The Kansas City Royals on Monday announced a partnership with one of the fastest-growing esports organizations in North America: the Kansas City Pioneers.
Among the first partnerships of its kind in the MLB, the move represents an opportunity to connect two passionate fan bases — baseball fans and fans of gaming, the Royals said in a partnership announcement.
“We share a lot of the same DNA. A love of competition. A love of our city. And a genuine passion for bringing innovative experiences to our fans,” said Tony Snethen, vice president of brand innovation for the Royals, ahead of the team’s March 30 opening day.
The Pioneers — one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2023 — is an entertainment, media and gaming organization. Its players compete in top-tier esports at professional levels in Rocket League, Apex Legends, eNASCAR iRacing with content creators in dozens of other titles.
Click here to learn more about the Kansas City Pioneers.
Members of the KC Pioneers during an April 2022 Pioneers bootcamp at Kauffman Stadium
Mark Josey, Kansas City Pioneers
Last season, the Royals and Pioneers hosted an event at Kauffman Stadium where some of the best esports teams in the world came together to prep for the HALO Championship Series Tournament that took place in Kansas City, according to the Royals. At the time, it was one of the first partnerships between an MLB team and an esports team.
This season, the Royals and the Pioneers will look to build on the success with a Gamer Night activation at the K, Community initiatives, and more, added Mark Josey, CEO of the KC Pioneers.
”Partnering on world-class events, like we did last season, that really connect new experiences to fans of traditional sports and gaming here in the Midwest is very exciting,” said Josey. “Merging new and existing audiences in engaging ways, whether through interacting with streaming content and events or sitting on the first base line, that is truly the future, and we could not be happier to partner with the Royals to help lead the way and cheer us on as the home team.”
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