Best Buy and IGN Pair Up Ahead Of Major Game Releases

Best Buy is partnering with one of the biggest names in gaming news and reviews ahead of major holiday gaming launches such as the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Grand Theft Auto VI. Best Buy has launched a new online portal called Best Buy Gamers, currently in beta. The portal will include reviews, articles, trailers, videos, and other exclusive content in partnership with IGN. The portal also includes other information from Best Buy on its products and events. Best Buy's advertising arm, Best Buy Ads, will sell media placements within the new gaming initiative's digital experience. Additionally, the retail media network is developing opportunities for brands to participate through sponsored content, creator integrations, sweepstakes, and custom activations. With AI summaries eating into search traffic, the partnership gives IGN's reviews and editorial content a new place to reach gamers—at the retailer where they are making the purchase decision. Additionally, Best Buy will carry programming on IGN, including a holiday gift guide and shoppable livestream. In one example, a new series shows new products coming to Best Buy, according to IGN. IGN's social team will also be on the ground at Best Buy events this holiday season to capture fan reactions. “Gamers invest a lot of time and thought in their games and devices—from watching the latest gaming trailers to reading new reviews,” said Marty Senn, chief marketing officer at Best Buy, in a statement. “IGN has long been a go-to destination for gaming news, making them a natural partner as we launch Best Buy Gamers and build an experience that helps gamers stay connected to the games, trends and content they love.” IGN's digital properties reach more than 470 million monthly users in 100 countries as well as 96 million people on social media, according to the media company. “Retail and media are moving toward each other, and this partnership is what that looks like when two leaders build it on purpose,” Kim Hatfield, svp of sales and integrated marketing at IGN, said in a news release. “Gamers come to IGN to find out what’s worth playing. As the way people discover things keeps changing, partnering with Best Buy was a natural fit and brings our coverage closer to where people get their games and gear.” This is not the first time that Best Buy has teamed up with a tech publisher. In 2024, Best Buy partnered with CNET to combine ad inventory and content. New ways to reach gamers The Best Buy Gamers site will provide updates on in-store events such as upcoming late-night store openings for the Nov. 5 launch of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and a League of Legends pop-up with Alienware and Team Liquid at a Best Buy store in Brooklyn. It will also show product deals and exclusive offers for My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members. The loyalty programs offer members perks like free shipping, discounts, and tech support. The new site has personalized profiles where users can select their favorite platforms and genres, and the first people to create a profile will receive a $5 bonus reward. The program will also have daily sweepstakes through the end of November, where a winner will get two minutes to fill a shopping cart at a Best Buy store with products and take home everything they grabbed. The retailer said it will continue to add new features, content, and benefits to the program based on feedback. "Tens of millions of gamers shop with Best Buy each year, not just for the latest tech, but to try and experience it in stores and get expert advice and support," Best Buy said in a news release. "Best Buy Gamers builds on those relationships with a destination designed around how gamers play and what they care about most."

Retail News

Best Buy and IGN Pair Up Ahead Of Major Game Releases

The gaming news outlet will provide reviews, articles, and videos for Best Buy's website

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Mitchell Parton

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