Mountain Dew renews CGS sponsorship

The Championship Gaming Series has announced that Mountain Dew will continue its partnership with the organisation, supporting its effort to drive professional gaming into the mainstream.

"We believe CGS has the vision, infrastructure and resources to help transform video-gaming into a popular spectator sport in the US," said Frank Cooper, vp of marketing for Pepsi-Cola North America's flavors portfolio.

"Our ongoing partnership with the premier league strengthens Mountain Dew's role as a leading non-endemic brand supporting gaming culture."

Mountain Dew's partnership with the league includes consumer and retail promotions, TV integration, unique event marketing opportunities, as well as the coveted Dew Trophy to be awarded to the CGS World Champion along with the USD 500,000 top prize.

There are now 18 CGS teams in cities around the world including six teams in the United States.

CGS is broadcast on television to more than 350 million viewers by DIRECTV's The 101 in the US, BSkyB's Sky One, Sky Two and Sky HD in the UK, ESPN STAR Sports in Asia, SKY in Mexico and Brazil, DIRECTV throughout the rest of Latin America, and across mainland Europe via additional soon-to-be confirmed broadcast partners.

Valve's Counter-Strike: Source and EA's FIFA 2007 are the official PC games for CGS. On the Xbox 360, CGS features Tecmo's Dead or Alive 4 and Project Gotham Racing 3 from Microsoft Game Studios.

The CGS World Final takes place December 6-14 in Los Angeles, CA. The top 12 CGS teams will vie for a share of a USD 1,000,000 prize purse and the coveted "World Champion" title.