It seems that the rapid motivation of top esports players is only growing every second, because the North American grandee Cloud9 has officially extended its relationship with the PAGODA Snacks brand. Now, in fact, this alliance has been officially consolidated for the upcoming 2026 and 2027 competitive seasons.
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Details of the Cloud9 and Pagoda Snacks contract in LCS
To be honest, this is great news for Cloud fans — their favorite snacks aren’t going anywhere. Pagoda, by the way, retains the proud status of the exclusive supplier of egg rolls for the League of Legends team. The company’s logo, by the way, will continue to be emblazoned on the players’ jersey, flashing in all broadcasts and official content.
In addition, the organization is preparing something interesting for ordinary workers.:
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Launch of the updated Club9 loyalty program;
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Interactive quests with real prizes;
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Large-scale tastings right at Riot Games Arena during matches.
One must agree that PAGODA is far from a newcomer to the industry, as in 2024 the brand signed a bold 3-year contract with the LCS league itself. Apparently, the corporation has seriously decided to occupy the stomachs of gamers.
Cloud9 Partner Network and 2026 Sponsors
In recent years, the C9 commercial department has apparently not slept at all. The club’s partner portfolio now resembles a vinaigrette from a wide variety of fields.
Judge for yourself, they get along on the same list.:
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Kia auto giant and medical experts from Mueller Esports Medicine.
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Technology giants SecretLab and Zenni Optical.
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Web3 enthusiasts from Theta Network.
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The JetBrains software developers, with whom, by the way, they even held a hackathon.
Hayley Mason, vice president of Business Development at Cloud9, emphasized that esports skills are impossible without proper recharging. In fact, high-stakes moments require perfect nutrition, and PAGODA rolls seem to do a great job of that role.
The role of non-endemic brands in the esports industry
It seems that the era when esports was sponsored only by manufacturers of mice and monitors has finally passed into oblivion. Today, the League Championship Series (LCS) is dominated by giants of the caliber of Kia, Mastercard and PAGODA Snacks, companies that, at first glance, are as far away from the world of pixels and frags as possible.
The reasons for the dominance of food brands in the LCS league?
To be honest, the secret of success lies in pure mathematics and demography. In fact, about 90% of LCS viewers are from Generation Z between the ages of 18 and 23. These guys, by the way, have not only free time, but also real money, which makes them an ideal target for serious business.
The audience distribution looks interesting:
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North America holds a 40% share%;
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Europe confidently picks up its 27%;
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The rest of the world is catching up, but the core of fans is concentrated in the West.
Unexpectedly, but it’s a fact that young adults are more willing to spend money on chips and soda during streams than on a new video card every month. Brands have figured this out, by the way.
Pagoda Snacks Promotion Strategy in League of Legends
Perhaps the most striking example of the “point capture” of attention was the company PAGODA Snacks. Since 2024, this brand has officially secured its status as a supplier of egg rolls for the entire league.
Their strategy is not just a banner on the broadcast, but a deep introduction into the lifestyle of gamers.:
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Integration into the airwaves through viral segments like “Let Him Cook”.
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The trademark “Put the Egg Rolls In” pauses, which have already become a meme.
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Live tastings and product giveaways at offline events.
Let’s say that the contract with the league has already been extended until 2026. In addition, the Cloud9 organization went even further and extended the deal with PAGODA until 2027. The brand’s logo, apparently, will remain on the form of C9 players, and fans will continue to loot prizes in the challenges of the Club9 platform.
Investments of FMCG companies in esports clubs
In general, PAGODA is not the only player in this field. Apparently, the example of Coca-Cola, which joined League of Legends with the Coke Zero brand and created exclusive merch, inspired many. By the way, KitKat also did not stay away, showing up on the jersey of the Spanish Giants collective.
It is fair to say that such collaborations are not an accident, but a cold calculation for long—term growth. While gaming companies are marking time, non-endemics, in fact, teach young people about their products through their favorite hobby.
As a result, we have a situation where the commercial success of LCS directly depends on how tasty the brands are able to present their product to the audience. Everything is very meaningful — the winner is the one who knows how to entertain, not just sell, really.
Prospects for cooperation between Cloud9 and Pagoda Snacks
Unexpectedly, but it is a fact that esports is increasingly merging with the food industry. If energy companies used to be the limit of dreams, now we see the full integration of product brands into the lifestyle of teams. For fans, this is basically a winning situation: more events, more free giveaways and sweepstakes.
As a result, the partnership looks as logical as possible. Cloud9 receives stable funding (although the numbers, frankly, are kept secret), and PAGODA provides direct access to a loyal LCS audience. It’s all very meaningful, really.
