General Mills Sponsors Yahoo eSports Show

General Mills will be the first presenting sponsor of Yahoo Esports Live, a new weekly live show covering the world of online gaming.

General Mills’ Reese’s Puffs cereal will also sponsor Yahoo’s live-stream coverage of the ESL One New York 2016 tournament Oct. 1-2.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

In eSports, viewers watch players compete in video game tournaments. The competitions are popular with young viewers and have attracted the attention of TV giants, including Turner Broadcasting and ESPN.

“Consumers are more engaged with live content than ever and, with this new programming across Yahoo Esports, we’re giving our users more of the shows they want while opening up tremendous opportunities for advertisers,” said Lisa Utzschneider, chief revenue officer of Yahoo. “We have a focused strategy around live video and General Mills recognized the power of this medium to connect with their audience, especially millennials who come to Yahoo Esports for their latest updates and analysis.”

The hour-long Yahoo Esports Live will feature custom branded segments and video advertising for Reese’s Puffs. The show launches Monday on Yahoo Esports and Twitch, starting at 3 p.m. PT.

“As a leader in the emerging Esports space and an experienced player in live programming, Yahoo was the obvious choice for our new campaign for Reese’s Puffs,” said Devin Kunysz, marketing manager for Reese's Puffs at General Mills. “We’ve found a really unique way to connect with our audience around the new Yahoo Esports Live, so that we’re able to not only entertain and engage fans around our brand, but drive results for our business.”

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.