How to get sponsors for a small gaming tournament

Find sponsors for a small esports or community tournament: who to ask, what to offer, a pitch you can send, and how to show them results afterwards.

To get sponsors for a small gaming tournament, ask local businesses and small brands that fit your players, offer them clear exposure (their logo, link and offer on the page and on every stream), and promise a report of how many people visited. Start by asking for a product prize rather than money, since that is an easier yes. On RoundsWon every sponsor gets tracked links and a QR code on stream, so you can show them real numbers afterwards.

What a small tournament can offer a sponsor

You do not need a big audience. You need a clear, honest offer. On a RoundsWon tournament, a sponsor gets:

• Their name, logo and link on the poster, the tournament page and every stream card.
• Their offer, like "20% off with code CUP", on the stream card and on the page the QR code opens.
• A QR code on stream that viewers scan straight off the screen.
• Title sponsor status if you want: the page header says the tournament is presented by them.
• A visit to enter: the entry form shows a link to their page, and Enter works once it is tapped.
• Email opt ins: players see an unticked box to share their email with the sponsor. It is never needed to enter.
• A report: visits from the page, the overlay, the QR code page and card links, plus the emails players chose to share, as a CSV.

That last part is what makes a small sponsor come back. You can show them what they got.

Who to ask

Start close to your players:

• Local businesses: computer repair shops, game stores, cafes, pizza places, gyms. They want local customers and often say yes to small amounts.
• Small gaming brands: mouse pad makers, controller modders, energy drink startups, apparel brands, keyboard shops. Many have giveaway budgets.
• Creators and streamers in the same game, who want their name in front of your players.
• Game server hosts and community servers, if your tournament is in their game.
• Indie game studios, who might sponsor with keys to their game.
• Your own players: members who run a business or a channel.

Avoid sponsors that do not fit your players' ages or that you would not recommend to a friend.

What to ask for

Pick one clear ask:

1. A product prize: the easiest yes. One headset, one game key bundle, one gift card.
2. A cash prize amount: the sponsor pays the winner, or pays you to pay the winner. Either way, money moves between you, the sponsor and the winner directly. RoundsWon never holds it.
3. A fee to be featured: a sponsor pays you to be on the page and the stream. You make that deal directly with them.
4. Matched donations for a charity tournament. See How to raise money for charity with a video game tournament.

A pitch you can send

Keep it short. Change the details to fit.

Hi [name],

I run [community or channel], a [game] community of [honest number] members.
On [date] we are holding a free [game] tournament for up to [number] players,
streamed on [Twitch / YouTube / Kick].

Would you back it with [one prize / an amount]? In return:
- your logo and link on the tournament page, the poster and every stream card
- your offer and a QR code on stream, sending viewers straight to you
- "Presented by [brand]" at the top of the page, if you want it
- a report after the event with visits from the page, the stream and the QR code

Here is a past tournament: [link]
Happy to talk on a call or by email.

[your name]

Never invent numbers. Use your real member count, real average viewers and real results from past events. If this is your first tournament, say so: a small honest offer beats a big one you can not back up.

Add the sponsor to the tournament

When you host a tournament, pick Show sponsors on the first question. In the Sponsors step:

1. Add the sponsor's name, link, logo and offer.
2. Open More for this sponsor to make them the title sponsor, add a visit to enter, or ask players to share their email.
3. Add more sponsors if you have them. On the page and on stream they take turns.

The sponsor kit on the tournament page has each sponsor's card to download or add to a stream, and their tracked links.

During the event

• Mention the sponsor on stream at the start, at the final and when the prize is shown.
• Keep the stream card on screen so the logo and QR code stay visible.
• Thank them in posts about the tournament, with their link.

After the event

Send the sponsor the report within a few days:

• visits from the tournament page, the overlay, the QR code page and card links
• emails players chose to share, as a CSV, if they asked for opt ins
• the final bracket, a few clips and a screenshot of their logo on stream
• a thank you, and the date of the next tournament

A sponsor who sees real results is much more likely to back the next one, often for more.

FAQ

How do I get sponsors with a small audience?

Ask small and local. A game store or a small gaming brand values a few dozen engaged players. Ask for a product prize first, and back it up with a report afterwards.

How much should I charge a sponsor?

There is no standard price for a small event. Start with a product prize or a small amount, then use the report from the first event to ask for more next time.

Does RoundsWon take a cut of sponsor money?

No. RoundsWon never processes sponsor, prize or entry money. You make the deal with the sponsor directly.

Can a sponsor collect player emails?

Only from players who tick an unticked box when they enter. Ticking it is never needed to enter.