From GGPoker to Chess.com: The Rise of Sponsoring and Contracting Influencers to Promote their Brand and Sport
There are very few words in the English language that have undergone as significant a revolution – and in such a brief span of time – as ‘influencer’. Yes, there are those words, phrases, acronyms and abbreviations which have sprung up in our everyday vernacular – particularly over the past two decades, as we spend ever more time conversing and learning online – but fewer that have always existed in the Oxford English Dictionary, but under an entirely different meaning.
Nowadays, influencers exist across a myriad niches, industries and, of course, digital platforms. Whether they found their fame on social media platforms like Instagram, or were brought to prominence by virtue of a particular skill or interest, we can likely all list off at least a few names that have found pre-eminence on the world wide web.
Arguably one of the most popular – and, for the creators, lucrative – platforms for influencers as of 2021 is the video game streaming platform, Twitch. Created back in 2011, Twitch offers the perfect space from which some of the world’s leading players can broadcast their gameplay live, and interact with fans.
It is, in many ways, a digital interpretation of the renown enjoyed by the world’s leading sports players – and on which, for game developers themselves, offers remarkable opportunity for growth and visibility. As a result, more and more players are collaborating directly with the developers themselves, and pioneering an entirely new landscape in the process.
Read more about it below.
A Rising Significance
There is a rapidly growing number of examples of gaming brands working directly with their top players. For instance, GGPoker have risen to prominence relatively rapidly, and as a direct result of their ability to quickly revolutionise the online poker industry – in particular, to bridge the gap between professional and amateur, and, at the same time, the gap between casual, online gameplay and the experiences that were once reserved for the table.
Their all-star team includes such names as the social media influencer and Poker whizz Dan Bilzerian – among others – including a Twitch Squad, which includes Patrick Tardif and Kevin Martin.
Similarly, the massively influential site chess.com sponsors chess legend Hikaru Nakamuru – who also maintains a strong following on Twitch.
While these represent just two examples, they are indicative of the growing significance a game or sport’s top players hold for the wider community that exists behind them.
The Benefits of Sponsorship and Collaboration
Beyond bringing a new level of visibility to the sport/game and, by extension, the brand working alongside them, influencers enable a much closer and more profound relationship to develop between the fans and the top-tier of the sport.
For those who play on a more casual basis – whether it’s chess, poker, or an eSport like League of Legends – being able to observe the professionals is one thing. It is, however, another experience entirely to be able to experience the game alongside them – to garner some insight into their mindset during the event itself, and into their unique thought processes.
As a result, so called ‘brand deals’ and sponsorships are, in the world of professional gaming, about far more than the tangible gains found in revenue and visibility. They are about evolving the sport to take advantage of the digital platforms available to it, and to ensure that, even though the game is spread across a global arena and fanbase, it remains something entirely accessible, communal and compelling. For this reason alone, it is clear that, as a trend, collaborations between influencers and developers will continue to pave the way for the online gaming industry going forward.
