How Ampverse is bringing e-sports to the masses

So far Ampverse has brought Samsung, Garnier, Shell, and Tesco Lotus into this emerging market, with plans to increase that portfolio significantly in the coming years.

Speaking to KrAsia, Ampverse founder and former Twitch executive Ferdinand Gutierrez explained that he wants his company to continue to form partnerships throughout the Southeast Asian region and eventually create its own e-sports content.

He also said that Ampverse emphasizes the lucrative rewards that current e-sports sponsorships generate when broaching the idea with sceptical brands. ‘It’s like when I was doing digital marketing back in the early 2000s. We have to stress that the market is under-monetised.’

To that end, the agency is hoping to change the general impression that e-sports have with mainstream audiences. Gutierrez stresses that Gen Z ‘don’t watch TV, use ad blockers, and they’re not into advertising’ – the key is to make original, engaging content that’s focused on gaming and e-sports. Its huge growth with Asian and Western audiences could easily make that a reality, and streaming continues to enjoy popularity with Gen Z.

E-sports were already close to true mainstream status at the end of 2019, but the pandemic has provided a prime opportunity for the industry to flourish.

Success stories of marketing agencies like Ampverse are evidence to suggest that there is a long-term, commercially viable future ahead for this industry, especially if big players like Coca Cola and McDonald’s begin to fully commit to large-scale sponsorships. The more money that’s being pumped in, the larger the prize pools and the more likely that large scale audiences will tune in.

Expect more companies like Ampverse to pop up in the next few years. E-sports will most likely expand two or three fold as the pandemic continues indefinitely and Fortnite tournament prizes will be eye-wateringly large soon I’m sure.

Who even needs the lottery at this point?