Overwatch League esports team LA Valiant (owned by esports organization Immortals) and global content leader Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) today announced a cross promotional partnership for the highly-anticipated comedy feature film “Uncle Drew” from Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment label. The deal, a first in esports, will see members of the Pacific Division Champion LA Valiant wearing “Uncle Drew” branded jerseys starting today and continuing through the Overwatch League playoffs. “Uncle Drew”, starring NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving with a supporting cast that includes NBA and WNBA legends, will hit theaters on June 29.
“This collaboration with two of our partners, Lionsgate and PepsiCo, arms us with the resources, IP, and creative thinking to continue our goal of leading the esports world in innovation,” said Ari Segal, President & COO of Immortals and the LA Valiant. “This partnership will integrate a major motion picture with a top esports team and its fan base in a deep and contextual way that’s never been attempted previously in this space.”
Fans will get a sneak peek at the “Uncle Drew” branded jerseys during the final week of Overwatch League’s regular season, as well as the Stage 4 playoffs on June 16. Additional activations and fan experiences will be announced at a later date. This partnership builds on a prior content-based deal between the television series “Ash vs Evil Dead” and the LA Valiant.
“We saw incredible enthusiasm from LA Valiant fans when we announced our television jersey sponsorship around Stage 2 of Overwatch League, and with the LA Valiant winning the Pacific Division championship, we felt that Uncle Drew was the next logical fit,” said Peter Levin, Lionsgate President of Interactive Ventures, Games & Digital Strategy. “This collaboration not only underscores the continued success of our investment in the leading esports franchise but our ability to create exciting cross-promotional opportunities around properties that we know will excite our fans.”
After draining his life savings to enter a team in the Rucker Classic streetball tournament in Harlem, Dax (Lil Rel Howery) is dealt a series of unfortunate setbacks, including losing his team to his longtime rival (Nick Kroll). Desperate to win the tournament and the cash prize, Dax stumbles upon the man, the myth, the legend Uncle Drew (NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving) and convinces him to return to the court one more time. The two men embark on a road trip to round up Drew’s old basketball squad (Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson, and Lisa Leslie) and prove that a group of septuagenarians can still win the big one.
“Uncle Drew” from Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment label is also produced by Temple Hill in association with Pepsi Productions.
