The ESI Podcast: Teams vs players – developing image rights and branding

We’re delighted to release the third episode of the ESI Podcast, a four-part series in partnership with Mishcon de Reya.

You can click the following links to listen to the first two podcasts where we looked at: the opportunity at the intersection between gambling and esports and working with publishers as a tournament organiser.

Episode three again features three industry-leading guests to look at the image rights landscape and how it may change and develop as players become infinitely more popular and brands look for individual endorsements.

The podcast lineup is as follows:

• Ollie Ring – Head of Media – Esports Insider (Host)
• Tom Murray – Sport & Commercial Associate – Mishcon de Reya LLP (@sportslawtom on Insta)
  
• Seb Carmichael Brown – Commercial Director – Hashtag United
• Anna Baumann – Managing Director – Rogue

Throughout esports, there is a mixed approach to branding and image rights. Although we haven’t seen a huge amount of clashes just yet – there’s potential for a team to be sponsored by one beverage brand, only for an individual player to have individual endorsements with another. 

Esports is still navigating the complex rights landscape and this is an area that’s sure to develop more and more in the future as the industry continues to grow and prosper. With franchise leagues the split is clear for the teams and the league – but how does this interact with the player? If a team is sponsored by one peripheral brand but a player prefers another just how may that work?

Player brands are starting to draw individual sponsorship, as is similar to influencers and streamers also signed by esports organisations.

Our podcast brings some of the brightest minds in the esports landscape to discuss how they deal with player and team branding and some of the many legal issues that surround the industry. 

The ESI podcast in partnership with Mishcon de Reya will return next week to look at how player visas work and the challenges surrounding esports in that sense. The guests will include FACEIT, EXCEL and Mishcon de Reya LLP.