Chinese game publisher Tencent and tournament organizer VSPN announced that their co-hosted esports competition Peace Elite League (PEL) has signed a strategic partnership deal with the U.S.-based mixed martial arts league Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
This is the first time that UFC has partnered with an esports competition in China, and is expected to add more traditional sports league features in PEL according to a release. Additional details were not available at the time of writing. The Esports Observer reached out to VSPN, but the organization declined to share more information.
PEL is China’s top Peacekeeper Elite (the China-exclusive version of PUBG Mobile) esports competition. The league kicked off its second season today. PEL also has a sponsorship deal with Chinese smartphone brand OPPO.
Earlier this week, Tencent partnered with U.S. electric car maker Tesla for a promotion within Peacekeeper Elite, adding Tesla’s Model 3 electric car as a new in-game vehicle. VSPN told The Esports Observer that this vehicle will potentially be featured in matches during PEL. In addition, the commercial for “Tesla X Peacekeeper Elite” will also air during the league.
According to a report by Sensor Tower, PUBG MOBILE and Peacekeeper Elite have generated over $3B USD in lifetime revenue, and Peacekeeper Elite has generated $1.6B on the Chinese App Store.
