Red Bull signs up the German esports team, BIG

The energy drink brand, Red Bull, has signed a multiyear partnership deal with the Berlin International Gaming esports team. It will mark the first time that the Austrian energy drink brand has sponsored a German competitive gaming team and the deal comes into effect in February 2019.

The deal will give Red Bull the rights to create joint campaigns and events that use the BIG brand name. Whilst you won’t see the Red Bull logo on the front of the BIG team shirts, the deal will allow the brand name to feature elsewhere on the team’s clothing. Although the financial details have yet to be revealed, it’s sure to give BIG a massive boost in their bid to become Germany’s premier esports team.

BIG’s bid for glory

Berlin International Gaming have only been around since January 2017. Since then, the team have already become a massive hit in the Counter Strike Gaming Scene, but have diversified to include titles like LoL, Fortnite, FIFA and Trackmania The team’s next test will come with the hugely anticipated Intel Extreme Masters Katowice Legends Stage.

BIG will be pushing hard to get a decent share of the $1 million prize pool at the IEM Katowice Major, but there are plenty more massive tournaments awaiting the team in the remainder of 2019. These include the Intel Extreme Masters in Sydney this month, Shanghai’s Star Series i-League Season Seven finals in May, as well as a triumphant homecoming contest at the fifteenth CSGO Major in Berlin.

In order to fund all of this activity, the BIG brand will be relying on the revenues generated by high profile sponsorship deals such as their partnership with Red Bull. BIG started the year strongly by partnering up with the sports betting brand, Betway, in January. This saw Betway paying to get their brand name featured on the front of the BIG team shirts. And with further sponsorship deals and investment from Unikrn, Corsair and Omen by HP, it’s hoped that BIG will have all the funds they need to make 2019 a year to remember.

Red Bull enter the German gaming scene

Given Red Bull’s Austrian heritage, it’s surprising that they haven’t sponsored a German esports team before now. As well as their sponsorship of the Red Bull Salzburg football club, the brand have also found success through sponsoring the RB Leipzig Bundesliga team.

But given the rampant rise of esports in Germany, it makes sense for Red Bull to partner up with a fiercely ambitious competitive gaming team like BIG. The energy drink firm already signed a multi-year partnership deal with the American esports organisation, Cloud9, last June, and this follows on from other successful deals with the likes of OG, Team Vitality and 100 Thieves.

Red Bull was one of the first brands to recognise the immense appeal of esports. With many top tournaments featuring the Red Bull brand name (for example, the Red Bull M.E.O. whose Global Finals were held at the beginning of February), it seems that their signing of BIG could help them stay at the forefront of this dynamic scene.