LOS ANGELES & SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global esports organization Immortals announced today it has entered into a comprehensive partnership with Mountain Dew, making the beverage brand Immortals’ first-ever “Official Beverage.”
Immortals CEO Noah Whinston said, “This partnership represents the tip of the spear of what Immortals and Mountain Dew endeavor to accomplish together. We’re incredibly excited about the brand's desire to focus on content and activation, delivering real value to current and future Immortals fans through innovative asset creation and deployment. We're looking forward to releasing more details about what fans can look forward to in the next few months."
Mountain Dew and Immortals are planning an array of digital and live activations, including extensive programming on Mountain Dew’s Twitch channel. Immortals’ players from multiple games, including Super Smash Bros., Dota 2, and the newly announced Immortals Mobile division, with teams in Arena of Valor and Clash Royale, will be prominently integrated into Mountain Dew-branded esports events, including Dew Tour and Mountain Dew League, currently in its third year of operation.
Manos Spanos, PepsiCo VP of Marketing, Global Flavors, said, “PepsiCo’s investment in esports exists to give both casual and professional gamers unique and entertaining experiences. Authenticity is key for us, especially with the core Dew millennial audience, and Immortals has repeatedly demonstrated a remarkable ability to connect honestly with millennial esports fans. They are an ideal partner as we seek out innovative ways to engage audiences around the world with unprecedented stories featuring Mountain Dew.”
In addition, Mountain Dew, Immortals and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B), one of Immortals’ major shareholders and a strategic partner, will collaborate on several premium content initiatives and properties as part of the partnership, including a pilot for an unscripted esports series offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at Immortals and its players.
"This marketing collaboration reflects the tremendous synergies between Lionsgate’s content platform and the booming esports market,” said Immortals Chairman and Lionsgate President of Interactive Ventures, Games & Digital Strategy Peter Levin. “When Lionsgate first invested in Immortals, we envisioned a broad range of premium content opportunities, and we’re thrilled to partner with a world-class consumer brand with enormous resources to help turn this vision into reality.”
The Mountain Dew partnership with Immortals continues a decade of ongoing investment in reaching millennials through esports by the brand. Dating to its signature Game Fuel flavor launch in 2003, Mountain Dew has established deep roots in esports, with partnerships and investment ranging from popular titles to teams, platforms and events.
Immortals President & COO Ari Segal added, “Mountain Dew brings resources, scale, and expertise that not only allow us to create great content and value for our fans, but also activate and distribute that content globally. Mountain Dew has a sophisticated understanding of the esports landscape, and we're honored to partner with them to deliver a message of authenticity and creativity around their brands to audiences around the world."
On April 17-19, Immortals’ Super Smash Bros. players Dajuan “Shroomed” McDaniel and Jason “ANTi” Bates, and Dota 2 player Yong-min “Febby” Kim will stream live on the Mountain Dew Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/mtndew.
About Immortals
Founded in 2015, Immortals, the Los Angeles-based esports organization, fields competitive teams in Arena of Valor, Clash Royale, Dota 2 and Super Smash Bros. Partnered with investors AEG, and Lionsgate, Immortals strives to create a long-lasting community of professional gamers, aspiring players, and passionate fans, united by a commitment to competitive excellence and a welcoming environment for all. For additional information, please visit www.immortals.gg, www.facebook.com/immortalsgg, and follow on Twitter: @Immortals.
About Mountain Dew
MOUNTAIN DEW®, a product of PepsiCo North America Beverages, is the No. 1 flavored carbonated soft drink in the U.S. With its one-of-a-kind citrus taste, MOUNTAIN DEW exhilarates and quenches with every sip. In addition to the original MOUNTAIN DEW and DIET MOUNTAIN DEW®, the permanent DEW® product line includes MTN DEW ICE™, MTN DEW® KICKSTART™, MOUNTAIN DEW CODE RED®, MOUNTAIN DEW PITCH BLACK®, MOUNTAIN DEW VOLTAGE®, MOUNTAIN DEW WHITE OUT® and MTN DEW® Label Series.
For more information, check out www.mountaindew.com, www.facebook.com/mountaindew or follow on Twitter @mountaindew.
About Lionsgate
The first major new studio in decades, Lionsgate is a global content platform whose films, television series, digital products and linear and over-the-top platforms reach next generation audiences around the world. In addition to its filmed entertainment leadership, Lionsgate content drives a growing presence in interactive and location-based entertainment, gaming, virtual reality and other new entertainment technologies. Lionsgate’s content initiatives are backed by a 16,000-title film and television library and delivered through a global licensing infrastructure. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring and ground-breaking content created with special emphasis on the evolving patterns and diverse composition of the Company’s worldwide consumer base.