Samsung steps into India’s campus esports as title sponsor of College Rivals Season 3

Samsung has entered India’s fast-growing collegiate esports scene as Official Title Sponsor of College Rivals Season 3, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra adopted as the tournament’s exclusive gameplay device across 70+ colleges and 20+ cities.

Samsung has taken a major step into India’s expanding esports ecosystem by partnering with esports arena Ampverse DMI as the Official Title Sponsor of College Rivals Season 3. Under the agreement, Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S25 Ultra becomes the official gameplay smartphone for the tournament and will feature across live broadcasts, content integrations and on-ground activations.

The tie-up marks Samsung’s first large-scale association with collegiate esports in India and reflects how global consumer brands are increasingly using competitive gaming as a youth marketing and engagement platform. College Rivals Season 3 is set to be the biggest edition yet, travelling to more than 70 colleges in over 20 cities, with expanded qualifiers and new team-based Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) formats designed to raise the competitive level and deepen grassroots participation.

For Samsung, the partnership is also a showcase for its newest flagship. The Galaxy S25 Ultra, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, offers a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz refresh rate and enhanced thermal management, positioning it as a high-performance device for mobile esports. Tournament matches being played exclusively on the S25 Ultra will effectively stress-test the phone in real competitive conditions and reinforce Samsung’s brand among India’s student gamer base.

Ampverse co-founder and CEO Charlie Baillie said Samsung’s technology “sets a new benchmark for campus esports”, arguing that the tie-up helps strengthen India’s talent pipeline and build an aspirational pathway for student players. DMI Group co-founder Shivashish Chatterjee added that the partners aim to reach as many as one million college students through the College Rivals platform in the coming years, as state-backed initiatives like India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025 and the integration of esports into the Khelo India Youth Games drive participation beyond traditional metro hubs.