Guild Esports, Sky Broadband sign deal to promote esports in U.K.
The British-based esports organization Guild Esports has signed an exclusive three-year partnership deal with the United Kingdom’s leading broadband service provider, Sky Broadband.
The partnership will see Guild and Sky promote esports in the country, focusing on three areas—women in gaming, driving esports performance and engaging audiences. In the upcoming three years, Sky will not only be Guild’s WiFi and broadband official partner but will also serve as its headquarter. The team’s performance center in East End London’s Shoreditch will be renamed Sky Guild Gaming Centre.
Guild director of global partnerships Rory Moran said the deal marked the first-ever major partnership for the young esports organization, established in September 2019.
“We are incredibly proud to welcome Sky to Guild Esports, and be the first major partnership for Sky in esports. Sky is a media, entertainment and connectivity powerhouse that will help drive Guild to the highest levels of performance in competitive esports globally,” Moran said.
“This landmark partnership is built on a shared vision for success and a commitment to driving the esports sector forward, through initiatives powering women in gaming. Not only does this partnership represent Guild’s successes to date and plans for the future but it’s also a testament to the values that sit at our core.”
Guild’s co-owner legendary soccer player David Beckham, said the partnership was a great opportunity for the organization to grow.
“It’s great that Guild Esports has a fantastic new partner in Sky and I’m pleased to welcome them to the Guild family,” Beckham said.
Sky is the eighth company to support Guild after it went public on the London Stock Exchange, joining companies such as Coca-Cola, HyperX, and Subway.
More on Guild, Sky’s partnership
As mentioned above, the partnership between Guild and Sky will focus on three core areas. The first area is women’s participation in gaming. Guild itself already has its own all-women gaming division for VALORANT called Valorant X. Expanding on Valorant X’s success, Guild plans to announce another all-women team for Psyonix’s Rocket League.
Guild and Sky will also support the grassroots gaming movement in the nation. They said they would act as the center for the gaming community, promoting player development and best coaching practices.
“We believe this partnership will drive Guild to the highest levels of performance in top-flight esports across the four games where we field our pro-players, as well as to become a global leader in coaching and performance,” Guild chief executive Kal Hourd said.
Lastly, Sky will bring esports enthusiasts closer to Guild through exclusive esports competitions, team merchandise and digital collectibles.
Sky UK and Europe EVP & CEO Stephen van Rooyen said the partnership would enhance the esports and gaming experience for gamers in the country and “edge over the competition”.
“Sky transformed the way families watch TV, now we want to transform the gaming experience. In esports every second counts, so Sky’s full fibre broadband will be perfect for Guild’s gaming HQ,” van Rooyen explained.
“Speed and reliability, hallmarks of Sky’s broadband service, will give the Guild team and gamers across the nation the edge over the competition.”
