The reasons why Boost Mobile has invested heavily in esports

Boost Mobile has confirmed their marketing direction, signing on to be the Official Telco Partner of the Melbourne Esports Open and Naming Rights Sponsor for the Supercars E-Series.

Boost has also signed on as Telco Partner of Australian esports team The Chiefs, who boast top teams in various competitive video game competitions.

Make no mistake, the global esports audience is growing rapidly and is tipped to reach 380 million in 2018, made up of 165 million enthusiasts and 215 million occasional viewers and Boost plans to take full advantage of the sports growing popularity.

A recent study by YouGov revealed that slightly fewer than four million Australians are watching esports, including 23% of all Australians aged 18 to 24.

“This is a fast-evolving and dynamic area, a new form of entertainment, where data and a great network have an important role to play,” General Manager of Boost Mobile Australia, Jason Haynes said.

“Esports and the broader gaming community is an area that appeals to our customers who are digital natives.”

Fortnite has seen a surge in popularity, with the YouGov study revealing it jumped from 45 million to 125 million players between January and June.

“Boost has strong roots in youth sports and this partnership appears to be a perfect natural extension,” Managing Director of Fairfax Events and Entertainment, Martin Jolly said.

Boost has strong investments in action sports, surf, skate and music, and currently holds an existing Supercars sponsorship of the Mobil 1 Boost Mobile Racing team, and its expansion into esports will see it further leverage this relationship as it becomes the naming rights partner for the Supercars E-Series, with the details of the Series to be announced by Supercars on Friday.