Pro Gamer Lands Dr Pepper Deal

Not even 24 hours after DirecTV backed Championship Gaming Series went belly up in the shrinking pond that is professional gaming, Dr Pepper has announced that are backing a pro-gamer in their first every national distribution deal for an athlete. Excellent timing.Major League Gaming’s Tom “Tsquared” Taylor’s visage will appear on about 175 million 20-ounce bottles of Dr P from January to April, the New York Times reports. That’s about 80 percent of the bottles rolling out during that time period. The New York Times doesn’t go into the money behind the deal, nor does it explain both the importance and odd-timing of the announcement. With the Championship Gaming Series flat-lining earlier this week, it joins the CPL and World Series of Video Games in the morgue of pro-gaming competitions. This deal with Dr Pepper, it seems, could be the opening volley in pro-gaming’s Alamo. Maybe it’s time for the World Cyber Games and the Electronic Sports League to hustle down to Texas and get into that fort before the gates swing shut. It’s better to make a heroic last stand, I think, then go out with a whimper and a website announcement. A Drink Backed by a Sports Hero (Wielding a Mean Game Controller) [New York Times]