This is the first in a new Unofficial Partner series looking at the business of esports, in collaboration with Nielsen Sports, the world’s leading source of sports measurement and analytics.

Today’s guests are Matthew Archambault, head of partnerships for North America at Riot Games, publishers of the phenomenally successful League of Legends franchise. Matt manages strategic partnerships, national sponsorships, media rights, and merchandising for the League Championship Series (LCS). 

Joining Matthew is Matt Boyd, Vice President of Nielsen Esports and Games. Based in North America, Matt leads client relationships with teams, publishers/leagues, and brands, providing the data analysis to help them maximize the value of commercial partnerships. 

So this is a conversation unpicking how the business of esports works through the lens of the industry's multiple stakeholders, from the game publishers to the media platforms and commercial partners through to the teams, leagues, players and fans.