eBay UK have announced a special collaboration with UK presenter, gamer, and entrepreneur Alhan Gençay (@9P), to launch the first of its “In Session With” series this year and spotlight the diverse passions within the UK’s thriving sneaker community.
Birthed from Alhan’s own passion for ‘collecting’, ‘levelling up’ and the thrill of the win, this collab will see Alhan and eBay host the ultimate sneakers and gaming clash, to celebrate these overlapping worlds. Inviting fans to play against Alhan, they’ll take part in a quest for sneaker gems – with a range of rare pairs up for grabs from the eBay Authenticity Guarantee service.
Offering a sneak peek of what’s to come, Alhan will be discussing the collaboration on his P45 Twitch channel tonight, with those tuning in able to win eBay sneakers credit.
The affinity between sneakers and gaming is undeniable. It has sparked many exciting collaborations over the years, including Nike’s partnership with Playstation, Puma’s collaboration with Tetris and Adidas’s launch with Xbox. eBay has witnessed many of these coveted models be sought out on the marketplace, driving searches for ‘Nike Air Force PlayStation‘ to increase by 100%, ‘Nike Playstation‘ by over 45%, and ‘Puma Tetris’ by 30% in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the third quarter of 2023.*
Alhan and eBay are tapping into the thrill of the win in both the sneaker and gaming circles, by inviting the community to an immersive live gaming event, taking place at BRIX, London on Tuesday 11th June.
How it works:
- Attendees will face each other in a knock-out gaming tournament, with Alhan as the final boss to beat.
- Ticket holders can win exclusive sneakers from eBay’s vast collection of authentic and rare pairs, or eBay vouchers, while linking up over food and drinks.
- In a one-of-a-kind discussion, Alhan, eBay’s Head of Sneakers Wahaaj Shabbir, eBay’s resident sneakerhead, FDfromtheFuture and Ja’e from SneakerSisterhood, will explore the shared passions which bring the sneaker community together.
Raising the stakes even further, the event is set to announce a special competition, giving fans the chance to win an exclusive prize that will take their sneaker collection and gaming to the next level.
Tickets are free and will be rolled out over the coming days.
For those unable to attend but are inspired by Alhan’s style, he has curated an exclusive collection of his favourite sneakers on eBay, including Nike Air Rifts, Adidas x Sean Wotherspoon Gazelles and Maison Margiela Replicas, available to purchase with complete peace of mind, thanks to eBay Authenticity Guarantee.
Sneakers and gaming are my two serious passions. Whenever I want some of those super rare bits from both worlds, eBay is my go-to. So this felt like the perfect partnership for me. Not only that, I’ve got an opportunity to give back to my community, and giving back to the fans is one of the main reason why I love doing this job. Keep an eye out for our giveaway coming soon.
– Alhan Gençay (@9p)
I’m ready to kick off our ‘In Session With’ series this year with Alhan. Tons of UK sneaker fans are also big gamers, myself included, so teaming up with Alhan was a no-brainer, and I’m excited to see the two worlds come together at this event.
eBay’s the online version of the sneaker game and now is the time for us to bring that to life.
– Wahaaj Shabbir, Head of Sneakers, eBay UK
Alhan’s partnership with eBay builds on the marketplace’s continued efforts to show up in the community, following a collaboration with acclaimed artist Olaolu Slawn at the end of last year, where he created two new masterpieces inspired by his most loved sneakers, raising funds for charity.
