Team Vitality and Stake have agreed to a multi-year partnership in a major seven-figure agreement, with Team Vitality’s jersey showcasing the latter debuting at IEM Cologne 2025. Stake, an online casino and sportsbook platform, will act as the official international betting partner of Team Vitality’s Counter-Strike 2 roster, benefitting from “a comprehensive activation plan: prominent jersey placement, high-impact brand campaigns across social media, innovative content production, and exclusive access to players.”This partnership marks Stake’s first official foray into esports. In Team Vitality’s announcement, the partnership is described as highlighting “the increasing appeal of the [esports] industry to global brands seeking visibility, high-value engagement, and premium positioning on the international stage.”Team Vitality and Stake join forcesWith this deal, the official announcement noted that Stake will support Team Vitality’s CS2 roster in several key ways.“First, the brand will be featured across Team Vitality CS's digital platforms. Second, the two brands will co-create premium content activations and provide fans with exclusive player access year-round. Finally, Stake's logo will appear on the front and left collarbone of the team's official jersey.”Discussing the partnership, Team Vitality’s co-CEO, Vas Roberts, mentioned:“This partnership with Stake is historic: not only for its scale but also for its symbolic value. It reflects the success of our ambition to establish Team Vitality as a leading global esports brand, alongside the biggest names in their respective industries. At a defining point in our Counter-Strike journey, this collaboration will allow us to create innovative experiences, offer exclusive content around our team, and support our CS2 roster as it reaches new competitive heights.”Akhil Sarin, Stake’s Chief Marketing Officer, also shared his thoughts:“This partnership brings together two industry powerhouses: Stake, a global leader in betting and entertainment, and Team Vitality, the reigning CS2 world champions. This collaboration adds esports to our globally renowned portfolio of sports and entertainment partnerships, with Team Vitality representing exactly the caliber of world-class partner we seek as we enter the esports arena.”With all things considered, IEM Cologne 2025 thus marks the perfect stage for the global debut of this partnership, with Team Vitality returning to the venue as the defending champion.The tournament is one of Counter-Strike’s most iconic and widely followed events and provides “a strategic opportunity to activate the partnership during a peak moment of tension, spectacle, and performance.” It will be interesting to see how the partnership fares in the future and how both brands uplift each other.