Overwatch League announces flagship sponsorship with Coca-Cola

Bill Cooney

Coca-Cola has completed a deal with Activision Blizzard that makes the drink the official non-alcoholic beverage of the Overwatch League and all other Overwatch properties.

The deal was announced on Friday, February 8, less than a week from the start of the Overwatch League season on February 14.

According to Ben Fischer at Sports Business Daily, the multi year pact gives Coke “exclusivity with all 20 OWL teams, the Overwatch Contenders league, the open division, the Overwatch World Cup, and the annual BlizzCon and collegiate events.”

Landing a beverage sponsorship from coke is a “watershed moment” for the Overwatch League, Activision Blizzard Esports Chief Revenue Officer Brandon Snow said about the deal.

Details of how Coke will promote it’s brand during the Overwatch League and beyond has yet to be revealed, but Snow said details should be coming soon in the next few weeks.

Overwatch League isn’t Coca-Cola’s first foray into esports, the company worked with League of Legends in 2016, and was a featured sponsor in EA’s FIFA 18 and 19.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has served as a Director at Coca-Cola since 2012.

Coca-Cola is definitely one of the biggest sponsors of the Overwatch League so far, next to Toyota, so there’s a good chance we’ll see OWL players or talent in an advert sooner rather than later.

The Overwatch League officially begins on February 14, but there are preseason Community Countdown events starting February 9 every day until then.