Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 11:07 AM on Monday, March 25th, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment
$GMBL Esports audience is 350M, growing to 590M, Esports wagering is
projected at $23 BILLION by 2020. The company has launched VIE.gg
esports betting platform and has accelerated affiliate marketing
agreements with 190 Esports teams. Click here for more information
GMBL: OTCQB
———————–
$50M esports arena coming to Philadelphia
The Fusion Arena, to open in 2021, will be home to the Philadelphia Fusion team that competes in the Overwatch League.
Photo: comcast spectacor
Comcast Spectacor and The Cordish Cos. are building a $50 million, 3,500-seat esports arena in Philadelphia
The Fusion Arena will be next to Wells Fargo Center, Lincoln Financial Field, Citizens Bank Park and the mixed-use Xfinity Live development
“We’re thrilled to introduce a venue like no other as we move forward with the next phase of development within the Philadelphia Sports Complex,†said Dave Scott, Comcast Spectacor’s chairman and CEO.
Xfinity Live is also a joint venture between Comcast Spectacor and
Cordish, which specializes in real estate developments around stadiums
and arenas.
Architecture firm Populous designed the 60,000-square-foot venue,
which will be home to the Philadelphia Fusion, an esports team owned by
Comcast Spectacor that competes in the Overwatch League. The league
wants its teams to play in their home markets next year. The Fusion are
looking at playing at other venues in Philadelphia while the new esports
venue is being built.
Construction will start this summer on a site currently used as a
parking lot and the venue is scheduled to open in 2021. The Fusion
facility will have a 10,000-square-foot esports training facility as
well as two balcony bars, a broadcast studio and premium boxes and
suites.
The venue will be rigged to also host small concerts, comedy shows
and corporate events, said Joe Marsh, chief business officer for Comcast
Spectacor’s gaming division and the Fusion.
Populous also designed the $10 million Esports Stadium Arlington, a
100,000-square-foot gaming space built at the Arlington Convention
Center hear Dallas.
“We’ve reached a place now where there is a need for purpose-built
esports venues,†said Brian Mirakian, a senior principal with Populous.
“This project represents the prototype of the future.â€
Cordish
Principal Blake Cordish expects to see more esports projects like the
one in Philadelphia. “This flagship esports venue will perfectly
complement the surrounding anchors in the Philadelphia Sports Complex,â€
Cordish said. “The Cordish Cos. is extremely bullish about the future of
esports, especially when integrated into mixed-use, sports-anchored
developments.â€
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 2:00 PM on Thursday, March 21st, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment
$GMBL Esports audience is 350M, growing to 590M, Esports wagering is
projected at $23 BILLION by 2020. The company has launched VIE.gg
esports betting platform and has accelerated affiliate marketing
agreements with 190 Esports teams. Click here for more information
GMBL: OTCQB
———————–
The biggest esports tournaments and leagues in 2019
All around the world, esports
are on the rise and they don’t look to be slowing down any time soon.
Whether you want to tune in for a few hours of action-packed tournament
gameplay between the top pros or follow your favorite team week after
week in your favorite game’s league, we’ve got you covered.
Note that only standalone tournaments, not playoffs that take place
at the end of a season, are included in the list of esports tournaments.
Keep reading for the top esports tournaments and top esports leagues in
2019.
Top eSports tournaments
The International
Date: August 15-20, 2019
The International is the premier Dota 2 tournament that attracts
teams from around the world. Starting in the third year of the
tournament in 2013, Valve has sweetened the pot by adding 25% of the
total sales of the in game Battle Pass to the prize pool. This instantly
made it one of the best paid esports tournaments in the world, with the
2018 edition reaching more than $25 million in total prize money.
The International 2019 is set to take place from August 15-20 in
Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena. Teams will vie for one of the 18 spots
available by competing in a series of smaller tournaments known as the
Dota Pro Circuit. If 2018 was any indication, the first place prize is
likely to top $11 million.
Intel Extreme Masters
Date: February 13 – March 2, 2019
Intel Extreme Masters is one of the longest running series of esports
tournaments around. It features a number of tournaments in different
locations around the world, capped off with a World Championship. This
final tournament typically takes place in Katowice, with separate prize
pools and brackets for each game.
The most recent Intel Extreme Masters took place in from February 13 –
March 2. It included CS:GO (the 14th Major tournament), Dota 2,
Starcraft II, and for the first time ever, Fortnite: Battle Royale.
Smaller IEM tournaments will still be held throughout the year, with an
additional $1 million prize for the first time to win four eligible
tournaments in a single year.
