Fnatic have entered into a five-year, $15 million partnership with the crypto currency platform Crypto.com. The partnership could extend beyond its initial period.
This is another example of the recent trend of crypto currency platforms partnering with esports organizations and leagues. TSM and the League of Legends Championship Series were two of the most recent examples. TSM announced a $210 million partnership with crypto exchange FTX that also includes naming rights. FTX also became the official crypto currency exchange partner of the LCS, which includes a sponsored metric on their broadcast.
Fnatic x @cryptocom. Time to make history.#CryptoGG pic.twitter.com/HB7DOJHznb
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) September 16, 2021
Fnatic will offer rewards for their fans through digital products like non-fungible tokens. Cypto.com will also be featured on Fnatic jerseys.’
Crytpo in esports with Fnatic
Outside of TSM and League of Legends, crypto exchanges have been investing into esports more often. Coinbase, FTX and Bybit have all thrown their hat into the ring by investing in teams and tournaments.
Crypto.com has not invested into esports before this venture with Fnatic. The company has previous partnerships with traditional sports entities like the UFC, Lega Serie A and Paris Saint-Germain. The crypto company has spent over $300,000 million on sponsorships in traditional sports, with a 5-year, $100M deal with F1 & a 10-year, $175M deal with the UFC.
“Fnatic boasts one of the most connected, involved and supportive fan bases in the world and this landmark deal with Crypto.com allows us to further cater to their everyday needs,” Fnatic CEO, Sam Mathews, said in the partnership announcement. “As cryptocurrency becomes a mainstream payment method, there’s never been a better time to help our fans make smarter, healthier and future-proof cryptocurrency decisions.”
