Greatly Expanded Team & Player Sponsorships Mark The Debut of the 2010 Major League Gaming Pro Circuit Season

NEW YORK, April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Major League Gaming today announced a significant increase in the number of players and teams with corporate sponsorships. The news highlights the expanding celebrity of MLG's Pro players as well as the growing significance of the competitive social gaming lifestyle. As the fanbase of the League spreads globally, so too does the status of MLG's Pro Players and the aspirations of millions of young men.

Each sponsoring brand is creating programs that uniquely leverage the personalities of each pro or team and the influence that they have within the fan community. Activation touch points include personal appearances, Facebook chats, viral videos and nationwide on-pack promotions.

Dr Pepper returns this year with its sponsorship of Str8 Rippin, the 2008 MLG National Champions, and one of the most well known teams in MLG history.

• The 2010 Str8 Rippin team roster includes: 22 year old Tom 'Tsquared' Taylor of Tampa, FL; 19 year old Bryan 'Legit' Rizzo of Orlando, FL; 18 year old Eric 'Snipedown' Wrona of Zionsville, IN; and 18 year old Richard 'Heinz' Heinz of Port Jefferson Station, NY

HOT POCKETS Brand identified Triggers Down, the top team in the 2009 season, as a key anchor of their sponsorship program with the league this year. The Triggers Down sponsorship also includes their well-known coach, the first time a coach has been included in an MLG sponsorship deal.

• The 2010 Triggers Down team roster includes: 22 year old Justin 'SK' Mann from Puyallup, WA; 18 year old Jacob 'Hysteria' Reiser from Lynnwood, WA; 17 year old Justin 'IGotUrPistola' Deese from West Columbia, SC; 20 year old Mason 'Neighbor' Cobb from Mukilteo, WA; and 19 year old coach Andy 'Bravo' Dudynsky from Bridgewater, NJ.

Old Spice returns with its sponsorship of Instinct, which finished in 4th place overall in the 2009 season, and includes a pair of top twin competitors as well as a member of the 2009 MLG National Championship team new to the roster this season.

• The 2010 Instinct team roster includes: 19 year old twins Jason 'Lunchbox' Brown and Justin 'Roy' Brown from Urbana, IL; 22 year old Kyle 'ElamiteWarrior' Elam from Union, KY; and 18 year old Scottie 'Cloud' Holste of Elk Grove Village, IL

STRIDE® gum launches an expanded sponsorship with the league this year identifying not one team, but five outstanding individual players to associate with the brand with during the 2010 season.

• The 2010 STRIDE gum sponsored players are: 25 year old Dave 'Walshy' Walsh of Grandville, MI from team Carbon; 19 year old Brett 'Naded' Leonard of Antioch, CA from team Heaven and Earth; 21 year old Justin 'FearItSelf' Kats of Lansing, IL from team Final Boss; 21 year old Eric 'Ghostayame' Hewitt of State College, PA from team Classic; and 22 year old Ben 'Karma' Jackson of Escondido , CA from team Heaven and Earth.

"We have a wide variety of personalities that represent the best competitive video gaming talent in the world," said Matthew Bromberg, president and CEO of Major League Gaming. "We're thrilled to see more of our partners identifying with the marketing value that our star players can bring to the table."

The 2010 MLG Pro Circuit kicks off tomorrow, April 16 and runs through Sunday, April 18 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando. Full details can be found at http://www.mlgpro.com/pro-circuit/2010.

ABOUT MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING

Founded in 2002, Major League Gaming (MLG) is the dominant media property exclusively targeting the approximately 40 million consumers in North America who have a passion for playing video games as a competitive social activity. The company exclusively represents the best professional gamers and gives millions of aspiring gamers around the world an opportunity to compete, improve their skills, and socialize through our thriving online competitive community and live Pro Circuit competitions. For more information: www.mlgpro.com.

SOURCE Major League Gaming