Global esports tournament organiser BLAST Premier has partnered with clothing and sportswear brand Nike for a merchandise project.
The two companies will launch a co-branded collection of merchandise that will showcase “gaming lifestyle” during August 2022. The collection will include a t-shirt, cap, hoodie and jersey, according to BLAST.
The collaboration was initially teased during the BLAST Spring Finals in June 2022, but was made official only today. Fans of the tournament organiser will have to wait until the BLAST Premier Fall Groups (August 19th-28th) for the merchandise to become available.
The partnership looks to be a restart of BLAST’s merchandise efforts. The official BLAST merchandise website has been offline since October 2021, and the company has been quiet regarding the topic.
BLAST has produced a number of high-profile merchandise pieces in the past, notably collaborating with sportswear brand Champion to release a limited edition collection.
The two brands did not mention whether this collaboraiton will breathe new life into BLAST’s internet store, nor whether other items, such as non-Nike branded items, will be available. Esports Insider has reached out to BLAST for comment.
Nike has been comparatively quiet in esports compared to some of its competitors. However, the company is a partner of China’s LPL League of Legends league and some teams, notably SK Gaming and T1. The brand — one of the most valuable sportswear brands in the world — appears to favor a small number of major partnerships that are few and far between.
BLAST might have been silent on the merchandise front, but it has been a fruitful 2022 for the company in almost all other fields.
BLAST secured a number of new deals and partnerships, including one with global shipping company Maersk, as well as numerous extensions of previous deals, such as the Betway and Shikenso.
2022 also marked BLAST’s first ventures beyond CS:GO. The company announced that it will produce the Fortnite Championship Series for the 2022 season, and also be the main production house behind the 2021/22 season of the ePremier League in FIFA, a major expansion in scope for the tournament organiser.
