Royals announce gaming partnership with KC’s premier esports org: We share the same DNA
March 27, 2023 | Startland News Staff
The Kansas City Royals on Monday announced a partnership with one of the fastest-growing esports organizations in North America: the Kansas City Pioneers.
Among the first partnerships of its kind in the MLB, the move represents an opportunity to connect two passionate fan bases — baseball fans and fans of gaming, the Royals said in a partnership announcement.
“We share a lot of the same DNA. A love of competition. A love of our city. And a genuine passion for bringing innovative experiences to our fans,” said Tony Snethen, vice president of brand innovation for the Royals, ahead of the team’s March 30 opening day.
The Pioneers — one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2023 — is an entertainment, media and gaming organization. Its players compete in top-tier esports at professional levels in Rocket League, Apex Legends, eNASCAR iRacing with content creators in dozens of other titles.
Click here to learn more about the Kansas City Pioneers.
Members of the KC Pioneers during an April 2022 Pioneers bootcamp at Kauffman Stadium
Mark Josey, Kansas City Pioneers
Last season, the Royals and Pioneers hosted an event at Kauffman Stadium where some of the best esports teams in the world came together to prep for the HALO Championship Series Tournament that took place in Kansas City, according to the Royals. At the time, it was one of the first partnerships between an MLB team and an esports team.
This season, the Royals and the Pioneers will look to build on the success with a Gamer Night activation at the K, Community initiatives, and more, added Mark Josey, CEO of the KC Pioneers.
”Partnering on world-class events, like we did last season, that really connect new experiences to fans of traditional sports and gaming here in the Midwest is very exciting,” said Josey. “Merging new and existing audiences in engaging ways, whether through interacting with streaming content and events or sitting on the first base line, that is truly the future, and we could not be happier to partner with the Royals to help lead the way and cheer us on as the home team.”
Click here to follow the Kansas City Pioneers on Instagram.
Featured Business
2023 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
KC-built sports tech startup acquired by AI-powered fundraising, engagement platform
The acquisition of Kansas City-built Athlete Network — a platform designed to foster lifelong connections between student-athletes and athletic alumni — deepens the startup’s work a decade after it launched, its founder said. “This is a huge milestone for our team, and I want to take a moment to sincerely thank our teammates, partners and…
Investors laud emerging founder’s expertise as CarePilot logs $2.5M for AI healthtech tool
It’s rare for a regional venture capital firm like KCRise Fund to invest in an entrepreneur just out of college, the Midwest-focused firm told Startland News, detailing the remarkable talent that led it to join an early round for Joseph Tutera’s digital health startup. Overland Park-based CarePilot recently announced a $2.5 million seed round led…
Whir to find hyper-local deals: Startup launching app to help newcomers, natives connect to small biz exclusives
A side quest for $5 burger baskets and cheap beers has matured into a tech platform built to help a wide range of users easily discover local deals, said Blake Coffee, noting his startup deepens small businesses’ engagement with their communities. “We definitely thought it would be more of a college app at first,” said…
How this startup founder earned $200K in unrestricted, trust-based funding to transform KC’s relationship to food
Long-term community change comes one meal at a time, acknowledged one of Attane Health’s biggest supporters, reflecting on the Kansas City startup’s growth from the “spark of an idea to a full-fledged solution” — ultimately earning its founder a game-changing funding boost. The St. Louis-based Missouri Foundation for Health this month announced its inaugural Spark Prize…