Pokemon Go Getting Sponsored PokeStops, One of Which Is Possibly McDonald's [UPDATE]

[UPDATE] Gizmodo reports that information has been discovered that suggests one of Pokemon Go's sponsored locations could be fast food giant McDonald's. Neither Niantic nor McDonald's has commented on the story yet. We'll bring you more information as it becomes available.

The original story is below.

Pokemon Go is a free-to-play game, but it does offer microtransactions--and those have reportedly been quite lucrative. Now, developer Niantic Labs has revealed another way the augmented reality game will pull in money: through sponsored PokeStops.

Niantic CEO John Hanke told The New York Times that the developer has already signed deals with some retail establishments to turn their businesses into sponsored Pokemon Go locations. The developer will announce sponsored locations "in the future."

The New York Times mentions fast food restaurants and coffee shops as two examples of possible sponsored PokeStops. Given the huge popularity of Pokemon Go, it's not hard to imagine retail establishments lining up for sign sponsorship deals to attract more customers.

Pokemon Go may also help small businesses. As people on NeoGAF discovered, it may be possible for retailers to use Pokemon Go's "lures" to bring high-value creatures to their physical stores, in turn possibly bringing in more foot traffic. Some businesses are also reportedly offering discounts to people who align with certain Pokemon Go teams.

Pokemon Go launched last week and has since become a global phenomenon. On the business side, its release has added $9 billion to Nintendo's market cap.

Recently, it was reported that in wake of the game's huge success, Hollywood studios are scrambling to sign a deal for the Pokemon movie rights.

For more on Pokemon Go, check out GameSpot's review.