Manny Pacquiao Launches New Esports Brand
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]When Manny Pacquiao retired to pursue a career in politics in his home country of the Philippines, no one knew what to expect.
First, the now senator officially announced that he is accepting his party’s nomination to be a presidential candidate. Quite a remarkable turnaround for a guy who made millions punching dudes in the face for decades.
The real surprise came just last week when Senator Pacquiao announced via an official live-stream press conference that he is launching a gaming and esports brand: Team Pacquiao GG. While this is a likely shock to many, it really doesn’t come as a surprise if you think about it.
Why Now?
The video game and esports scene is exploding in Southeast Asia, much like it is in the rest of the world. With over 40 million esports fans in a region that’s beginning to adopt esports as a legitimate form of entertainment, the market is open for anyone to be the biggest beast in the region.
Team Pacquiao is a joint venture with the Veloce Group, a UK firm that works with brands like Mercedes, McLaren, F1, and EA. But this is the group’s first expansion outside of the UK. The CEO, Rupert Svendsen-Cook had this to say:
“Team Pacquiao represents our first joint-venture entity in Asia and we’re honoured to be creating something that raises the bar within the region alongside an incredible team of creator talent as well as the man himself, Manny Pacquiao.”
Who is Team Pacquiao?
Team Pacquiao partners with 5 Philippino creators that provides them with an instant audience of 43 million followers combined. The goal is to have the creators leverage their personalities and communities to grow TPGG into something incredible.
The roster of creator include Een Mercado, the first Philippino woman to become an esports pro, as an ambassador. She will also work as the lead for TPGG’s female empowerment initiatives.
From what it sounds like, Team Pacquiao is coming out of the gate firing and aims to be an esports giant in Southeast Asia. Maybe even the world!
Header image courtesy of Shutterstock[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]