US fast food chain McDonald’s has followed carmaker Mercedes-Benz by quitting German football to focus on esports sponsorship.
Last week, McDonalds revealed that it will not renew its 15-year partnership with the German Football Association (DFB), but will extend its partnership with Electronic Sports League (ESL) until the end of 2019.
In January this year, ESL named McDonald’s as an Official Partner of the ESL Meisterschaft, a German national championship for Fifa, League of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Last month, McDonald’s was also an Official Supplier at the ESL One Hamburg tournament, alongside Snipes, Pringles and SAP.
Up there with Intel, Vodafone and Mercedes-Benz, McDonald’s is one of the highest-valued brands to partner with ESL.
To advise on its new esports sponsorship campaign, McDonald’s has also hired Hamburg agency Jung von Matt/Sports, which has previously created esports campaigns for brands such as Mercedes-Benz.
A DFB partner since 1972, Mercedes-Benz will also part ways with German football at the end of this year, but the brand has extended its partnership with ESL until 2020.
For more on ESL’s sponsorship portfolio, read our analysis here: ‘Vodafone extends push into esports with ESL deal’.