Deutsche Telekom is investing in eSports, intensifying its involvement in the gaming market. The Group has acquired a 25 percent holding in leading eSports business SK Gaming. That makes Telekom the first telco provider to invest directly in an eSports organization. As early as the middle of 2018, the company became the main sponsor and technology partner for SK Gaming. Deutsche Telekom provides support for the professional teams in such disciplines as League of Legends, Clash Royale, FIFA20 and Hearthstone.

“Our acquisition underlines the importance and value that Telekom places on eSports and gaming,” says Hiro Kishi, head of sports sponsorship at Telekom Deutschland. “Our networks, products and services provide the best possible environment for the eSports and gaming community. SK Gaming is the perfect partner with whom we can cooperate to shape the market into the future.”

“With Deutsche Telekom, we intend to further develop the eSports sector, and in some ways to redefine it,” says Alexander T. Müller, CEO of SK Gaming.  “In the course of our cooperation in the past, we’ve managed to move a lot forward at many different levels. We’re now looking forward to taking the next steps together.”

Deutsche Telekom’s networks, products and services are enabling participation in the digital world. The company is determined to offer gamers the best possible access to eSports. This commitment underlines the added value provided by Deutsche Telekom’s high-quality network and its technological know-how in the gaming sector. The proof of this can be seen in the fact that SK Gaming’s two performance centers in Cologne and Berlin are connected using state-of-the-art fiber-optic cables. They provide the professionals with the ideal training environment.

SK Gaming is a leading sports organization founded in 1997, with its head office in Cologne. The company is one of the world’s best-known brands in eSports. Over the last two decades, SK Gaming has won more than 65 international prizes in a multitude of disciplines. SK Gaming now dominates a number of eSports championships. Together with company founder Alexander T. Müller, Mercedes-Benz, 1. FC Köln and now Deutsche Telekom each hold 25 percent of the company’s stock.