JD Sports to host esports tournament featuring multiple games
L: Retail Gazette, R: Epic GamesSports retailer JD Sports is set to take its first steps into esports with an event titled JDX.
JDX will feature tournaments for Fortnite, Rocket League, and FIFA 19, and will begin with offline open qualifiers taking place in London and Manchester.
The London qualifiers will take place on July 26 at the Westfield Stratford City shopping center, while the Manchester qualifiers will take place on July 31 at the Trafford Centre.
If you wish to participate in the JDX qualifiers, you have to register through the JD Sports mobile app, which can be downloaded for free. JD Sports are also offering some incentives for signing up, such as seven days of free membership at JD gyms.
From the qualifiers, 36 players will advance to the playoffs, which will take place at MediaCityUK dock10 in Salford on August 3.
The London qualifiers will take place in the Westfield shopping center.The winners of the JDX tournaments will have the chance to join “Team JDX”, which will offer them the opportunity to take part in a training regime in Las Vegas, as well as feature in their ‘IAMJD’ national advertising campaign.
The Group Marketing Director of JD Sports, Stephen White, commented on the company’s move into esports:
“Esports is a natural fit to our customers and they are central to everything that we do. Gaming has a huge reach and relevance to the JD audience and we’re delighted to be bringing our first Esports events to London, Manchester and Salford this summer.”
JD Sports are the latest major brand to move into esports, following the lead of GAME by using their high street presence to host esports competitions.
The move comes as an increasing number of non-endemic companies look to establish some sort of presence in the esports industry, with 2019 seeing the likes of Mercedes-Benz and KIA entering partnerships with esports teams and leagues.