Melbourne Esports Open announces commercial partners

New details have been released about Australia’s biggest esports event in Melbourne later this year.

The Melbourne Esports Open will be organised by TEG Live and the world’s largest esports company ESL, with the event to be held at Rod Laver Arena on September 1 and 2 this year.

TEG has confirmed a multiyear deal with video games publisher Riot Games, which will see the Oceanic Pro League Finals of its flagship game League of Legends headlining the Melbourne Esports Open (MEO) until 2022.

JB Hi-Fi has also been announced as the official presenting partner of the event for the next three years.

TEG CEO Geoff Jones said: “TEG is committed to creating an unforgettable experience across the Melbourne Park precinct for esports fans from all over Australia and overseas.”

“On our projected attendances, the number of matches and the sheer scale of activity, the MEO will be the biggest local esports event staged in the Oceania region and as a celebration of the very best in esports competition, TEG Live and ESL aim to make this event the epicentre of esports in this country.”

Head of Oceanic Esports for Riot Games Daniel Ringland said: “The OPL had a stadium Grand Final at Sydney’s Luna Park in 2015 and Brisbane’s Courier Mail Plaza in 2016.”

“However, 2017 lacked a stadium Grand Final which was disappointing to our fans and didn’t reflect the magnitude of the OPL Grand Final, which selects the team who will go on to participate in the largest esports event the world has ever seen – the League of LegendsWorld Championship.”

“The Melbourne Esports Open solves that in a sustainable, annual event and I’m thrilled to be able to deliver our fans a stadium event in Melbourne for the next five years.”