Will Faker Receive Right-hand Insurance? T1 Signs Sponsor Partnership with One of the Biggest Banks in Korea

In the future, will all competitive players receive insurance like Faker?

On July 24^th, SK Telecom’s esports brand T1 (SKT) signed a sponsor partnership with Hana Bank, one of the largest banks in Korea. There is one spotlight term in the contract is insurance for Faker’s right hand.

The partnership aims to develop financial products targeting the senior fan base and as part of it, the first floor of T1’s esports center in Seoul will be renamed to “Hana OneQ-T1 Hall of Fame” and T1’s uniform will also be printed with Hana OneQ’s logo onward.

The minimum annual salary for LCK’s eSports professional players is around 20 million KRW (roughly 16.000 USD), but from next year, it will be raised to 60 million KRW (roughly 50.000 USD). This new salary is much higher than other sports in Korea, only below baseball, soccer, basketball, and volleyball. Hana Bank will provide financial consulting and dedicated PB (personal financial expert) to T1’s players – including Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok – to manage their salaries more efficiently.

“I am glad that other players and I have a good opportunity to prepare for financial planning through the Hana Bank’s partnership.” – Faker said.

Part of the contract is to cover “Athlete injury insurance”, which is already available in other professional sports, will also be applied. According to T1 and Hana Bank, pro eSports players and gamers are also exposed to the risk of injuries, such as wrists and waist. If a player is having an injure and unable to play in the competition, it tremendously affects their team. Because of that reason, in Hana’s insurance had mentioned that they are planning to develop specific insurances for T1’s players, such as “Right-hand insurance for Faker”.