After the announcement that the London Royal Ravens Call of Duty squad had taken on esports wagering site Midnite as a sponsor, sources close to the Call of Duty of Overwatch Leagues have confirmed with The Esports Observer that both leagues will now allow team sponsors from the wagering and liquor business sectors.
Activision Blizzard, the parent company behind both the Call of Duty League and Overwatch League, has balked since the start of the league in allowing sponsors from the gambling and liquor spaces. This announcement appears to be a reversal of that philosophy.
This new direction will undoubtedly open up new avenues of sponsorship opportunities as esports betting sites have at times stood up the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive ecosystem and some others. And while the Overwatch League has signed deals with alcohol sponsors before, such as Bud Light, in the past teams had not been allowed to make those deals. Now they can.
This is a developing story.
