Ninja partners with athletic giant Adidas after days of speculation
Ninja, YouTube / LAUREN KRETZSCHMARStreaming star Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is one of the biggest faces in gaming – and he’s made yet another huge partnership, following his massive move to Mixer earlier this month.
It looks like the Twitch-turned-Mixer star keeps making “money moves,” after releasing a mysterious video on August 26 that appeared to tease announcement for the very next day.
Edited in a “found-footage” style, Ninja’s Twitter video came complete with auditory static and visual glitches, which ultimately revealed a message that simply read, “Tomorrow, 2 pm CT.”
It’s almost time pic.twitter.com/enOlLiI56U
— Ninja (@Ninja) August 26, 2019
As it happens, Ninja’s disconcerting video teased his partnership with athletic clothing company Adidas, as confirmed in another post on August 27.
“Partnering with Adidas is a chance to join a family that celebrates fellow creators at the top of their game,” Ninja states in the official announcement video. “Those who choose to persevere through doubt, fear, and uncertainty to chase their dreams.”
While he didn’t drop the exact details of their partnership, the streaming giant told fans to “use your imagination” in regards to the move – leaving them guessing as to the deal’s potential merchandise and more.
No shortcuts. Only long days. Never let anyone tell you that you can’t catch your dreams.
Choose your path. Put the TIME IN.
I’m humbled, and excited, to officially announce my partnership with @adidasoriginals
. https://t.co/B42gK4AoF5#createdwithadidas pic.twitter.com/PdAKnCflCD— Ninja (@Ninja) August 27, 2019
However, this announcement doesn’t come as a massive surprise to some fans, who noticed a questionable upload on Ninja’s YouTube channel on August 23.
The 54-second-long video was quickly deleted, titled “Ninja x Adidas: Time in” – the very same title of the current announcement video available to watch on his channel.
Ninja’s website was also down during this period, sporting a simple “Under Construction” message, which lead internet sleuths to believe that something big was on the horizon.
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With Adidas already boasting ample esports partnerships, including deals with Team Vitality and Team Heretics, Ninja’s involvement marks the latest gaming initiative for the brand – and his most recent partnership in light of his groundbreaking Mixer deal.
Leaving over 14.7 million viewers behind on Twitch, Ninja exclusive Mixer partnership is shaking up the streaming community, following YouTube star Felix “PewDiePie’s” partnership with streaming platform D-Live in April 2019.
The next chapter,https://t.co/lvn9KBjEYq pic.twitter.com/tljVgyM3bG
— Ninja (@Ninja) August 1, 2019
Despite the potential loss, both Ninja and his manager Jessica Blevins claimed that they were “confident” with their decision to switch platforms, claiming that it “aligns with what we believe in and wanted for the brand.”
Following his latest brand deal with Adidas, it doesn’t look like streaming’s biggest personality is leaving the building anytime soon, considering his massive popularity in spite of leaving Twitch.