Berlin International Gaming is one of the strongest esports clubs in Germany and is sponsored by companies like Red Bull. CEO Daniel Finkler is open to partnerships with fashion labels. How Hugo Boss with Bayern Munich? “Great example.”
Everyone knows Bayern Munich. But who knows Berlin International Gaming (Big)? The Berlin e-sports club may only be known to a manageable circle so far, but the circle of supporters could quickly expand significantly.
Big CEO Daniel Finkler is convinced that in the future e-sports will be mentioned in the same breath as football and that the salaries of top professionals will approach those of Bundesliga professionals. He is open to partnerships with fashion labels: “I would like a label that would like to work with us on this very emotional topic with full passion in the coming years.”
TextilWirtschaft: What are the most important games?
Daniel Finkler: The current top titles for years have been League Of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2. In addition to these established games, new titles can be added at any time. Right now I see the game Valorant on the rise.
In which countries is e-sports really big? Where does Germany stand?
The younger a country’s population and the greater the average wealth, the more popular esports are. E-sports are traditionally very popular in Korea, but growth is also strong in Europe and the USA. This also applies to Brazil and Turkey.
What are the salaries for the top professionals?
The salaries of the top professionals in the most relevant e-sports titles are now at a good six-figure level. With a strong upward trend. Salaries in the millions are still the exception, but that will change in the coming years and decades. I expect that in the foreseeable future, ten to twenty years from now, we will be able to catch up with salaries in traditional sports such as football or basketball.
Fans at a game in New York: “Gaming is cross-generational.”
Are the professional gamers the soccer stars of the 21st century?
Definitely. These players are already stars within the scene. This also includes our player Florian Rische in the game Counter-Strike, who is one of the best players in the world under the name “syrsoN”. It is only a matter of time before esports professionals achieve similar levels of recognition and popularity as the most prominent athletes. I am convinced of that.
For football clubs like FC Bayern, TV and media rights are pillars of revenue. What are the most important sources of revenue for a club like Berlin International Gaming?
There are still differences here. If you compare us with classic sport, e-sports clubs still have a large preponderance of sponsorship sales. With us, sponsorship sales are around 75% of total income. Transfer proceeds, merchandise sales and prize money complete the sales. Some clubs already achieve a large share with merchandise or stakes in franchise leagues. TV money, or sales through participation in broadcast revenues, are still negligible in many cases. However, that will change significantly in the coming years. This also reduces the dependency on sponsorship money.
What does it take for the ARD sports show to report on e-sports?
A simple calculation is sufficient here. The average age in Germany is 44.5 years. In contrast, esports fans are younger. 70% are under 35 years old. Most of them are between 20 and 30. The general public that broadcasters target is older than the gaming community and has different interests. That will change in the years and decades to come, so esports will naturally make a huge leap in public perception. However, we are already on the right track today. E-sport is also becoming more and more present in the German TV and press landscape and is becoming increasingly important. The interest increases from year to year.
Gucci is there: the luxury brand has brought out a watch with the e-sport Fnatic.
Who are the sponsors?
International global brands have long recognized the opportunities offered by esports and have been active advertising partners of organizers, teams and players for years. With Red Bull, HP, Volvic and Betway we have already been able to win some global brands as partners. The rights of the sponsorship packages differ depending on the goals of the partners. In addition to classic logo placements on jerseys and social media channels, we also produce complex, tailor-made content campaigns with partners or agencies. The placement of the partners within the Twitch live streams of our players is an important part of such packages.
Many esports clubs have a wide range of merchandise and seem to be significantly further than the soccer clubs.
E-sports is part of the gaming culture to which more and more people from Generation X onwards feel they belong. Gaming has not been a trend for a long time, but a cross-generational movement that creates belonging. That is why we attach great importance to the fact that we offer everyday merchandise that our fans can use to express their affiliation in everyday life.
Louis Vuitton dresses characters in the game Leage of Legends.
Hugo Boss dresses the FC Bayern players. Which fashion label would you like for Big?
For Big, I would like a fashion label that recognizes the potential of esports. This applies to merchandising in particular. I would like a label that would like to work with us on this very emotional topic with full passion in the coming years. Buying a hoodie or jersey from Big is always a very emotional decision. We want to make sure that every fan finds the right article for himself so that he can show his emotional connection to our club in everyday life. Hugo Boss’ commitment to FC Bayern is definitely a great example of a successful cooperation.
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