Cloud9 takes Puma sponsorship deal to a new level

The new agreement will see apparel for all of Cloud9’s teams

Puma had already entered a sponsorship agreement with North American eSports organization Cloud9, but that agreement just got a bit bigger. The two entities have formalized a new multi-year partnership that will see all of Cloud9’s teams branded on Puma apparel, including its London Spitfire Overwatch League franchise.

Starting this September, Cloud9 apparel will be available for purchase on the websites of both Cloud9 and Puma, as well as Puma’s store in New York. Initially, the agreement between the two launched this past January covered just the League of Legends (LoL) franchise for the 2019 Spring Split, which saw players wear Puma pants and trainers on the days of the matches, and Cloud9 team members sporting Puma’s brand as a jersey sponsor.

Cloud9 is also partnered with several other organizations, including the US Air Force, Twitch, OMEN by HP, HyperX, Red Bull and Secretlab. BMW recently joined, as well, becoming the official automotive sponsor. The eSports group participates in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fortnite, LoL, PUBG, Rainbow 6 Siege, Apex Legends, World of Warcraft and Rocket League, so the sponsorship deals can be very lucrative for the companies, as well as for Cloud9.

Matt Shaw, the head of digital marketing and gaming for Puma, says, “This is a big step in a new direction and one we’re really excited to take… It’s like basketball when we were first entering. While we will definitely sell basketball shoes, what we’re trying to do is be culturally relevant. This is very much in the same vein.”