with the sponsor and gain more viewers.
It’s also a way for the sponsor to see how well-known and structured the club can be. When they see the potential for more revenue, then you’ll be seeing a lot of greens down the road.
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Maintaining Your Relationship With Sponsors
By this time, you’ve already got a sponsor to back you up. Or maybe a few of them. In any case, you finally have sponsors who will support you.
Now, you need to make sure that you’re maintaining your relationship with them because of one wrong move, and poof! They’re gone.
If you’re eager to maintain your relationship with sponsors, follow these ways:
1. Make sure you’re not painting a bad picture to others
When you’re participating in an eSports event with a few sponsors backing you up, make sure you’re not painting a bad image to others. This means you’ll need to show support for what the sponsor is offering.
An excellent way to do this is by sending out tweets about the sponsor that’s supporting you. You can also post stories and other articles on Facebook so that your viewers will learn more about the sponsors that are helping you.
2. Follow the rules
Every sponsor is different, so it pays to know the rules and regulations. By doing this, you’ll be able to understand what you should do and not do. For example, if the sponsor backing you up only supports consoles, you’ll only need to stick with console gaming.
You can also ask the sponsors for any hidden rules. By doing this, you’ll strengthen your relationship with the sponsors and come up with ways to integrate what they offer.
3. Integrate what the sponsors want to show to viewers through your tasks
It pays to maintain your relationship with the sponsors backing you up by integrating what they want to show to your viewers. So if one sponsor offers branded clothes, you can wear the clothes while you’re streaming.
Or, if another sponsor offers online services, you can mix in the service with what you’re doing in your eSports career while also letting the viewers they can check a link to know more about the service.
4. Have regular discussions with your sponsors
Finally, it’s a good idea to have a meeting with the sponsors supporting you. Why? Because you can discuss with the prominent people who run and own the sponsors what you can, what they can do, and so on.
You can also make suggestions on the events you’ll be participating in and have the sponsors see what is good with them.
Final Words
When it comes down to it, sponsors play a significant role in the world of eSports. From advertising the offerings to integrating their brand through eSport players, the sponsors can show the world their brand just like how they’d do for a sports team.
Whether you’re a streamer, a member of an eSports team, or part of a non-gaming eSports job, there are ways to show the world what the sponsors that will be supporting you are all about.
Follow what we’ve laid out for you and have a few sponsors join you in your eSports career.