Riot Games partners Nielsen to measure monetary value provided to brands

Riot Games has partnered Nielsen for comprehensive sponsorship valuation measurement across the company’s multiple eSports leagues and competitions around the world. The move will help Riot Games demonstrate the monetary value of exposure provided to brands currently activating or considering association with its League of Legends events.The measurement also aims to support brands in achieving the greatest return on investment through Riot Games. As part of the agreement, Riot Games will provide access to its aggregated streaming viewership data to support Nielsen’s independent brand exposure measurement. This includes the new Pro View experience that offers fans the ability to follow individual players during League of Legends competitions. Metrics will be incorporated into the industry-leading Nielsen Esport24 syndicated sponsorship valuation product.Riot Games is the publisher, developer and eSports tournament organiser for League of Legends. Nielsen will measure brand exposure throughout 2019 and 2020 including the North America League of Legends Championship Series (LCS), League of Legends European Championship (LEC), the League of Legends three international events and select regional leagues in Asia.According to the press release, brand involvement in eSports is growing as marketers look to connect with the hard-to-reach, tech-savvy segment of young adults who utilise online ad blockers and are less likely to watch traditional television.Riot Games head of eSports insights Doug Watson said: “Trust and transparency are vital components of building and maintaining relationships with brand partners. As major companies invest in our tournaments, we want to help them see the value of their exposure and identify how best to engage with our passionate fan base.”Nicole Pike, managing director at Nielsen Esports said the need for independent, third-party verification of audiences and brand exposure is critical as as eSports gain momentum with brand marketers and advertisers. The company will help to monetise Riot Games’ platform and validate this growing market, he added.During the past 12 months, League of Legends Esports has signed on multiple prominent partners which include Mastercard, Dell/Alienware, State Farm,and Nike. Additionally, Riot Games has launched multiple premium products including Pro View, Team Pass and Fan Pass, which supplement the viewing experience on Watch.lolesports.com, the portal developed by Riot Games specifically for League of Legends Esports. Riot Games is a member of the Nielsen Esports Advisory Board and has been actively leading efforts to standardise metrics for eSports viewership and sponsorship valuation.Read more: BANDAI NAMCO’s marketing lead Jennifer Poulson heads to Riot Games Riot Games’ James Lewin pushes brands to get into eSports Mindshare APAC’s innovation lead James Lewin joins Riot Games Mastercard enters e-sports scene via global deal with Riot Games Riot Games and MTV debut e-sports music festival Garena: Building community key to the success of eSports Nike partners Fortnite to launch in-game Jordan sneakers