Seoul-based esports organization Absolute Power eSports (APE) announced a multi-year strategic partnership agreement with the Pittsburgh Knights. APE and the Knights signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in June to create a strategic partnership and establish operations in South Korea and the United States to promote APE’s League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) team. The Knights announced Thursday that it would expand its investment going forward, “contingent upon the acquisition of the franchise spot.”
A rep. for the Knights declined to comment on the exact amount of its investment.
In a release, APE said that this partnership is part of its global fan expansion strategy, which includes “global marketing and sales, tournaments and events, online and offline fan engagement activities, and celebrity marketing.”
APE owns the LCK team, SeolHaeOne Prince. In July it signed a partnership deal with China-based Edward Gaming, naming the organization the “sister team” of SeolHaeOne Prince. Also in July, the South Korean esports organization raised an investment from South Korean musician Oh “Sehun” Se-hun, a member of the K-Pop boy band Exo.
The Knights, partnered with NFL team the Pittsburgh Steelers, operate esports teams in PUBG, Rocket League, Trackmania, Gears 5, Smite, Rainbow Six: Siege, and Madden NFL.
