Tundra Esports Partners With Ballantine’s Scotch Whisky

Key insights

7 takeaways

01
Tundra Esports has named Ballantine’s Scotch whisky as its official spirit partner for the Dota 2 tournament, The International 2023.
02
The partnership includes Ballantine’s branding on Tundra’s new official team jersey, which is scheduled for release on October 6, 2023.
03
The collaboration will feature a bespoke behind-the-scenes content series focusing on the members of Tundra’s Dota 2 team.
04
Financial terms of the sponsorship deal between Tundra Esports and Ballantine’s were not disclosed.
05
This agreement marks the first team-related partnership for Ballantine’s in the esports sector, following their previous collaboration with tournament operator BLAST for the 2023 CS:GO Majors.
06
Tundra Esports enters this partnership as the reigning Dota 2 world champions, having won The International in 2022.
07
The International 2023 is scheduled to take place from October 12 through October 29, 2023.

Summary

Tundra Esports, a UK-based professional gaming organization, has secured a sponsorship agreement with Ballantine’s Scotch whisky. The partnership designates the spirits brand as the official partner for Tundra’s Dota 2 team during The International 2023, a premier global tournament held in October 2023. While the financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed, the collaboration represents a strategic move to integrate the brand into the high-profile Dota 2 competitive circuit.

The agreement includes prominent branding on Tundra’s official team jerseys, which were scheduled for release on October 6, 2023. Beyond physical apparel, the partnership encompasses the production of a bespoke behind-the-scenes content series highlighting the team’s players. This initiative aims to leverage the visibility of Tundra’s Dota 2 roster, which entered the tournament as the reigning world champions.

This deal marks the first team-specific sponsorship for Ballantine’s within the esports sector, following their previous engagement with tournament operator BLAST for the 2023 CS:GO Majors in Paris. For Tundra Esports, the partnership adds to a growing portfolio of commercial alliances, including recent agreements with the betting platform Winline and the streamer monetization service Streamcoi. The move underscores the ongoing trend of non-endemic brands, particularly in the beverage industry, seeking deeper integration with elite esports organizations to reach global, digitally native audiences.