From Tom's Hardware: Intel and eSports organizer and production company ESL have announced this week a commitment to invest at least $100 million to "shape the future landscape of eSports through innovative technology, tournaments and events" through 2021 in what the companies described as "the biggest brand and technology eSports partnership in history." That's a lot of money, but it almost doesn't seem like it when you consider the duo's belief that eSports will become a billion-dollar industry. Almost.
This partnership isn't new. Intel and ESL have worked together on the Intel Extreme Masters tournament series for Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and other titles since 2006. Intel also sponsors the ESL One circuit for CS:GO and Dota 2, the ESL Pro League for CS:GO and the multi-tourney Intel Grand Slam that challenged CS:GO teams to win four of 10 events in 2018 in exchange for $1 million and gold bars engraved with their names.
The extended partnership will continue to cover those events and challenges. But it will also "introduce eSports to new regions of the globe, including the hosting and introduction of large scale eSports events in certain countries within the APAC region," to help the companies attract the attention of even more eSports fans. At this point saying that Intel and ESL plan to be the juggernauts of the eSports industry would be an understatement.
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