Mentioned in this article
- Guy “Dr Disrespect” Beahm has teamed up with Meta Threads to launch line of apparel.
- Newzoo projects $103M USD in revenue will be generated by merchandise and ticket sales in 2019.
- Nike, adidas, Puma, have jumped into the esports and influencer apparel market.
Meta Threads, a lifestyle gaming brand, has announced a collaboration with Guy “Dr Disrespect” Beahm to offer consumers “The Dr Disrespect Line” of athletic apparel. The line will feature three hoodies, two long sleeve t-shirts, two short sleeve t-shirts, and two hats.
Esports and influencer branded apparel and sponsorship deals have been big in 2019 as the likes of Nike, adidas, and Puma and have entered the space. Additionally, retail space is being dedicated to esports and influencer merchandise with Nerd Street Gamers and We Are Nations just having signed a deal that will see esports player and team apparel sold in Localhost stores.
“With the increased visibility the esports and gaming community is receiving, we anticipate seeing more mainstream sales channels open up. Just within the past six months Meta Threads has become a certified vendor with Zumiez, Best Buy, and WalMart,” Steve Nabi, Meta Threads CEO told Esports Observer. “We believe this trend will continue to grow as retailers begin to explore the potential revenues that can be had from merchandise sales within our market.”
According to a report by Newzoo, esport merchandise and ticket sales should see revenue figures over $103M at the close of 2019.
Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, a gaming streamer who recently moved to the streaming platform Mixer, commands a large audience which caught the eyes of adidas executives who ended up signing the influencer to a deal.
Meta Threads has previously developed collections for several of gaming influencers including Rachel “Valkyrae” Marie and Federico “FEDMYSTER” Gaytan. The company has also produced apparel for a number of esports teams including Immortals and Panda Global.
“The largest difference between developing product for an esports organization and an individual influencer is the design directive. In the case of an esports org we need to consider two elements; performance and lifestyle,” Nabi said. “Both of these aspects are equally important to a team, whereas most streamers are keen on developing a casualwear line their fans would appreciate. Regardless of who we work with, our main goal is to present our partners with high-quality garments and design detail.”
