Wolverhampton Wanderers and US esports organisation Evil Geniuses have decided to collaborate to support each other in growing their reach into new geographic markets.
The partnership kicks off after the owner of the English top-flight club, China-based Fosun Sports Group, agreeing to invest in Evil Geniuses.
The esports organisation was founded back in 1999, it’s currently competing with the likes of Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), Valorant and League of Legends. Evil Geniuses’ roaster features players from Asia, Europe and America, the esports firm says that its content reached more than 42 million users last season.
The initial deal between both parties will see Wolves branding featured on Evil Geniuses’ uniforms.
On the other hand, Wolves’ Chinese team will support Evil Geniuses outreach into the Asian market.
The Wolves will also provide Evil Geniuses with training facilities in China to support the creation of the local Mandarin content. Both parties will also collaborate to create content in the English language, sponsorship opportunities and jointly branded merchandise which will be accessible to the fans in the upcoming months.
The Wolves’ General Manager of Marketing and Commercial Growth, Russell Jones, said, “This is an incredibly exciting partnership for Wolves and Wolves Esports. We have very lofty ambitions in esports, and this partnership allows us to learn from the very best.“
“We’ll be pooling resources across analysis and performance as well as marketing and commercial to service and grow both organisations. We are looking forward to working together on a number of fan engagement initiatives over the next few months and when travel routes allow, we will be encouraging our teams to visit and learn from their respective colleagues.”
Nicole LaPointe Jameson, Evil Geniuses’ chief executive, added, “We are thrilled to partner with Wolves, a storied football club and strong sports and entertainment brand that aligns with our values and mission.”
“This deal will help power Evil Geniuses’ expansion into the Asian markets while also providing new capital to sign more world-class players and grow into new esports titles.”
This partnership deal strengthens Wolves’ hold in the competitive gaming space. After launching its tournament portal earlier this year in March, the club already deals in the likes of Rocket League, Call of Duty (COD) and FIFA.