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Press release
25 April 2023
Guild Esports PLC
("Guild Esports" or "Guild" or "the Company")
Sponsorship and merchandising deal signed with sports and fashion brand hummel
Guild Esports (LSE: GILD), a global teams organisation and lifestyle brand, is pleased to announce it has signed a three-year sponsorship and merchandising deal with Hummel International Sport & Leisure A/S ("hummel"), a leading global sports and fashion brand and manufacturer of high-quality sportswear, and its UK licence and rights holder SportsPro.
The sponsorship will generate up to £700,000 of revenues for the Company over the duration of the contract and appoints hummel as Guild's Official Technical Kit Partner, receiving exposure on the front of Guild's team jerseys.
In addition, hummel will gain exclusive rights to the production and sale of Guild-branded apparel. Under the terms of the merchandising partnership, Guild-branded apparel will be sold online including hummel's website and potentially at the high street outlets of major retailers in the UK and Ireland, subject to confirmation in due course.
Guild will receive a double-digit share of the merchandising revenues sold through hummel, including performance-linked payments based on certain sales targets being achieved. Based on Guild's sales projections, the combined value of the sponsorship and merchandising deal is estimated at approximately £1m over the three-year contract term.
The products are scheduled to go on sale on 1 October 2023 and include a new jersey worn by Guild professional players, as well as a lifestyle hoodie, sweatpants, headwear and luggage.
hummel was founded 100 years ago and has continued to build its reputation among the world's leading sportswear brands. The company is the official supplier for the Danish national football team, as well as numerous handball and football teams including Everton and Real Betis. hummel has established itself as a trusted supplier to the esports industry through its partnerships with global teams Astralis, Red Bull Racing and Team Vitality.
Jasmine Skee, CEO of Guild Esports, said: "We are delighted to welcome hummel, an internationally renowned sportswear brand, to the Guild family. This partnership not only brings more sponsorship revenue but also marks a step change in our merchandising efforts, with the potential to enable our fans to buy a premium quality range of Guild-branded products through some of the UK's biggest retailers for the first time. We are proud to have the hummel name on our players' jerseys as they compete across the world's biggest esports tournaments."
Allan Vad Nielsen, CEO of hummel, said: "We are thrilled to welcome Guild Esports to the hummel family. As a brand, we have always been committed to developing local communities and promoting diversity and inclusion, and we see these values reflected in Guild's approach to esports. Guild's unique talent pipeline based on the traditional sports academy model aligns with our vision of building a strong foundation for the future of esports, and we look forward to work together to empower and inspire the next generation of esports athletes and fans."
Chris Kirby, CEO of SportsPro, said: "I'm really excited by this partnership, as it's a great synergy, aligning many important values across both companies. The SportsPro and Guild teams have worked tirelessly in securing this deal, fans will be truly excited upon release of such collaborative collections."
For further information please contact:
| Guild Esports | |
| Jasmine Skee Chief Executive Neil Thapar Investor Relations | via Tancredi +44 207 887 7633
+44 7876 455 323 |
| Tennyson Securities | |
| Corporate Broker Peter Krens | +44 207 186 9030 |
| Tancredi Intelligent Communication Media Relations | |
| Helen Humphrey Charlie Hobbs Maddy Newman guild@tancredigroup.com | +44 7449 226 720 +44 7897 557 112 +44 7380 127 135 |
About Guild Esports:
Guild Esports PLC is a global fan-focused team organisation and lifestyle brand that fields professional players in gaming competitions under the Guild banner. Our in-house training academy aims to attract and nurture the best esports talent, and our goal is to provide the ultimate entertainment experience alongside a distinctive lifestyle brand authentic to the esports community worldwide. Guild is led by an experienced management team of esports veterans and co-owned by David Beckham. The Company is headquartered in the UK and its shares are listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange (ticker: GILD) and on the OTCQB Venture Market in the United States (ticker: GULDF). Please visit www.guildesports.com for more information.
About hummel:
hummel is a Danish sports-and-fashion brand with a history leading back to 1923. hummel designs, produces and markets sportswear, training wear, equipment and sneakers for adults and children, male and female. Through the four product categories teamsport, footwear, kids, sport lifestyle as well as selected premium co-labs, hummel delivers new styles multiple times during the year with a mix of retro and contemporary trends. hummel A/S is a part of Thornico A/S.
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