Spotify, Riot Games Press Play for ‘League of Legends’

Spotify has officially teamed up with Riot Games for its first-ever esports partnership centered around “League of Legends.”

The deal sees Spotify and Riot Games, the developer behind “League of Legends,” join forces for a first-of-its-kind multiyear agreement. The partnership will give fans original podcasts, curated playlists, and more. Following the deal, Spotify is now the official and exclusive audio -streaming partner for “League of Legends” global events. 

“Our partnership with Riot Games will create a first-of-its-kind audio universe for the millions of Spotify and ‘League of Legends’ fans across the globe,” says June Sauvaget, global head, consumer and product marketing, Spotify. “As the exclusive— and first ever —global audio service partner for ‘League of Legends,’ we plan to create a world-class audio-streaming experience for our users, making discovering both music and podcasts easier than ever before.” 

The two companies are creating an audio hub for new and existing music, podcasts and playlists inspired by the gaming community, including “Official League of Legends” and “Road to Worlds 2020” playlists.

Spotify and Riot Games will also see the two companies create and launch several new “League of Legends” podcasts. “Untold Stories: Top Moments from Worlds” is a nine-episode series that will lead up to the 10th “League of Legends” World Championship this fall. Listeners will be able to hear about the top players and anthems through game highlights, recorded interviews, game sound effects and new interviews with key players.

The series will be joined by plans to provide fans with a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the Worlds Anthem through the Worlds Anthem Takeover on Spotify. The song is released alongside a bespoke music video and will then be performed during the opening ceremony of the World Championship Finals, setting the tone and celebrating the big event. In previous years, Riot Games has worked with artists including Imagine Dragons, The Glitch Mob, and Against the Current for the track.

“Music and audio are an intrinsic part of our sport and game, so we are thrilled to partner with Spotify to provide our fans with another platform where they can enjoy the ultimate manifestation of ‘League of Legends,’” says Naz Aletaha, global esports partnership head, Riot Games. “As a disrupter in their space similar to Riot Games, Spotify allows us to collectively challenge the limits of possibility as we blend sports, technology, entertainment and music to create iconic experiences and content that inspire generations.”

Multiplayer online battle arena game “League of Legends” is one of the most popular esports titles globally. The official League of Legends soundtrack racks up more than 4.8 million Spotify listeners per month. The game has previously been leveraged for partnerships with brands such as Louis Vuitton.