MLG and Dr Pepper announced a partnership that places Dr Pepper as the official beverage sponsor for the 2008 MLG Pro Circuit. The partnership will also allow Dr Pepper to introduce its new “exclusive experience”, the Dr Pepper Ultimate Gaming House. This addition to the Pro Circuit will include “various rooms designed by premier gaming publishers, tricked out with the latest in gaming technology, equipment and furniture,” and will also feature pro-gamers along side entertainment and sports celebrities playing games together with fans.

From this “cross-platform partnership” will also spawn a new online collegiate gaming championship composed of the top college gamers in the country. The winners of this tournament will be given a chance to compete in the MLG Pro Circuit at the Dr Pepper Ultimate Gaming House. The tournament will take place exclusively on mlgpro.com.

According to Jaxie Alt, director of marketing for Dr Pepper, “Major League Gaming offers us an ideal opportunity to connect with the Dr Pepper consumer.” She continued, “We are excited to provide Dr Pepper fans with such a unique opportunity in the gaming community and bring more to Major League Gaming by introducing the Dr Pepper Ultimate Gaming House and the Online Collegiate Gaming Championship.”

Major League Gaming is the parent company of GotFrag.

The full press release can be found below.

DR PEPPER GETS ITS GAME ON AS THE OFFICIAL BEVERAGE OF THE 2008 MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING PRO CIRCUIT

Announcing the Dr Pepper Ultimate Gaming House and Online Collegiate Gaming Championship

NEW YORK (Feb. 26, 2008) – Major League Gaming (MLG), the professional videogame league, today announced Dr Pepper as the official beverage sponsor for the 2008 MLG Pro Circuit. The cross-platform partnership includes the development of the Dr Pepper Ultimate Gaming House and a co-branded online collegiate gaming championship.

“Major League Gaming offers us an ideal opportunity to connect with the Dr Pepper consumer,” said Jaxie Alt, director of marketing for Dr Pepper. “We are excited to provide Dr Pepper fans with such a unique opportunity in the gaming community and bring more to Major League Gaming by introducing the Dr Pepper Ultimate Gaming House and the Online Collegiate Gaming Championship.”

The Dr Pepper Ultimate Gaming House is an exclusive experience that will offer gamers a chance to enjoy the best of what’s new at each of the 2008 MLG Pro Circuit tournaments. The house will include various rooms designed by premier gaming publishers, tricked out with the latest in gaming technology, equipment and furniture. In addition, the Dr Pepper Ultimate Gaming House will host pro-gamers and high-profile entertainment and sports celebrities to play games alongside Dr Pepper fans, as well as sign autographs and take pictures.

MLG and Dr Pepper will also launch an online collegiate gaming championship this Fall that will identify the best college gamers in the country. The competition will feature popular video games, with players vying for the championship title and the chance to attend MLG’s Pro Circuit Championship event at the Dr Pepper Ultimate Gaming House. The online competition will be available exclusively on mlgpro.com.

“In less than 2 years, MLG has grown from a grass roots phenomenon into a major cross-platform media property spanning live events, TV and online,” said Mike Sepso, chairman of Major League Gaming. “Our sold-out live Pro-Circuit, our national TV programming, and millions of online fans have created the critical mass and credibility to help partners like Dr Pepper connect with young consumers in an authentic way.”

About Dr Pepper

Dr Pepper is a leading brand in the beverage portfolio of Plano, Texas-based Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages (CSAB), a subsidiary division of Cadbury Schweppes plc (NYSE: CSG) CSAB is one of the largest producers of soft drinks and premium beverages in the Americas. CSAB's brand portfolio includes Dr Pepper, 7UP, Snapple, Mott's Apple Juice and Sauce, Accelerade, RC Cola, A&W Root Beer, Sunkist Soda, Canada Dry, Hawaiian Punch, Schweppes, Diet Rite, Clamato, Mr & Mrs T Mixers, Holland House Mixers, Rose's, Mistic, Yoo-hoo, Orangina, IBC, Stewart's, Nantucket Nectars and other well-known consumer brands. For additional information on CSAB and its products, visit www.brandspeoplelove.com.

About Major League Gaming

Major League Gaming is North America’s first professional videogame league, and its only sanctioning body for pro gaming. MLG operates the multi-city MLG Pro Circuit, presented by GameStop and powered by Xbox 360; produces compelling competitions for national television, broadband and mobile distribution; and exclusively represents the best gamers in the world. It also operates a thriving online community and online tournaments for millions of gamers at mlgpro.com. MLG, founded in 2002, is based in New York City and is privately held.