Ally Financial announced Wednesday that it is expanding its relationship with Rocket League Esports that it established in February with a financial investment in Womenโs competitive Rocket League.ย
Financial terms of the expanded relationship were not disclosed.
Ally said in a release that the investment is designed to promote women who compete in esportsโspecifically those professionals who are part of the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS)โthrough a new womenโs tournament. The expanded support of RLCS and Womenโs Rocket League competitions is part of Allyโs pledge to โreach 50/50 media spend across menโs and womenโs sports, including esports,โ according to a release.ย
ย Ally became an official sponsor of the North American RLCS in February 2023, and that deal included branding during RLCS broadcasts of the Winter and Spring splits. As part of that sponsorship, Ally will also be a headline supporter ofย the Ally Womenโs Open, a womenโs Rocket League tournament set to take place in March 2023, with a $20K USD prize pool for North America and $20K for Europe. The Ally Womenโs Open is being produced by Raidiant, a gaming and esports media platform led by an all-womenโs management team and industry vet Heather Garozzo.
In addition to sponsoring the Ally Womenโs Open, Allyโs partnership will now include ad buys and broadcast integrations during RLCS North American livestreams and inclusion in the leagueโs associated social media campaigns. The sponsorship is designed to โhelp elevate amateur and semi-pro players, known as the Bubble sceneโ through a new community empowerment campaign with Rocket League Esports. These tournaments will โexpose newer players to talent scouts, which can eventually lead to larger financial opportunities by competing in the RLCS,โ according to a release.
The Ally Womenโs Open will be broadcast on Rocket Leagueโs Twitch Channel starting at 11:00 a.m. ET / 8:00 a.m. PT on March 26.ย
Rocket League and the RLCS is operated by developer Psyonix, which is owned by Fortnite maker Epic Games.