Activision Blizzard enlists Nielsen for esports valuation
Tracking firm to assess value of sponsorship packages to see if brands are getting their money's worth
It appears brands and advertisers could use some reassurance when it comes to esports. Activision Blizzard today announced that it has enlisted the esports division of tracking firm Nielsen to assess the value of sponsorships across its competitive gaming leagues and titles.
Saying that the deal demonstrates its "commitment to its advertisers and third-party verification," Activision Blizzard will have Nielsen apply the same methodology it uses to put a price on traditional sports sponsorship value and apply it to a variety of the publisher's games and events.
As an Activision Blizzard representative described it, "If X Brand purchases a sponsorship package that shows their logo in broadcast, Nielsen will measure the size of the logo, placement in broadcast, amount of time on screen, etc. to determine whether the brand received the proper value for the amount of money they spent."
The effort will begin this year with Overwatch League, Overwatch World Cup, Overwatch Contenders, and the Call of Duty World League. Nielsen expects to begin evaluating other esports programs in the coming year as well.