Chinese multinational appliance and electronics manufacturer giant Hisense Group Holdings (Hisense) announced on Thursday that it has signed a sponsorship deal with China’s top Honor of Kings competition – the King Pro League (KPL), becoming one of its official partners alongside apparel brand PUMA, Snapdragon, automobile brand Shanghai Volkswagen, shampoo brand Clear, food delivery Meituan, brewery brand Snow Beer, and machine oil brand Castrol.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Hisense is one of China’s biggest home appliance brands and has been enthusiastic about sponsoring global football events since 2016. Hisense sponsored the 2016 and 2020 UEFA European Championship, the 2018 Russia FIFA World Cup, and the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup. On Sept. 1, Hisense announced that it would become the official global partner of the 2024 Germany UEFA European Championship.
Thursday’s announcement marks the first time that Hisense has sponsored an esports competition.
In January, Honor of Kings developer TiMi Studios announced its commitment to growing the game’s global esports scene by investing $15M USD in overseas markets and building an international esports ecosystem.