UK-based esports and sports betting platform Midnite has become team sponsor of ReKTGlobal’s London Royal Ravens Call of Duty League side.
In doing so, it has become the first betting partner of a Call of Duty League (CDL) franchise team.
The new partnership will include jersey sponsorship, content creation and more as the betting company looks to offer fans extra engagement to the team.
The news comes as The Esports Observer reports that Activision has loosened its sponsorship restrictions for both the Call of Duty League and the Overwatch League, saying it will apparently now allow betting and liquor sponsors.
Activision Blizzard’s community tournament license requirements still state that competitions “cannot be sponsored by any companies that sell or promote organisations associated with gambling” (as well as things like alcohol, tobacco, firearms and more). But these community requirements are separate to custom tournament requirements, and of course the Call of Duty League and Overwatch League will have their own requirements.
Early last year, Midnite announced it had secured $2.5m in funding, and obtained a UK betting license from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).
Midnite says it’s ‘creating the ideal place to bet on esports by building a community of engaged esports bettors, and consistently providing them with the best odds and promos on their favorite games’. It currently focuses on big esports titles CoD, CSGO, League of Legends, Dota 2 and more.
“The London Royal Ravens proudly stand as the sole team representing the United Kingdom in the Call of Duty League, so we’re thrilled to be partnering with another UK-based organisation in Midnite.”
Brad Sive, ReKTGlobal
“As a London-based esports betting operator, and huge fans of the team, it’s an honour for Midnite to partner with the London Royal Ravens,” said Sujoy Roy, marketing director at Midnite. “We’ve built the best place to bet on the Call of Duty League, and as an esports-first company, we’re proud of all the community features we offer.
“Our UKGC license means we operate under the world’s strictest betting regulations, to offer players a safer gambling experience. We greatly admire the growth the team has shown over the previous months and we’re ecstatic to join them on this journey forward.”
Brad Sive, chief revenue officer at ReKTGlobal, added: “The London Royal Ravens proudly stand as the sole team representing the United Kingdom in the Call of Duty League, so we’re thrilled to be partnering with another UK-based organisation in Midnite.
“Midnite is the best-in-class, so we know this partnership will add value to our community that are Royal Ravens fans, as well as those that are fans of traditional sports.”
The London Royal Ravens will head into the Call of Duty League Stage III Major with momentum, after wins against the New York Subliners and Seattle Surge this stage.
The Royal Ravens will sport the Midnite logo on their jerseys for the remainder of the 2021 CDL season. The team roster includes Sean ‘Seany’ O’Conner, Alex ‘Zaptius’ Bonilla, Paul ‘PaulEhx’ Avila, and Zach ‘Zed’ Denyer.
The London Royal Ravens will kick off the Stage III Major on Thursday May 13th against the Paris Legion at 8pm BST.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
