The esports team " REJECT," operated by REJECT Co., Ltd., announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Tribal Media House Co ., Ltd.
The two companies plan to work together to support corporate fandom marketing, co-create business initiatives, and promote cross-cultural projects, all while engaging with the new fanbase that has emerged within the esports entertainment sector.
"REJECT" Forms Partnership with Tribal Media House! Promoting Collaboration with the Esports Fandom
【お知らせ｜REJECTと戦略的パートナーシップを締結】
トライバルメディアハウスは、eスポーツチーム「REJECT」を運営する株式会社REJECTと、戦略的パートナーシップを締結しました。…
— トライバルメディアハウス｜池田紀行・広報アカウント (@Tribal_News) October 5, 2026
On Monday, October 5, 2026, the professional esports team “REJECT” announced the formation of a strategic partnership with Tribal Media House Co., Ltd., a marketing support firm that conducts direct business with over 300 major Japanese companies.
The two companies plan to collaborate with the esports fandom to implement initiatives such as supporting corporate fandom marketing, co-creating business ventures, and launching cross-cultural initiatives.
Background of the Partnership
Esports is rapidly expanding beyond the realm of mere competition to become a culture in its own right, encompassing live events and community experiences.
Fans follow players’ challenges, wear team uniforms, and discuss the game with friends.
While the behavior of esports fans shares the same structure as that of fans of traditional sports or artists, it is expanding faster and more transnationally —primarily among today’s digital-native youth.
At the same time, we have found that companies seeking to leverage the passion of esports fans to drive brand growth face common challenges.
Challenges Faced by Companies
- They have a limited understanding of the culture and etiquette of the gaming community and struggle to gauge the right level of engagement with consumers
- Sponsorship efforts remain limited to logo exposure, and fan enthusiasm is not translating into business results
- Initiatives end as one-off campaigns and are not designed to foster medium- to long-term brand awareness or drive business results
- Lack of a framework capable of developing initiatives that bridge fans of esports and adjacent cultures such as anime, music, and idols
Both companies speculate that these issues stem not from a lack of understanding on the part of the companies, but rather from the fact that brand marketing expertise and the practices of the esports scene have historically been treated as separate entities.
They concluded that rather than one-off transactions, it is necessary to build the support model itself together through medium- to long-term partnerships.
Purpose and Vision of the Partnership
The purpose of this partnership is to open up esports as a form of entertainment—and its fanbase—to a wider audience.
Moving forward, the two companies aim to collaborate in three key areas.
Area 1: Fandom Marketing
Starting with a company’s brand challenges, we will provide comprehensive support for fandom marketing —from designing touchpoints with esports fans to planning, execution, and measuring results.
Tribal Media House brings its deep understanding of fandom and ability to connect with brands, while REJECT offers its close ties to the community.
By combining the strengths of both companies, we will foster relationships where consumers “choose a brand because they support it,” thereby driving purchasing behavior.
Area 2: Business Co-creation
Leveraging the insights into business models—based on ongoing relationships with fans—that both companies have cultivated in their respective fields, new points of connection between corporations and esports will be planned and developed.
Business co-creation will extend beyond the realm of advertising and promotions to encompass a wide range of areas, including product development, business development, and recruitment communications.
Area 3: Cross-Cultural Collaboration
" Modern Age " is an entertainment marketing label within Tribal Media House.
It specializes in connecting IPs and artists with corporate brands.
Moving forward, the two companies will collaborate to design synergies such as esports × music, esports × anime/IP, and esports × brands, continuously creating spaces where different fan communities can come together.
A statement from the CEO!
Shoya Koyama, Representative Director, REJECT Co., Ltd.
Since its founding, REJECT has set the goal of “winning on the world stage” and has continued to take on new challenges alongside our players, staff, and fans.
We believe that every single effort we’ve made in pursuit of victory has resonated with many people and helped build a strong community.
We do not want this unique passion found in esports to end with a relationship that merely involves displaying a corporate logo.
By carefully aligning corporate challenges and brand philosophies with the values cherished by players and fans, we aim to realize partnerships that balance business results with contributions to the community.
Tribal Media House/Modern Age is a company that has leveraged its deep insights into marketing and fandom to drive brand success.
We are confident that by combining the company’s strategic planning capabilities with the expertise REJECT has cultivated at the forefront of competition and community, we can create a new, successful business model utilizing esports.
Noriyuki Ikeda, President and CEO, Tribal Media House Co., Ltd.
Sales are largely determined by “how often a brand is recalled”—that is, the breadth and depth of brand recall.
And what determines the quality of that recall is how much consumers care about the brand.
The esports fandom possesses a level of passion that no advertising budget could ever replicate.
There are indeed people who are genuinely moved by every single match played by the athletes and who discuss the wins and losses as if they were their own.
REJECT holds the record for the most title divisions in Japan, the most appearances in world championships, and ranks first in the country for total prize money won.
It is a team that has consistently aimed for the pinnacle of the sport, and at the same time, a company that has engaged head-on with the gaming community.
By combining this on-the-ground perspective with the brand marketing expertise we’ve honed over 19 years, we believe we can elevate the significance of corporate involvement in esports beyond mere logo exposure to a much deeper level.
Shuhei Takano, Director and CVO of Tribal Media House Co., Ltd. / Head of the Modern Age Label
Esports is one of the cultures that most strongly occupies people’s “disposable spirit”—a “place in the heart” that, unlike time or money, cannot be bought.
People’s hearts are genuinely moved by a single match.
We discuss wins and losses as if they were our own.
Rather than buying merchandise, we wear our team colors.
I believe that what companies should focus on is not the market size, but the intensity of this engagement.
The collaboration between REJECT and iLiFE! was symbolic not because it became a hot topic.
It was because it brought together two fanbases—esports and idols—that had never intersected before, uniting them under the shared context of “wanting to witness their favorite’s challenge.”
Cross-border collaboration isn’t determined by who you partner with, but by which contexts overlap.
Modern Age has arrived to engineer exactly that.
The most valuable thing a brand can do for a fandom is not to borrow their passion, but to give fans more reasons to be proud of their favorite.
The accumulation of “thank yous” that comes back from this creates sales that don’t eat into short-term numbers.
Together with REJECT, we’ll continue to build real-world examples of this.
Excitement is building for the future collaboration between “REJECT” and Tribal Media House.
Check the official REJECT website or the official X account ( @RC_REJECT ) for the latest updates on “REJECT”!
Sorry, this article is only available in Japanese. at the moment.
