M7 World Championship Poised To Surpass M6’s €115 Mln Brand Value Benchmark

By Muhammad Zulkarnain Mohd Azman

JAKARTA, Jan 20 (Bernama) -- Moonton Games expects the ongoing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) M7 World Championship to generate a higher partner brand value than the €115 million (RM552.6 million) benchmark recorded at M6.

Head of Business Development for Malaysia Esports at Moonton Games, Krystal Tan said this is driven by record-breaking global viewership, sustained audience engagement, and deeper sponsor integration.

She said early performance indicators at M7 have been “extremely optimistic”, with the Wild Card stage exceeding expectations and the Swiss Stage registering a new peak concurrent viewership (PCV) high of 3.6 million.

“We have already had multiple matches crossing two million peak viewers. These are not numbers dependent on the Grand Finals alone. Sponsors are receiving sustained, high-intensity engagement throughout the competition,” she told Bernama in an interview today.

Tan said the stronger commercial foundation built through domestic leagues such as the MLBB Professional League (MPL) Malaysia has enabled Moonton to refine partnership models, test activation strategies and scale successful engagement frameworks to global events like M7.

“That is why the €115 million brand value from M6 is our starting point, not our peak. The ecosystem supporting M7 is far more mature,” she said, adding that global brands including NBA, Visa and Red Bull have come on board for this year’s championship.

On audience growth, Tan said Indonesia and the Philippines remain MLBB’s commercial and cultural powerhouses, supported by expanding domestic league ecosystems and strong team-driven narratives that extend beyond core gaming audiences.

She noted that MPL Malaysia Season 16 recorded over 600,000 PCV, a 20 per cent year-on-year increase, with playoff events attracting nearly 10,000 live spectators, translating domestic momentum to the global stage where Malaysian side Selangor Red Giants remain undefeated at M7.

Emerging markets including Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East are also showing rising year-on-year viewership growth, signalling MLBB’s continued global expansion.

Tan said sponsorship models have evolved beyond logo placements into multi-touchpoint experiential partnerships across live events, broadcasts, in-game moments and community activations.

“The M7 Carnival and Visa’s Mythic VIP experience demonstrate how brands are now co-creating fan experiences rather than merely sponsoring events,” she said.

On sector participation, Tan said financial services, sports and entertainment, consumer technology, and energy and lifestyle brands are showing strong interest, citing MLBB’s young, mobile-first and highly engaged audience base.

“As traditional advertising fragments, brands are seeking high-engagement platforms with measurable impact. MLBB esports now delivers enterprise-level ROI comparable to major traditional sports sponsorships, with access to younger and more connected audiences,” she said.

-- BERNAMA