Getty Images and W Series have announced an exclusive deal which sees Getty Images serve as the Official Photographic Partner of the newly launched W Series Esports League.
Brand-new for 2020, the W Series Esports League will see W Series drivers from around the world compete in the first official women only simulated racing league. Drawing on its rich history and unmatched expertise in photographing live sporting events, Getty Images will capture all the in-game photography from the 10 rounds, which began last month at Monza virtual track and will wrap up at the Silverstone digital arena in August.
“Ever since Getty Images was founded 25 years ago, our specialist operations team and industry-leading photographic talent have been at the forefront of creating innovative sports photography,” said Getty Images global head of content Ken Mainardis.
“This partnership furthers the W Series aim in elevating female esports to a global audience and demonstrates how Getty Images leads the way in delivering cutting-edge content to our customers around the world.”
W Series’ CEO Catherine Bond Muir added: “We at W Series are delighted to partner with Getty Images, whose expertise is unmatched in photography and whose brand values in respect of diversity and inclusion are a great fit with those of W Series. But although the W Series Esports League provides great on-screen entertainment for fans and poses a stern sporting test for our drivers, there is a bigger purpose to it also: we hope that women and girls who perhaps have not engaged with esports or in particular SimRacing, either as viewers or players, will be inspired by the exploits of our 20 female racers to embrace it in greater numbers than they have hitherto.”
The partnership will enable W Series to bring virtual racing to an even wider audience via Getty Images’ unparalleled global distribution network, with all the still imagery content from the League available for editorial use.
This innovative deal is part of Getty Images’ wider esports strategy, which saw Getty Images recently partner with Polyphony to serve as the exclusive photo agency of Gran Turismo’s FIA world championships. Getty Images partners with many of the most significant sports leagues and governing bodies in the world. Today, Getty Images is the official photographer or photographic partner to over 80 of the world’s leading sport’s governing bodies, leagues, and clubs, including the PGA Tour, FIFA, the International Olympic Committee, International Cricket Council, Major League Baseball, UEFA, National Hockey League, National Collegiate Athletic Association, NASCAR, PGA of America, NBA, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, FC Bayern Munich, Ultimate Fighting Championship, Cricket Australia and NZ Rugby Union.
