SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Evil Geniuses, one of the world’s oldest and most iconic esports organizations, today announced a partnership with Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (“Wolves”), a founding member of the English Football League, combining the worlds of traditional sports and esports. In conjunction with the partnership, Fosun, which acquired Wolves in 2016, has agreed to make a minority investment in Evil Geniuses, valuing the team at $255 million post-investment. Evil Geniuses will be the first esports team with a physical presence in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
The partnership and investment will enable Evil Geniuses to continue expanding its footprint into global markets. Wolves, the popular English Premier League team and global fashion and esports brand, share Evil Geniuses’ values of supporting inclusion, education, innovation, teamwork and competition through esports. Evil Geniuses will leverage Wolves’ Asian market expertise and local training facilities to further Evil Geniuses’ expansion in the region. The initial partnership will see Wolves branding featured on Evil Geniuses’ uniforms, as well as collaboration to create English and Chinese language content, sponsorship opportunities and jointly branded merchandise.
“We are thrilled to partner with Wolves, a storied football club and strong sports and entertainment brand that aligns with our values and mission,” said Nicole LaPointe Jameson, Evil Geniuses’ Chief Executive Officer. “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 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 in Evil Geniuses,” said Wolves’ General Manager of Marketing and Commercial Growth, Russell Jones. “We’ll be pooling resources across analysis and performance as well as marketing and commercial to service and grow both organizations. We are looking forward to working with Evil Geniuses 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 engage with one another.”
About Evil Geniuses
Founded in 1999, Evil Geniuses is one of the original and most recognizable professional esports organizations, boasting over 86 national and 102 international championship titles, capturing over $24 million in tournament winnings, and cultivating some of the longest-tenured partnerships and talent relationships in the industry.
Evil Geniuses was built on the belief that passion, commitment, and innovation could transform a beloved interest into a global phenomenon. Today, that same drive and dedication serve as the foundation of their legendary organization. From our top-tier esports teams to our industry-changing technology, Evil Geniuses’ goal has always been – and will continue to be – building champions.
About Wolverhampton Wanderers
Founded in 1877, Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) is one of the oldest and most respected football teams in England and currently compete in the Premier League, which is the world’s most watched – available in 188 countries with a cumulative annual audience of 3.2 billion people.
In 1888, Wolves were one of the original 12 founders of the first ever professional football league, and just under 70 years later, in 1954, became pioneers of European football, introducing fans to floodlit matches against giants such as Spartak Moscow and Budapest Honvéd FC.
A 140-year rollercoaster ride across all four divisions of the English football pyramid has seen Wolves amass 17 major trophies in their history, including 11 league titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups. In 2016, Wolves were acquired by Chinese consumer technology company Fosun International, and a return to the Premier League followed in 2018, followed by a top-eight finish in the Europa League and back-to-back seventh placed finishes at the top of English football.
