Spotify has entered the esports landscape, penning a deal with Riot Games. Through the deal, Spotify will launch a League of Legends esports music hub.
Together, the two brands will also release original podcasts. The League of Legends Spotify page already had 4.9 million followers, but the official partnership opens up a broader opportunity. More than 100 million people watched the 2019 League of Legends World Championship.
Spotify has been growing its sports programming, bringing on former Facebook head of sport media partnerships Amy Hudson to lead sports podcasting efforts. Last year, Spotify bought podcast network Gimlet Media for $230 million. Earlier this year, the company purchased The Ringer for $200 million and The Joe Rogan Experience for $100 million. It now has 1.5 million podcasts.
Recently, Spotify also rolled out a new playlist called Daily Sports, bringing together sports commentary and personalized music recommendations.
