Condom brand Durex announced that it has signed multiple partnership deals with Riot Games for the League of Legends Pro League (LPL), Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), and the League of Legends World Championship (Worlds).
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Durex is owned by UK-based company Reckitt Benckiser, and is a brand of condoms and personal lubricants sold and marketed around the world.
TJ Sports operates the LPL—the joint venture of Riot Games and Tencent in China, while Riot operates MSI and Worlds as the two biggest annual events across the League of Legends esports ecosystem. This partnership is a milestone for Durex, as it represents the first time the brand has signed a deal related to the League of Legends esports brands. LPL has several notable sponsors for 2023 including Intel, Mercedes-Benz, smartphone company OnePlus, ecommerce company Jing Dong, and Chinese apparel company Li-Ning.
The League of Legends MSI 2023 will be held in London from May 2-21 and will be the first place the Durex brand will be highlighted. Because it has also signed partnerships with LPL, it’s more likely the brand will collaborate with LPL teams in MSI, including Jing Dong Gaming (JDG) and Bilibili Gaming (BLG).
Before Durex entered the League of Legends esports scene, it sponsored NetEase’s first Naraka Bladepoint World Championship in January 2022, alongside Jing Dong. In addition, another condom brand JISSBON also signed a sponsorship deal with the Chinese Dota 2 team PSG.LGD.