TF1 Business Solutions is adding Team Vitality, international leader in competitive gaming, to its licensing portfolio and, to mark the occasion, is unveiling its first major campaign conducted with TF1 Factory for BYD.
TF1 Business Solutions announces the signing of a licensing representation agreement between TF1 Licensing and Team Vitality, a French organization that has become a true global leader in esports. The partnership between the two entities leverages their complementary strengths to offer advertisers initiatives that are both distinctive and high-impact: on the one hand, TF1 Licensing’s expertise in brand promotion and creating engaging experiences for the general public; on the other, Team Vitality’s credibility in esports, its young and highly engaged audience, and its community ecosystem.
This partnership is being unveiled through an initial campaign, developed with TF1 Factory for the automaker BYD.
Team Vitality: A key player in esports in France and around the world
For several years now, esports has established itself as one of the driving forces behind the global entertainment industry. In this context, Team Vitality stands out as the natural partner: founded in 2013 and named Best Team of 2025 at the Esports Awards and the Game Awards, the French organization embodies excellence, performance, and innovation—values that are fully aligned with those of TF1 Licensing. With over 23 million engaged fans, an annual reach of 115 million people in 2025, and an audience 84% of whom are aged 18–34, Team Vitality combines international reach with community power. For the second consecutive time, the organization secured third place on the global podium at the conclusion of the Esports World Cup (EWC) held this summer in Paris, making Team Vitality the most-watched esports club at the 2026 EWC with 48.31 million hours viewed—nearly 19% ahead of the second-ranked club, among 16 qualified teams. Over the course of seven weeks, the Team Vitality booth welcomed more than 20,000 visitors throughout the competition!
A first Campaign: BYD x Team Vitality
To bring this partnership to life right from the start, TF1 Factory—the creative and production agency dedicated to the TF1 Group’s brands—developed an activation campaign for BYD centered on the launch of the BYD Dolphin G during the 2026 Esports World Cup in Paris.
The concept: the Dolphin G isn’t just sponsoring Team Vitality. It’s joining the roster as a full-fledged new member—the “New (G)amer.” The campaign is structured around two complementary formats:
- A premium trailer in which the Dolphin G is presented as a new player joining the team, with its technical specifications translated into gaming terminology
- Viral clips shot with an onboard camera, featuring Team Vitality’s Rocket League players inside the vehicle in short, engaging formats designed for social media.
This campaign previews the kind of distinctive initiatives that TF1 Licensing and TF1 Factory intend to offer advertisers looking to reach the esports community.
While esports remains underrepresented in the licensing sector, TF1 Licensing aims to develop a comprehensive offering in this vertical. Through the Team Vitality license, brands gain access to:
- Cultural legitimacy in the gaming world
- Merchandise with strong commercial potential
- Powerful experiential and event-based initiatives
- High-impact brand content campaigns for advertisers
- A young, premium audience
TF1 Licensing: A Major Player Enters the Arena
As a leading player in the licensing industry in France, TF1 Licensing works with brands, advertisers, and partners to promote the biggest names in entertainment. This new license is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to covering the most influential areas of the entertainment industry.
“With its strong offering of premium content and events, TF1 Licensing is committed to continuous innovation to support our clients and partners by developing relevant and engaging activations together,” explains Tatiana Rivière-Cherqui, Director of TF1 Licensing
“I am delighted with this partnership with Team Vitality, a leading esports organisation. Its ambition is to bring the brand to life for the general public through affinity-led merchandise, powerful experiential campaigns, and impactful advertiser activations, such as this first campaign developed with TF1 Factory for BYD around the launch of the Dolphin G. Team Vitality's strong values, brand recognition and ability to engage the general public offer fantastic prospects for this collaboration, and we share the ambition to fully leverage the synergies we can create between our two organisations,” adds Tatiana.
Amélie Canet, Chief Marketing Officer of Team Vitality, says, “We are proud to partner with TF1 Business Solutions in a strategic collaboration that fully illustrates the evolution of the esports ecosystem. As a pioneer and leader in the sector, Team Vitality has always been committed to helping the industry grow and reach new audiences.”
Amelie adds, “This collaboration with TF1 Business Solutions marks a new step in our ambition, bringing together two complementary worlds and audiences: TF1 Licensing's expertise in significantly expanding the reach of the group's brands and Team Vitality's young, engaged, and international community. Through this multidimensional partnership, we aim to create new opportunities at the intersection of sports, entertainment, media, and brands, and to continue taking esports into a new dimension.”