Nike has agreed to a partnership with South Korean eSports giant T1 Entertainment & Sports. The sportswear giant will help create training programs designed to boost the athletic capabilities of T1’s players and teams based on its sports research facilities and athletic training expertise.
All T1 players and teams will now be wearing Nike footwear and apparel during competition. This includes T1’s famous League of Legends team, featuring the star player Faker.
Nike and T1 partnership a historic moment
“We’re interested in understanding and learning more about the relationship between improved physical fitness and athleticism as it relates to gaming. These athletes have unique skill sets that we believe we can help improve through tailored training methods,” said Brant Hirst, marketing director of Nike Korea.
“Partnering with Nike marks a historic moment in our organization’s history as we work to transcend esports and further cement T1’s position as a global brand,” Joe Marsh, chief executive of T1, said.
The partnership was brokered by Lagardère Sports, T1’s exclusive commercial agent. T1 Entertainment & Sports was launched in October 2019 as US media giant Comcast combined forces with South Korea’s largest telecommunication operator SK Telecom.
