WINSTON SALEM – Champion Athleticwear, the sports apparel brand owned by Hanesbrands and headquartered in Winston Salem, released a new clothing line for gamers and esports athletes this week.
The centerpiece of the “Gamer Collection” is a patent-pending oversized hoodie that’s large enough for headsets and features a kangaroo pocket with zippers to store console controllers and other accessories. The sweatshirt also has Velcro patches for players to display sponsor and team logos.
“As a brand that embraces all sports, we wanted to create an unofficial uniform for gamers that modernizes the classic hoodie and recognizes that they are athletes with distinctive needs for their sport,” David Robertson, director of Champion Global Brand Marketing, said in a statement.
The pullover hoodie retails for $80, while the full zipper is $90.
Champion’s move into the gamer clothing world comes as the global esports market, an industry of professionally organized video game competitions, is poised to grow. According to Grandview Research, the industry was recently valued at $1.48 billion and projected to hit $6.82 billion by 2027.
Champion is partnering with some E-Sports teams, brands and influencers including HyperX, Dignitas, VENN, PlayVS and the Esports Awards to advertise the collection.
Read more about the new gear online.
This story is from the North Carolina Business News Wire, a service of UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism
