Crédit Agricole, a partner committed to making Esports accessible to all

Esports is a growing phenomenon. Through its partnership with Team Vitality and the support of the Vitality School, the Crédit Agricole is helping to make this discipline accessible to all. This commitment strengthens cohesion and inclusion. 

According to the France Esports 2023 barometer, the total number of esports players in France grew from 2 million in 2018 to over 6 million in 2023. This number includes people who watch and play esports, as well as those who only play in classified games and/or register for video game competitions. A rapid growth, which poses some problems, particularly concerning accessibility to the sport, feminisation and inclusion. 

That is the position taken by the Crédit Agricole. As a major partner to sport, especially football and judo, the bank joined up with Team Vitality, the biggest esport club in France. This partnership fits into the group’s social project, which aims to support the transformation of society. It increases our support for young people in an area which is both digital and human. 

One of the main thrusts of the partnership is the Vitality School (VSchool). Created in 2020 by Team Vitality, this school has already trained more than 300 students. It gives young people between the ages of 12 and 17 the chance to take part in esport and gaming courses during the school holidays. The Crédit Agricole is the VSchool’s main sponsor, lending additional weight to its commitment to young people who love esport. The VSchool Summer Tour was introduced in 2023. A series of dates all over France, organised with the help of local branches, during which young people crazy about esports can take part, for free, in workshops, to familiarise themselves with playing esport, learn about jobs in the sector and become aware of good practices (coaching, healthy life-style and so on). 

The Crédit Agricole is also involved in developing the sport for women. It supports the “Rising Bees” team in the League of Legends, and supported the Her-Lan organisation, the first 100% women’s tournament, aiming to promote the active participation of women in esport.  

A 100% women’s tournament

The place of women in esports is often hotly debated, for it remains a masculinity-dominated environment. By offering a safe, inclusive space for female gamers, this tournament contributed to increasing the visibility of women in esport, by highlighting their success and their performance: a way of breaking gender stereotypes and creating a more divers, more equal community in the world of esport. 

This article was published in the magazine Sport and Citizenship n°57 : protecting sport integrity