Modern esports tournaments and series simply wouldn’t exist without sponsor support, as hosting large-scale events is incredibly costly — from stadium rental and equipment to staff salaries. Some brands sign on as title partners, while others handle technical or supporting roles. Certain sponsors get their spotlight during match breaks, while others have their logos constantly featured on broadcast banners. In this piece, we’ll look at the brands most frequently mentioned by the hosts during the grand final of IEM Cologne 2025.
IEM Cologne 2025 featured several sponsors, including industry heavyweights like Intel, DHL, FACEIT, Acer Predator, 1xBet, and ZOWIE. These brands are regular fixtures at esports events and have already established themselves well in the scene.
According to Esports Charts, Intel was the most frequently mentioned brand by the hosts during the grand final between MOUZ and Team Spirit. That’s no surprise, considering Intel is essentially the event’s title sponsor. Its name even showed up in ad spots promoting other sponsors — for example: “DHL presents the Intel Extreme Masters...” Throughout the best-of-three series, we counted a total of 12 audio mentions of Intel.
On the final day, the broadcast hosts mentioned DHL seven times, mostly in a natural context while discussing which finalist might take home the DHL MVP award. The DHL MVP award is now featured at every EPT Masters & Championship event. It’s given to players who shine in three areas: in-game performance, on-air broadcast presence, and fan voting.
FACEIT, Acer Predator, 1xBet, and ZOWIE also got a few shout-outs during the broadcast, though far fewer than Intel and DHL. Meanwhile, Logitech, Monster Energy, Qiddiya, White Market, and the U.S. Air Force weren’t mentioned at all on the official grand final stream. These brands were still tournament sponsors, but their promotion was achieved through other means, such as on-screen banners, venue branding, and similar placements.
From constant shout-outs to subtle banner placements, every sponsor at IEM Cologne 2025 found its moment in the spotlight — proving once again that in esports, branding is as competitive as the game itself.
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