Savvy Games Group set to Partner With Newcastle United

Savvy Games Group, notable for owning ESL, DreamHack, and a number of large investments in the video game industry is set to partner with Premier League Football Team Newcastle United.

Update: The new is now official via Instagram, the below story remains as it was posted before the news broke.

The leak, which comes out of a promotional video from Newcastle United’s current tour of Japan, has a small “Savvy Games Group” section at the end. The two are not unfamiliar either. Back in 2022, just after Newcastle United were part taken over by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), Newcastle United announced a partnership with VOV Gaming. VOV are a subsidiary of the Savvy Group that focuses on building “experimental gaming venues” across the world.

The text at the bottom of the above image states “official partner of the Summer tour”, which is weird given the partnership has not been made official, and the tour is almost over. Newcastle United are set to play their final game outside the UK this Saturday in Japan. That said, Newcastle United will then return to their home stadium of St James’ Park to play in the Sela Cup. Sela is Newcastle’s title sponsor and another Saudi-based brand. It could be that this Sela Cup is used as the base for the reveal of that new partnership.

In a statement posted to Instagram, the Savvy Games Group had this to say:

“We are proud to announce that Savvy is partnering with Newcastle United Football Club on their summer tour in Japan, as they take on Urawa Red Diamonds and Yokohama Marinos this week. Through this partnership, we are excited to continue showcasing our business in one of the most important games markets globally, following our successful trip to Tokyo earlier this year”

This is a developing story.

What does the new Partnership Mean?

Football is not a cheap game to be involved in, and with Newcastle United being owned by the PIF… this is likely a bit of “first-party sponsorship” dealings that we see in modern football. Logically, it makes sense that a group like Savvy, who runs events all over the World via ESL and DreamHack would partner with a brand like Newcastle United who are broadcast all over the world. How the two brands could activate remains to be seen, but we will likely know more if and when the news is made official.

Newcastle United Esports?

Esports is becoming a more important part of the global reach of football. With notable names such as Manchester City and Wolves, both from the Premier League, having major investments in the space already. As Saudi Arabia continues to push Esports in a big way, we could see Newcastle United using this as a platform to push into the space.

Why Savvy Games Group?

Well, with both Savvy and Newcastle owned by the PIF, it makes a lot of sense. Savvy has become a major player in Esports over the past few years to the point where they are unavoidable. DreamHack is a major part of the esports landscape and it forms part of the Savvy Games Group, though via their own parent company the ESL Faceit Group.