Red Bull Opens E-Sports Bar In London

Red Bull has opened an underground e-sports bar and events space in east London, complete with the latest gaming technology.

The Red Bull Gaming Sphere, which opened at the end of March, allows casual as well as keen gamers to play on the most up-to-date PCs, consoles and virtual reality headsets. The space will also host events with professional e-sports players, gaming workshops and weekly tournaments.

The bar also has a leader board system, enabling regular punters to compete against each other and rise up the ranks.

This is the latest foray into the e-sports space for Red Bull, which currently sponsors US e-sports team Tempo Storm, and also opened a similar gaming space in Tokyo in February 2018. It's a great example of how food and beverage brands are looking to e-sports as a key area for sponsorship and direct investment, and seeking to tap into key cult sporting communities.

For a deeper look at this emerging opportunity, check out our latest Macro Trend Active Lives, with a particular focus on 360 Sports Nutrition and Retail's Spirit of Adventure.

See also Nando's Opens In-Restaurant Recording Studio and Tomorrow's Wandering Workers for further examples of how hospitality spaces are diversifying to meet the needs and desires of an increasingly entertainment-focused consumer.