Bang & Olufsen has established a three-year partnership with Danish organisation Astralis Group, marking the first foray into esports for the Danish audio manufacturer.
Astralis was previously partnered with gaming accessory manufacturer Turtle Beach.
Through the deal, Astralis’ teams in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, and FIFA will be supplied with products for off-screen use.
Bang & Olufsen will also serve as the main sponsor of the organisation’s FIFA team, which used to compete under the name Future FC.
Jakob Lund Kristensen, co-founder and CCO of Astralis Group, spoke on the deal in a release:
“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Bang & Olufsen. The partnership is of great value not only commercially, but also brand-wise. Bang & Olufsen shares the values of Astralis: To be on top of their game with a clear identity and uncompromising approach to craft and quality.
“We will be working together to promote Bang & Olufsen products, while Bang & Olufsen will be the main sponsor for our FIFA team, which will include jersey exposure and digital appearances. The agreement is a group partnership, covering both the organisation and the players on our three teams when they are off the server, travelling and working out.”
Bang & Olufsen will rely on Astralis Group’s position and esports knowledge to inform its future line of gaming products, according to a release.
Christoffer Poulsen, SVP of Product Management at Bang & Olufsen, added:
“We expect to leverage on Astralis’ unique position and capabilities to help us realise the commercial potential in the gaming industry, which is valued more than twice the size of the movie and music industries combined.
“The first product in our gaming portfolio is a set of headphones that will be available Spring 2021. A premium product, which will bring Bang & Olufsen standards into gaming for the first time.”
Photo credit: Astralis Group