Premier League staple Manchester City picked up a deal with dating app Tinder for a multi-year partnership. The partnership will see the dating app team up with the club’s men’s and women’s sides along with sister club New York City FC. “Tinder is a huge global platform which, just like football, is bringing millions of people together every day all around the world,” City Football Group’s Chief Commercial Officer Tom Glick said in a statement on the club’s website.
The NBA launches its new Playoffs spot, “Streets” – created with agency Translation – during the Houston Rockets/Oklahoma City Thunder game on ABC Saturday Primetime on Saturday at 8:30p. The campaign will run across TV, digital banner and radio through The Finals, is part of “I’m Why,” the latest installment in the NBA’s ongoing “This Is Why We Play” global platform. The Playoffs top off on April 14.
DICK’S Sporting Goods and DICK’S Team Sports HQ announced that its bulk baseball and softball equipment business A.D. STARR has been named the Official Ball Supplier of the Little League World Series. Additionally, A.D. STARR will serve as the Official Ball for the Little League World Series in all seven divisions of baseball and softball, including the Little League, Junior League, and Senior League World Series, and the Little League Intermediate (50/70) Baseball Division World Series.
ESPN announced that its new basketball analysis series created with Kobe Bryant and his Granity Studios, Detail, would debut on April 12, exclusively on ESPN+. The series will feature Bryant’s high-level analysis and insights as he breaks down games throughout the 2018 NBA Playoffs, including the NBA Finals. Bryant will provide in-depth observations from the standpoint of a current NBA player in a game featured on ESPN or ABC.
Meanwhile, B/R Live – Turner’s new premium live sports streaming service –will showcase Johnny Manziel’s debut in The Spring League on Saturday at 5:30p. B/R Live’s streaming content including The Spring League is available as part of a free preview period available throughout the opening months of the product.
WWE announced that the upcoming Greatest Royal Rumble, featuring 50 participants in Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, would stream on WWE Network at noon on April 27,
ELEAGUE is setting into reality series, serving up a five-part reality show, ELEAGUE The Challenger: Street Fighter V, starting April 20 at 11p on TBS. The series will follow seven players who will live in an Atlanta-area house and compete in SFV: Jonathan “JB” Bautista, Leah “Gllty” Hayes, Sherry Nhan, Jesse “Commander Jeese” Espinoza, Rob “RobTV” Burney, Jayce “BigBossDayasha” Alexander and Dalauan “Low Tier God” Sparrow. They will take on unique “Challenge” activities and the last person remaining will earn a spot in ELEAGUE’s upcoming Street Fighter V Invitational 2018. Steve “Tasty Steve” Scott and Stephen “Sajam” Lyon co-host.
Twitch is partnering with Nexon and Stunlock Studios to launch the inaugural season of Battlerite Pro League, with Season 1 competition starting on April 12. The league will see teams compete for a piece of the $80,000 prize pool, including more than $25,000 in the LAN finale prize pool. Twitch is the exclusive live streaming partner for the league.
ESP Gaming and Poker Central unveiled their new studio, built from the ground up at ARIA Resort & Casino. In addition to serving as the exclusive home for all Poker Central-owned live events distributed on its over-the-top subscription service, PokerGO, ESP Gaming also will use the space to host its own live esports event productions including the Vainglory Premier League. The more than 10,000 square-foot studio will feature multiple sound stages including a main studio, break desk area and a streaming lounge, which will provide flexibility to host a wide variety of poker and esports events.
Counter Logic Gaming is teaming with CORSAIR for a marketing partnership, naming the brand as the Official Peripherals Partner of the team. The agreement provides CORSAIR with premier brand integration across digital platforms, team jerseys and team events for Counter Logic Gaming. As part of the partnership, CORSAIR will see exposure throughout CLG’s team and player livestreams and videos, as well as on the CLG website. Additionally, CORSAIR will be featured on all CLG team jerseys at esports competitions and be involved at CLG team events, and CLG players will make appearances at CORSAIR events throughout the year.
Overwatch League is beefing up its content offering courtesy of the Overwatch League All-Access Pass on Twitch. Viewers who purchase the pass will be given access to the Overwatch League Command Center, which will offer a second stream during matches with player POVs, alternate in-game camera angles, backstage cameras, and real-time stats. In addition, passholders will receive behind-the-scenes video content. On Twitch, viewers who purchase the all-access pass will receive exclusive global emotes, including character abilities and golden team logos, as well as a global twitch icon.
A champion will be crowned at the Masters on CBS on Sunday starting at 2p.
