
League of Legends: T1 Announce Partnership with Nike
| Tags: League of Legends
| Author David Hollingsworth

One of the most recognizable brands in esports, LCK side T1, formally known as SKT has partnered with Nike.
T1 announced that they see this as a partnership beyond just League of Legends and esports. As they look to utilize this partnership to bring its brand to fans globally.
[@T1 X @Nike Partnership Announcement]
We are proud to announce that Nike will be our global partner to empower our players and improve performance.#T1WIN #T1Fighting pic.twitter.com/RXTwPq3MKl— T1 LoL (@T1LoL) January 16, 2020
This latest partnership sees Nike make yet another move into esports. They recently partnering with the entire Chinese League of Legends League, the LPL. The deal saw Nike design jerseys for each of the teams in the league. There were signature flairs for each team, and recognition given to LPL winners with the addition of stars. Nike joins a growing number of fashion brands moving into esports with the likes of Puma, Louis Vuitton and K Swiss all making their mark on the scene and its huge young audience.
Little information is known about the deal apart from the intentional Tweet from T1. Though the idea of a full T1 x Nike streetwear and professional range of clothing will surely be a hit with fans. As well as grab some headlines globally in the esports world.
Major Players
While we know little about the deal, it’s without a doubt a major one. Nike, Adidas etc are major players in traditional sports, its kit deals are game-changing sums of money in football, basketball etc. And we’re not far away from seeing similar trends start to appear in esports. Though, the curious aspect certainly comes from what model will be adopted going forward. With franchised leagues offering a company the ability to appear on an entire region’s rosters in one partnership like the LPL it might create a level playing field for smaller teams. On the flip side, deals like this one with T1 allow big sides to flex their dominance pulling off huge partnerships such as this.
The LCK kicks off February 5th, with T1 taking on DAMWON Gaming in the first match of the 2020 Spring Split.