Hollywood is beginning to take notice to the rise of Riot Games’ influence, as the gaming studio received a cold call from HBO earlier today in regards to the possible creation of a “mash-up” trailer. As the cable network prepared to launch a three-week program on March 22 (that’s today) to promote the fourth season of Game of Thrones which’ll debut on April 6th, they’ve made distinct plans to reach out to their shared audience. Sources at [a]list daily were able to interview Dustin Beck, vice president of eSports and merchandising at Riot Games, and inquire about the nature of the imminent promotional video. As for HBO’s reason behind choosing League of Legends as a “pro-gaming” affiliation; the paid channel seemed to recognize League of Legend‘s players as devout followers of the television show. Or, at least, another potential expansion to their current audience. Thus, HBO and Riot Games are both liable to earn a profit from their seemingly unexpected alliance.
Dustin Beck commented that Game of Thrones’ interest in League of Legends stems from the channel’s current limitations, “[it’s a] new demographic that they traditionally haven’t been able to reach effectively,” said the vice president. Having confirmed that Riot Games did their own research through player surveys to get an idea of just how many overlapping fans are between Game of Thrones and League of Legends. “They’re giving us some exclusive sneak peaks into footage that hasn’t been seen before,” added David, seeming to acknowledge the mutual fan base. The unseen footage will allow an easier foundation for their trailers to converge upon; assuring stable cooperation between the two companies.
For League of Legends, the new addition of Game of Thrones will accompany some paid advertisements on the actual website, as well as that planned “mash-up” trailer which’ll be available in the near future.