This document discusses the growth of esports and how stadium tournaments have significantly driven the industry. It provides statistics on esports viewership and revenues, noting that it has become a global spectator sport and multibillion dollar business, particularly appealing to millennials and Gen Z. The document also outlines ESL's role and services in connecting various parts of the esports ecosystem, and highlights DHL's significant sponsorship and integration with ESL events through custom segments, on-site activations, and narrative content focused on appealing to fans.

2. THIS IS ESPORTS

3. 3
STADIUM TOURNAMENTS SIGNIFICANTLY DRIVE ESPORTS
FROM SERVER TO STADIUM
36K
Arena Spectators
63M
Live Sessions
26M
Unique Viewers
INTEL EXTREME MASTERS
KATOWICE, 2017
ESL ONE NEW YORK, 2017
PRO LEAGUE ODENSE, 2017
ESL ONE HAMBURG, 2017ESL ONE COLOGNE, 2017
ESL CREATED THE FIRST ESPORTS MEGA EVENT KATOWICE 2013

4. Source: Newzoo Report, November 2017
4
ESPORTS IN NUMBERS
THREE KEY REASONS SPONSORS AND MEDIA ARE EMBRACING ESPORTS
ESPORTS HAS
BECOME A GLOBAL
SPECTATOR SPORT
A MULTIBILLION
DOLLAR BUSINESS
IN THE MAKING
REACHING
THE UNREACHABLES:
MILLENNIALS &
GEN Z
386M
occasional viewers and
esports enthusiasts worldwide
$1.5Bn
generated by esports
in 2020
>81%
esports viewers are 14-34
and male

5. FANS &
AUDIENCE
DISTRIBUTORSTEAMS
5
ESL BUILDS UP THE CENTER OF THE ESPORTS ECO-SYSTEM...
THE ESPORTS MARKET
GAME
PUBLISHERS
BRANDS &
ADVERTISERS
LEAGUES / MEGA
EVENTS / CONTENT
PRODUCTION

6. ESL‘S DIGTAL MARKETING SERVICES
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
BROADCAST
6
EVENT & LEAGUES
ORIGINAL CONTENT
OWNED CHANNELS
INFLUENCERS
AD-NETWORK, INSIGHTS &
PERFORMANCE MARKETING
DIGITAL MARKETING SERVICES
360° Solutions for our Partners:
PublishersSponsorsMedia
Partners

7. 7
83%
2015 2016
83%
28%
2017
17% 17%
72%
Endemic Non-endemic
INCREASING NUMBER OF NON-ENDEMIC PARTNERSHIPS
CLEAR SIGN OF MATURTIY
ENDEMIC BRANDS
NON-ENDEMIC BRANDS
Source: Internal data (all tier 1 leagues and tournaments evaluated)

8. DHL
CASE STUDY

9. DHL entered esports in a
very big way

10. THREE KEY ELEMENTS HOW DHL ENTERED INTO ESPORTS
1. SPONSORSHIP 2. BESPOKE INTEGRATIONS
3. DIGITAL CONTENT STRATEGY &
STORYTELLING

11.  All event equipment, technique and
materials are shipped by DHL globally for
every ESL One stop
 Logistic innovations and equipment are an
integral part of the activation, e.g. Effibot,
Drone with onsite presence
 Content creation around logistics to
address DHL main stakeholders (B2B/B2C)
as well as esports community
 Drawing parallels to other areas DHL
sponsors (Soccer, Rugby, F1) to illustrate
growth of esports and value DHL is adding
to the space
1. SPONSORSHIP ESL ONE
DHL AS OFFICIAL LOGISTICS PARTNER

12. SPONSORSHIP INTEGRATION
IN-GAME LOGO ROTATION STAGE LED TAKEOVER PRESS WALL EVENT FLAGS
ANALYST DESK ROTATION 30 SEC COMMERCIAL SIGNING SESSION AREA PLAYER BACKDROP

13.  Native segment “Moments That
Deliver” to emphasize the brand
message
 Instant highlights of the day wrapped
up in a 1 – 2 minute segment at the
end of every event day in the main
broadcast
 Native segment also shared on all ESL
o&o social media channels
2. BESPOKE SEGMENTS AND INTEGRATIONS
MOMENTS THAT DELIVER

15.  DHL on-site presence with
logistic equipment and booth
 Interactive booth experience with
VR „packing games“ in which fans
can win trip to next ESL One
event by achieving highest score
 Social amplification of booth
presence and trip competition
2. BESPOKE SEGMENTS AND INTEGRATIONS
ON-SITE PRESENCE

16.  Identified potential integration narratives and
strategies and presented them to DHL
 Core story aspects were influencer integration
(SirActionSlacks) and the parallel that Dota2 has a
shop and heros can have items delivered via in-
game characters called couriers
 Multi-event narrative told through content placed
in broadcast and social media
 On-site activations and content creation
 Organic and paid digital amplification
 Aim was to achieve strong earned media impact
via Reddit & community while creating brand
affinity
3. UNIQUE CONTENT & STORYTELLING:
APPEALING TO THE FANS

17.  Welcome packages for players and talent
at all ESL One events was presented in
customized DHL packes and personalized
team letters
 Designed to drive team and player social
amplification
 Also amplified by talent & ESL channels
3. UNIQUE CONTENT AND STORYTELLING
PLAYER PACKAGES

18. DOTA 2 host & personality
SirActionSlacks established
as DHL delivery man
through 1,5 minute long
meme filled video of him
delivering player packages
3. UNIQUE CONTENT & STORYTELLING:
BIRMINGHAM LAUNCH
Teams and players find
personalized letters with
references/memes/banter
Start posting the letters –
ESL join in
Slacks delivers goodies to
players in the event –
several content pieces are
created
Slacks and EffiBOT make a
round in the stadium as
fans go wild
KICK-OFF PLAYER INVOLVEMENT ON-GROUND ACTIVATION FAN INVOLVEMENT

21. 3. UNIQUE CONTENT & STORYTELLING:
HAMBURG
DHL welcome packages +
letters continue. DHL
includes custom pieces like
mini-drones and airplanes
as additional content angle
SirActionSlacks is once
again on the ground with
EffiBOT
Video released introducing
SirActionSlacks as Dota2
Shop Keeper & delivery guy
– EffiBOT is his courier
Follow-up video released
with EffiBOT transported
from the real world into the
Dota 2 universe
KICK-OFF ON-GROUND ACTIVATION CREATIVE CONTENT PT I CREATIVE CONTENT PT II

22.  Story of DHL entering digital shipping in
Dota2 and Slacks running their
interdimensional facility
 Story of Slacks and Effi delivering an item
 Filmed in DHL facility in Hamburg
 Extremely long at 4:32 filled with niche humor
and references
 Purely targeting Dota 2 community – hard to
appreciate as someone who isn‘t part of the
community
 Video released on social and played in
broadcast
3. SLACKS AND EFFI
DOTA2 SHOP KEEPER & COURIER

26.  Understand the audience you are
talking to and talk to them in a way that
shows you understand them
 Find partners or hire experts who can
help guide you and help establish
credibility
 Be prepared to be unconventional
 Entry scope and timeline are extremely
important
 Identify interesting opportunities for
authentic integrations
 Create value for the community
(players, talent, fans)
TAKEAWAYS

27. X
RECAP ESL ONE COLOGNE 2018
27
WHAT‘S NEXT?

28. THE STORY CONTINUES IN 2019
ESL ONE KATOWICE
FEBURARY 2019
ESL ONE MUMBAI
APRIL 2019
ESL ONE BIRMINGHAM
MAY/JUNE 2019

29. QUESTIONS?

30. THANKS!

31. GG!