JD Sports Fashion is the new sponsor of Excel Esports, whose team competes in tournaments for such video games as FIFA, Fortnite and League of Legends. JD is replacing BT Sport, a provider of pay-to-view sports on TV in the U.K. Terms have not been disclosed.
Excel’s e-sports players will be wearing the sportswear retailer’s logo and its academy roster will be renamed JDXL.
The German data company Statista estimates the e-sports market to have been worth $1.28 billion in 2021 and projects a value for 2025 of $2.89 billion. Last July it estimated the overall video game market to be worth $178.37 billion worldwide and £5.89 billion (€7.07bn-$8.02bn) in the U.K.
