PITTSBURGH, April 6, 2021 - The Pittsburgh Knights and PNC Bank will extend their sponsorship agreement through 2024. Under the agreement, PNC is a Preferred Banking Partner of Knights Nation. The esports organization and Pennsylvania’s largest bank joined forces last year to help address gender inequality in gaming.

In the next phase of this partnership, the organizations will continue the conversation by providing a platform for professionals to share their experiences and successes in an effort to break down barriers, level the playing field for women and highlight the benefits of diversity. At the time it debuted, the initiative tapped experts such as: anupama jain, director of Pittsburgh’s Gender Equity Commission; Sonia Ruef, athletic trainer for the Pittsburgh Steelers; and Aerial Powers, professional basketball player for the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, among others. Through a virtual round table discussion series, the organizations spotlighted a number of topics related to women in the world of competitive video gaming.

“Both the Knights and PNC Bank are committed to the drive for greater equality for women in esports and recognize this is an important goal that cannot be achieved by one group alone,” says Knights’ President James O’Connor. “We’ve seen first-hand the level of commitment PNC has to advance diversity and inclusion, as well as to support our community. PNC is a great corporate role model and the Knights are proud to continue building on our relationship.”

About PNC Bank

PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.

About the Knights

The Knights are a global esports organization headquartered in Pittsburgh. Since launching in 2017, the Knights have focused on entertaining fans, sharing esports, and bringing people together with live and virtual events. They solidified their spot in the City of Champions by partnering with six-time Super Bowl winners the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018. Since then, Pittsburgh-native and multi-platinum recording artist Wiz Khalifa has come on board as a strategic partner. Adding to their troop is Pittsburgh Penguins’ alternate captain Evgeni Malkin – 3-time Stanley Cup winner.

To cap off their powerhouse group, they brought on Mexico City- based media fund MX LATAM in 2019. Officially recognized by Pittsburgh as a premier team, they have partnered with the most talented, innovative, and prestigious sports and entertainment industry leaders – both in the city and around the world. Their team includes some of the top Rocket LeagueR, Gears 5TM, Rainbow Six Siege, Valorant, Madden NFL©, Halo, and Mortal Kombat, players in the world. Please go to https://www.knights.gg for more information and the latest news on the Knights.