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Guide · State October 2026
Find sponsors for your esports team: media kit and outreach
Sponsors do not pay for followers, they pay for attention from an audience they want to reach. We show which numbers to collect, what belongs in a media kit, whom to approach and what the first email looks like.
To be upfront: With the “Sponsors” module for Clan CMS we sell a tool that creates a media kit ourselves. This guide works just as well with a spreadsheet and a word processor. We do not give legal or tax advice, and we deliberately name no sponsorship prices.
1. What sponsors really want
A company mainly asks itself: do I reach people who fit me with this, and does it look good? Most requests from organizations do not fail because the numbers are too small, but because the answer to that question is missing.
- Audience: Who watches and follows you (age, game, region)? The more precise, the better.
- Reach and growth: How many people do you reach per month, and is it going up?
- Visibility for the partner: Where does the logo appear (jersey, stream, social media, website)?
- Reliability: Do you post regularly, show up to appointments, answer emails?
- Fit: A gaming accessories maker fits you better than a provider whose customers are not your audience.
2. The numbers you need
For every channel you use, collect the same values once a month and write them into a spreadsheet. After a few months you see the growth, and that is often more convincing than the absolute number.
- Followers or members at the end of the month (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, Discord, X)
- Reach: How many accounts saw your content in the month?
- Views of videos, streams and posts
- Interactions: likes, comments, shares, chat messages
- Visitors to your website, if you have one
Rules for honest numbers: Always use the same source (for example the app’s own analytics). Do not round things up and do not count bought followers. Leave out a weak number rather than altering it. Every sponsor can check it, and an exaggeration that gets caught ends the conversation.
3. What belongs in a media kit
A media kit is a short document (one to three pages, as a PDF) that a company understands at a glance. It does not replace the conversation, it makes the first step easy.
- Short profile: Who are you, how long have you existed, which games and teams?
- Audience: Whom do you reach, and where?
- Numbers and growth: followers, reach, views and interactions over the last six to twelve months, ideally as a chart.
- Results and teams: placements, leagues, well-known players.
- Previous partners: logos, if they agreed. This builds trust.
- Your offer: which ad spaces and services exist (see the next section).
- Contact: one person with an email address, not a general Discord link.
4. Your offer: what you give and get
A sponsor wants to know what they get. Describe concrete services, not “visibility”. Examples that organizations offer:
Logo and mention
Logo on the website (partner page or logo row), in the stream overlay, on jerseys, banners and in posts. A mention in news and social media at milestones.
Easy to deliver and suitable for every size.
Content with the partner
A post, a video or a stream segment in which the product appears (giveaway, introduction, setup check). That works better than a logo alone.
Needs coordination and a clear marking as advertising.
Local or in-team cooperation
A regional partner who provides training rooms, drinks or accessories gets a logo and a mention in return. For small organizations often the first step, even without money, with benefits in kind.
Offer two or three packages (small, medium, large). Talk about prices in the conversation, because they depend on reach, services and the partner. Do not enter them blindly in the media kit.
5. Whom to approach and how
Start with companies that have a connection to you and look for the person responsible for marketing or partnerships there.
- Regional companies from your city that want to reach young people
- Providers of gaming accessories, hardware or software
- Brands with a young audience: drinks, snacks, clothing, mobile
- Service providers you use yourselves (hosting, printing, streaming tools)
The first email is short: a clear subject, five to seven sentences and the media kit attached.
Example of a first email
Subject: Partnership with [name of org] – reach among young gamers in [region]
Hello Ms/Mr [name], we are [org], an esports organization from [place] with [number] teams in [games]. Through our channels we reach about [number] people per month, mainly [audience]. We are looking for a partner that fits us and believe [company] is one, because [one concrete reason]. Attached you will find our media kit with numbers and options. Would you have time for a short call in the next two weeks? Kind regards, [name, role, phone]
Follow up: If there is no answer, write once more briefly after one to two weeks. Thank people politely for a no as well, because a no today is sometimes a yes next year.
6. After the yes: be visible and report
- Deliver what you promised, on the agreed date.
- Show the partner: on a partner page of your website, in the stream and in posts.
- Report regularly: Send the partner (for example monthly) the numbers and images of their visibility.
- Put it in writing: services, return services, term. Have contracts checked if in doubt; tax depends on your legal form (club, individual, company).
With Clan CMS: The “Sponsors” module collects the monthly numbers in one place, shows growth as a chart and creates the media kit “Our reach” as a PDF from them, with teams, partners and channel links. The website shows partners on a partner page of its own with logo, introduction and links. More on the Clan CMS page. If you do not have a site yet, the guide to creating a clan website shows five ways to get one.
7. Frequently asked questions
How many followers do I need before I approach sponsors?
There is no fixed limit. More important than the absolute number are a clearly described audience, growth and a concrete offer. Small organizations also find regional partners, often first with benefits in kind.
What may a sponsorship cost?
That depends on reach, services and the partner, which is why we deliberately name no figures. Ask in the conversation what the visibility is worth to the partner, and start with a small package.
Do I have to prove my numbers?
Yes, expect it. Use the apps’ own analytics as the source, keep screenshots and state only numbers you can back up.
How long until a sponsor says yes?
Often weeks to months. Follow up once after one to two weeks and plan with several requests in parallel.
Do I have to pay tax on sponsoring, and do I need a contract?
That depends on your legal form (club, individual, company). We give no legal or tax advice. Put services, return services and term in writing and have it checked if in doubt.
A media kit without the manual work?
With the “Sponsors” module, Clan CMS has analysis, a media kit PDF and a partner page. You enter the numbers monthly, the site does the rest.
View Clan CMS