League of Legends is one of the most well-known and popular online games in the world, with over 120 million active players.

It is also a leading esports league, helping some of the most famous pro players in the world get their start. Their various tournaments bring in millions of viewers and fans each year.

In order to monetize this huge audience, Riot Games has announced that they will be introducing a new form of advertisement in their esports broadcasts. 

Sponsors of League of Legends esports can now display their branding on banners that will appear in the Summoner’s Rift map.

The new advertisements will be introduced at the start of the LCS Summer Split, which begins on June 12.

Anyone tuning in to the official League of Legends broadcast will be able to view the banners,

But the pros competing will only see the standard banners, so they’re not distracted by them.

Two of Riot’s biggest global partners, Mastercard and Alienware, are confirmed to be taking part in this new opportunity. 

The Head of Global Esports Partnerships at Riot Games, Naz Aletaha, stated that the branded banners were driven by their desire to 

“define modern sports by continuously innovating how audiences experience League of Legends.”

She added that putting “our partners’ brands directly on the field of play,” 

creates “an immersive experience that echoes the energy found in major sports arenas.”

Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, backed this point, 

stating that “Traditional marketing is evolving with more innovative ways to reach consumers.”

“This evolution continues to help us reach fans in contextually relevant ways, where they are doing the things they love most,”

Since this has never been done before, it has, of course, sparked discussion within the wider esports scene.

There is a lot of debate surrounding how much income this new way of advertising will generate for Riot and its partners.

Other esports leagues, such as Overwatch League, have sponsors or partnerships advertised on their broadcasts, 

But they are usually given a shout out by hosts, or have ads placed around the arena.

This means that there is a good chance that branded banners will become a trend among other esports leagues if it proves profitable. 

Riot themselves are also waiting to see how effective the banners are, 

as they have mentioned that Valorant’s esports league will also have in-game advertisements when it launches.

Only time will tell how much new income this brings in for Riot and their sponsors, 

And whether this will become commonplace in esports in the future.