Puma Partners with Cloud9

Puma has announced a multiyear partnership with esports brand Cloud9 to create an apparel collection for gamers.

“Tapping into the world of esports, and its broad, dynamic consumer audience, is critical to our marketing strategy moving forward,” Adam Petrick, global director of brand and marketing at Puma said.

“Being able to transcend esports and elevate our brand within a broader global audience is the natural evolution of the growth of Cloud9,” Jordan Udko, executive vice president, commercial partnerships for Cloud9 said.

The effort to capture consumers interested in esports to buy sneakers and apparel may be difficult for Puma and others, according to Matt Powell, a senior industry analyst for market researcher NPD Group.

“It’s really going to be interesting to see if anyone can monetize it. There is an opportunity for a connection. Players want to identify themselves as players. If this is how they choose to do it, there is a monetary opportunity. Whether the esports player is focused on that as much as the real sports player remains to be seen,” Powell said.