Overwatch League Ends Deal With Fanatics, Lets Teams Source Their Own Merchandise

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 29: A view of The San Francisco Shock and Vancouver Titans will face off at the Overwatch League Grand Finals 2019 at Wells Fargo Center on September 29, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. | Credit: Getty Images/Blizzard Entertainment by Bryan Bedder

By Brendan Menapace

E-sports are becoming a huge market for branded merchandise. And now, a rule change within the Overwatch League has allowed teams to source their own promotional apparel and products.

Previously, the Overwatch League and its teams were bound by contract to Fanatics. This was pretty big news, considering Fanatics had only dealt with “traditional sports,” so it gave some legitimacy to the e-sports world and proved to some naysayers that it was here to stay.

But some fans were disappointed in the product quality and price points, however. And the deal, which ran for the 2019 and 2020 seasons, has now expired, freeing Overwatch League teams to source their apparel and merchandise from anyone.

So far, one team has already lined up a new vendor for its merchandise, and another is looking for input from its fans.

Let's, say, HYPOTHETICALLY, we could make our own merch...

Let's say, HYPOTHETICALLY, we wanted some ideas from the community on what they would want to wear...

What's the (hypothetical) move? 🤔

— Florida Mayhem (@FLMayhem) February 1, 2021

That would certainly suggest that the team is looking to design and create its own merchandise, like a German soccer team did earlier this season, or at least to have a more active role in the process.

Either way, there are now 20 individual Overwatch League teams in need of branded merchandise. You know what to do.