More Sponsors Pull Out Of Overwatch League

Here we go again (on my own). Earlier this week we did a follow-up to the previous Activision-Blizzard lawsuit articles, mostly recounting the reactions from the company and employees. A majority of it was reporting on Bobby Kotick’s limp-wristed CEO lines saying more will be done and X is already in place, along with the employee response as more allegations come forward (and a walk-out). However, there was a little bit of news we skimmed over, mostly as a result of my lack of knowledge of the Esports scene. I’ve never watched an Esports event in my life, and I don’t plan on doing so anytime soon either.

Nevertheless, we did report that T-Mobile had pulled sponsorship of the Overwatch League and Call of Duty League, in a not-so-quiet fashion. Thanks to a report by Dexerto.com, we (everyone) learned that not only was the T-Mobile logo removed from the sites of each league, it was photoshopped off of shirts, and tape would be placed over the logo during the Call of Duty Major 5 tournament. This, alongside the financials that Dexerto shows in their article, show a suspension of support for the leagues. Weekly giveaways sponsored by T-Mobile dropped the name too.

According to a report by the Washington Post, Coca-Cola and State Farm are also suspending their sponsorship of the Overwatch League, at least for the time being. If you’ve ever seen these events, you’ll know full well of the presence sponsors have; and if not here you’ll remember American Idol featuring red Coca-Cola cups on the judge’s desk. These sponsorships feed all sorts of portions of what you see: Logos appearing on player rankings, said cups, logos on player’s shirts, and often ads run during the live showcases or repeats sponsored by X company.

When the Post reached out for a comment on Thursday, a spokesperson for American insurance provider State Farm said it is “reevaluating our limited marketing relationship with the Overwatch League.” They also went on to say that the company has requested no ads be run during the Overwatch League event this weekend. If you’ve seen American TV, you’ll know not seeing a State Farm ad is like the apocalypse has come. Joking aside, this may be quite concerning for Activision-Blizzard, as the company was a major addition to sponsors for season 2 in 2019.

The same year, Coca-Cola would become one of the major sponsors signing a multi-year deal as the official non-alcoholic drink of the league. When the Post requested a comment from a Coca-Cola spokesperson, they said they have knowledge of the allegations against Activision-Blizzard. Yeah, I think everyone does at this point, just saying. They went on to state, “We are working with our partners at Blizzard as we take a step back for a moment to revisit future plans and programs.” Clearly this is another major hit for the league as it goes into the weekend. Though the Post asked, the spokesperson for Coca-Cola refused to comment if the company will continue to sponsor the league going forward.

This also comes in the wake of Blizzard President J. Allen Brack stepping down this week, alongside Jesse Meschuk, Activision-Blizzard’s senior VP and Senior “people officer” (HR), leaving as well. Brack has been replaced by Jen O’Neal and Mike Ybarra, co-leading Blizzard from here on out, while there is no word as of yet who replaces Meschuk. Earlier this week, also in the article noted above, we metnioned that the Post also spoke with labor law experts who noted that the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing has a strong case; one which may have larger implications on California law than might be expected.