Wiz Khalifa Partners with Hometown Esports Team the Pittsburgh Knights

Amy Harris / Invision / AP – Wiz Khalifa
Night arrives for Day 1 of Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival with funny looking leaves and Wiz Khalifa in Florida March 3.

Wiz Khalifa is throwing his weight into the esports industry by joining forces with the Pittsburgh Knights as a strategic partner, for creative direction, marketing, live events and entertainment. The global esports organization partnered with the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers last year.

“It is awesome to partner with the Knights, alongside the Pittsburgh Steelers, on this exciting, endeavor,” the rapper said in a statement. “The Knights are pushing the boundaries in the esports space with an experienced team. Being based in Pittsburgh, my hometown, a city known for bringing home championships, I am pumped to be a part of this moment in history kicking off another winning team for the city.”

“Wiz is definitely a visionary,” added Knights president James O’Connor. “He’s always ahead of the curve; he’s creative and savvy and we admire him and his team for their work ethic. We’re really happy to welcome him into the Knights’ family.”

The Pittsburgh Knights is one of the fastest-growing teams in the esports space. Esports – competitive video gaming – has become popular over the past few years with over 450 million fans worldwide; the industry is expected to generate $1.1 billion this year alone, according to a February study from gaming researcher NewZoo (via Fortune).