Joanna Howarth, NB PR Joanna.howarth@newbalance.com Rival PR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW BALANCE AND RIVAL TO LAUNCH GAMING COMMUNITY
Boston (April 19, 2023) – New Balance is excited to join forces with gaming platform, Rival to grow the organization’s global gaming community. Through a series of online tournaments, powered by Rival, New Balance will aim to give the gaming community special access to the brand through athletes, ambassadors, unique experiences, and exclusive product.
This spring, New Balance will launch their presence on Rival through a Rocket League tournament that invites gamers and fans of the brand to compete for the chance to win a prize pack of New Balance sneakers and apparel.
“The world of gaming is an increasingly important medium due to the sense of community and connectivity that the experience fosters. We are excited to formally announce a relationship with Rival to bring unique and immersive gaming tournaments to consumers,” says Chris Davis, New Balance CMO and SVP Merchandising. “As a brand, we consistently strive to challenge the status quo and possess a relentless desire to innovate and evolve. New Balance sees significant opportunities to increase engagement and create meaningful consumer connectivity by uniting our fans through the Rival gaming experience.”
“Gaming is a natural extension for one of the world’s most respected lifestyle brands, extending its reputation for creative, relevant and grassroots initiatives,” said Rival CEO Matt Virtue. “Rival’s approach and platform will enable New Balance to deepen its connection with its well-established and passionate consumer base and bring its gaming community to life, with applications to every sport, every athlete and every gamer, at all levels.”
Known for its collaborations with professional sports teams, the relationship with New Balance is Rival’s third with a consumer brand, and first in the athletics and lifestyle space.
About New Balance
New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA, has the following purpose: Independent since 1906, we empower people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world. Manufactured in the U.S. for more than 75 years and representing a limited portion of our U.S. sales, New Balance MADE U.S. is a premium collection that contains a domestic value of 70% or greater. New Balance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs 8,000 associates around the globe, and in 2022 reported worldwide sales of $5.3 billion. To learn more about New Balance, please visit www.newbalance.com and for the latest press information please visit http://newbalance.newsmarket.com.
About Rival
Rival provides a first-of-its-kind, enterprise platform solution that empowers companies and organizations to leverage the popularity of gaming and esports to acquire new customers, drive engagement, build a loyal community around their brands and create new revenue streams. Through its proprietary technology, Rival connects the massive global appeal and audience of gaming and esports with sports teams, leagues, brands and media properties. With operations in two continents, Rival’s current partnership roster includes the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns, Monumental Sports and Entertainment, NHL’s Montreal Canadiens, NBA’s Detroit Pistons, the NBA 2K League, Liverpool F.C. and Leeds United of the English Premier League, as well as organizations including the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and Pop Warner Little Scholars. For media inquiries, please contact media@gorival.com | www.gorival.com.