Overwatch League™ Unveils Brand Sponsors Ahead of 2019 Season

Coca-Cola® was named the official global beverage sponsor for the
entire competitive Overwatch® ecosystem


Brand deals with Toyota, T-Mobile, HP, and Intel were also detailed

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–lt;a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/OWL2019?src=hash” target=”_blank”gt;#OWL2019lt;/agt;–The Overwatch League today announced sponsorship deals with top brands
including Coca-Cola®, Toyota, T-Mobile, HP, and Intel.


Coca-Cola has signed a multi-year deal with the Overwatch League
and has been named the league’s official global beverage sponsor across
all non-alcoholic beverage categories. In addition, Blizzard
Entertainment has named Coca-Cola the official global beverage sponsor
for the broader Overwatch esports ecosystem, including Overwatch
Contenders, Open Division, Tespa (in North America), the Overwatch World
Cup, and BlizzCon®. Coca-Cola will also be the official North American
beverage sponsor across all non-alcoholic beverage categories for the
Overwatch game.


“The union between Coca-Cola and Overwatch esports is the perfect
pairing between two businesses that share common values,” said Brandon
Snow, chief revenue officer of Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues.
“We’re excited to work closely with Coca-Cola to reach and embrace an
even more global and diverse group of fans.”


Toyota was named the official North American automotive partner
of the Overwatch League and will return as the sponsor of the popular
player-interview series, Access Granted: Driven by Toyota. Toyota
vehicles will also be featured in a series of custom-branded vignettes
featuring Overwatch League broadcast talent.


“We’re happy to continue our support of Overwatch League for the 2019
season as the official North American automotive partner,” said Samantha
Goot, general manager of media and engagement marketing, Toyota Motor
North America. “As a returning sponsor, we look forward to connecting
with the growing number of passionate esports fans via the custom media
elements that will provide behind-the-scenes access and unique content
throughout the season.”


T-Mobile returns as the official U.S. wireless provider of the
Overwatch League to give fans even more of what they love. Once again,
the Un-carrier will be the presenting sponsor of the Overwatch League’s
regular season and Grand Finals MVP Awards. New to this season,
Overwatch League experts will nominate five finalists for the
regular-season MVP Award, giving fans the opportunity to cast their vote
for candidates on Twitch, Twitter, and Weibo. Together, T-Mobile and the
Overwatch League will provide the ultimate inside look at top MVP
candidates in a player-profile video series to air later this season.
T-Mobile is also returning as one of the presenting sponsors for
Overwatch League All-Stars.


HP will continue to power the Overwatch League with PCs and
displays from their OMEN line of gaming products. OMEN by HP computers
and displays will be used exclusively for Overwatch League practice and
competitive play. OMEN by HP will sponsor a weekly video feature, Game/Set,
focused on how pro Overwatch players improve their performance. HP will
also be the presenting sponsor for the “Player of the Match” segment
after every regular-season match.


Intel was named the official computer processor of the Overwatch
League for the second year in a row. In addition to equipping all
competition PCs with Intel® Core i7 processors, Intel will sponsor a
series of educational videos to help fans learn more about competitive
Overwatch. Intel will also be returning as the presenting sponsor of the
Overwatch League All-Star Game.


“Intel has supported the esports community for over 15 years with some
of our best technology for gamers who demand world-class performance,”
said John Bonini, VP and general manager of the VR, gaming, and esports
group at Intel. “As a returning sponsor for the Overwatch League, we’ve
equipped all competition PCs with powerful Intel® Core i7 processors to
maximize the viewing and playing experience for fans and competitors.
The Overwatch League is a great showcase for esports, and we’re excited
to be a part of it with Blizzard.”


“We’re proud to work together this season with Toyota, T-Mobile, HP,
Intel, and Coca-Cola,” said Josh Cella, head of global partnerships for
Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues. “Teaming up with world-class brands
really elevates the Overwatch League and provides a wide array of
quality products that we can feature for our fans. We’re also very
excited to create original content for several of these deals that will
entertain and educate our community.”


The 2019 Overwatch League season kicks off on Thursday, February 14, at
4 p.m. PST with a 2018 Grand Finals rematch between the London Spitfire
and the Philadelphia Fusion.


About the Overwatch League


The Overwatch League is the first major global professional esports
league with city-based teams across Asia, Europe, and North America.
Overwatch® was created by globally acclaimed publisher Blizzard
Entertainment (a division of Activision Blizzard—NASDAQ: ATVI), whose
iconic franchises have helped lay the foundations and push the
boundaries of professional esports over the last 15 years. The latest
addition to Blizzard’s stable of twenty-two #1 games,[1]
Overwatch was built from the ground up for online competition, with
memorable characters and fast-paced action designed for the most
engaging gameplay and spectator experiences. To learn more about the
Overwatch League, visit www.overwatchleague.com.


About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.


Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®,
Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo®
franchises, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm®, Blizzard
Entertainment, Inc. (https://www.blizzard.com),
a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer
and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of
the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s
track record includes twenty-two #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year
awards. The company’s online gaming service, Blizzard Battle.net®, is
one of the largest online-gaming services in the world, with millions of
active players.


*Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and reports
from key distribution partners.


About Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues


Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues (ABEL) is responsible for the
development and operation of premier Activision Blizzard professional
gaming properties including the Overwatch League and the Call of Duty®
World League, as well as the commercialization of the entire Blizzard
Esports portfolio. Launched in 2017, the Overwatch League is the world’s
first major global esports league with city-based teams, with 20 teams
across Asia, Europe, and North America. In 2019, the Call of Duty World
League Presented by PlayStation®4 will deliver five vs. five team play
featuring Call of Duty®: Black Ops 4. It is ABEL’s vision to be the most
innovative, scalable, and valuable developer of global competitive
entertainment.


About HP


HP Inc. creates technology that makes life better for everyone,
everywhere. Through our product and service portfolio of personal
systems, printers, and 3D printing solutions, we engineer experiences
that amaze. More information about HP Inc. is available at


About Toyota


Toyota (NYSE: TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell
vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live
through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, we’ve built
more than 38 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate
14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than
47,000 people (more than 37,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American
dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and
trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2018—and about 87 percent of all
Toyota vehicles sold over the past 16 years are still on the road today.


© 2019 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. OVERWATCH, OVERWATCH LEAGUE,
BLIZZARD, and BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT are trademarks of Blizzard
Entertainment, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries.


[1] Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and
reports from key distribution partners.


Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in
this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment’s expectations,
plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including
statements about brand deals, the dates of the 2019 Overwatch League
season, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a
number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard
Entertainment’s actual future results to differ materially from those
expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release
include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the
risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report
on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The
forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information
available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the
date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision
Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may
ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of
the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard
and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which
are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially
from current expectations.


Contacts

Mark Van LommelOverwatch League949-955-1380 x61147MVanLommel@overwatchleague.com