LOS ANGELES — As part of its ongoing initiative supporting women, the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) brought together top women’s esports players to compete in The Milk Cup Finals.

Funded by US milk companies with a focus on educating consumers and increasing consumption of fluid milk, MilkPEP said its all-women’s Fortnite LAN event, with 99 players and a total prize pool of $250,000, brought in more than 2.7 million stream viewers.

Jen Grubb, senior marketing manager at MilkPEP, called the tournament in Los Angeles this month a history-making event.

"The gaming community truly showed up for these women, and we've been overwhelmed by the support,” Grubb said. “We're excited to continue supporting gamers through future opportunities and through milk's nutritional benefits as ‘The Performance Drink of Gamers.’"

As part of the event, MilkPEP accentuated dairy milk’s appealing attributes for gamers, such as sustained energy tied to protein and B vitamins, as well as other nutrients that support focus. Esports competitors had access to milk, including lactose-free options.

MilkPEP developed the event with women gamers and organizations. The organization also announced it will host three online events for women Fortnite gamers called the The Milk Cup Winter Split to close out 2024.