Audio streaming service Spotify has inked an exclusive, multi-year podcast deal with Riot Games, making it the official audio hub for League of Legends. The audio platform’s nearly 300 million monthly active users will now be able to listen to music from Riot’s esports-leading game and a series of podcasts about LoL competition and culture.  

Spotify, as we’ve covered before on Interpret Insights, has separated itself from the competition with a clear focus on podcasts. On top of exclusive deals with Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and DC Comics, the streaming service recently signed TikTok dancer Addison Rae and singer Lele Pons. It’s part of a wider strategy to ramp up exclusive deals with social media influencers, Spotify acknowledged to the Los Angeles Times.

This exclusive deal helps diversify Spotify’s podcast offerings. One LoL podcast show, Untold Stories: Top Moments from Worlds, is expected to be ready this year. The nine-episode series will lead up to the 10th LoL championship this fall, providing fans with background stories about the players in addition to game highlights, interviews, and game sound effects.

Spotify’s entry into the world of esports is unique, and it makes a lot of sense given its customer base and the huge popularity of LoL. Interpret’s NMM: Global Profiles® shows that almost a third of esports viewers currently subscribe to Spotify, with even more specifically signing up from the LoL player base. While these already-subscribing consumers won’t produce incremental subscription revenues for Spotify, they will serve as a ready-made platform for grassroots marketing to non-subscribing League of Legends players. This new content addition by Spotify will also encourage retention at a time when consumers may be feeling fatigue from all of their streaming subscriptions.

Spotify’s goal to offer more than music has worked well so far for the platform – esports could be the next big opportunity for the company.