CS:GO Major Tournaments
Date: August 20 -September 8, 2019
Counter Strike: Global Offensive Major Tournaments, known simply as
Majors, are biannual esports tournaments sponsored by the game’s
developer, Valve Corporation. It’s widely considered the most
prestigious CS:GO tournament, with players from around the globe
competing. Although the prize money is supplied by Valve, the
tournaments themselves are organized by other esports orgs, including
ESL, Major League Gaming, and DreamHack.
The most recent Major took place at the Intel Extreme Masters XIII,
with Danish squad Astralis winning first place and $500,000. The Fall
edition is set to take place in Berlin, and will feature 24 teams from
the four qualifying regions: Americas, Asia, CIS, and Europe.
The Overwatch World Cup features many of the same players as the
Overwatch League, but this time they are competing for their home
countries rather than their esports organizations. in 2018, four
countries hosted qualifying tournaments for six nations, with the top
two teams moving on to the finals at BlizzCon.
So far, no nations have been able to match the South Korean players’
prowess, with all three first place trophies heading to the
esports-friendly nation. It’s worth noting that players aren’t in it for
the money, as all participating teams receive the same prize of
$16,000. This can often lead to interesting strategies and wacky hijinks
in-game.
Fortnite World Cup Finals
Date: July 26-28, 2019
The Fortnite World Cup Finals
bring with them a prize pool worthy of the world’s most popular game:
$40 million. That’s nearly half of the $100 million that Epic Games
pledged for 2019 to make their hit game into an esports juggernaut.
Although the game’s suitability for competitive play is questionable,
the sheer size of the pool has drawn players and streamers from a
variety of backgrounds to play.
Weekly qualifiers kick off April 13, with a prize pool of $1 million
to be distributed among successful contestants. From there, the top 100
solo players and the top 50 duo players will be invited to New York City
for the Fortnite World Cup Finals. Each qualifying player will earn at
least $50,000, with the top solo player taking home $30 million.
Evolution Championship Series
Date: August 2-4, 2019
If you’re a fan of fighting games, odds are you’ve already heard of
the Evolution Championship Series, or Evo for short. Evo is easily the
biggest esports tournament in the genre, growing year after year since
its start more than 20 years ago in 1996.
This year’s tournament is set to take place in Las Vegas from August
2-4. It will feature brackets for a variety of fighting games, including
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Tekken 7, Street Fighter V, Dragonball
FighterZ, and others.
The Overwatch League,
or OWL, has just entered its second season, with a total prize pool of
$5 million. If you haven’t heard of it, OWL is Blizzard-Activision’s
official esports league for their hit first-person hero shooter
Overwatch. In 2018, it was the most watched esports league, mostly
because of the sheer number of hours the league was broadcast.
The action is spread out across a 28-match schedule with four,
five-week long stages. Each stage concludes with a playoff tournament
for the honor of becoming the Stage Champions, but the real prize is
after the end of the fourth stage. The OWL season 2 grand finals (not to
be confused with the Overwatch World Cup above), will have the top
teams vying to become the season 2 champions and take home the $1
million prize that comes with it.
League of Legends Championship Series
This year Riot Games’ official League of Legends esports league
underwent a rebranding, with the NALCS changing to the LCS, and the
EULCS switching to the League European Championship (LEC). Other
popular regions like China’s LPL and Korea’s LCK remain unchanged.
The season is divided into two sections, the Spring and Summer
splits, with a short split playoff game and mid-season Invitational
tournament tucked between them. The real excitement is at the League of
Legends World Championship, which brings together the top teams from all
regions to compete for the cup. Last year’s tournament drew nearly 75 million viewers, making it the most watched esports event of the year.
Call of Duty World League
While most first-person shooter competitions take place at esports
tournaments, Activision set up a league for the Call of Duty franchise.
This year the league enters its fourth season, with all matches played
on the PS4 versin of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
Unlike last season, this season the action is all 5v5 team modes,
including Hardpoint, Search & Destroy, and Control game types. The
finals are scheduled for some time in August of this year. Before you
get excited, no, the recently added battle royale mode will not be
played in the league.
Rocket League Championship Series
The esports League for Psyonix’s car-soccer hit Rocket League is back
again in 2019 with $1 million in prizes. This year an additional region
has been added as South America joins the existing American and
European regions.
After a series of qualifiers, the action will kick off in early
April. There is also a secondary Rival league for teams that fail to
qualify for the main league with $100,000 in prize money.
PUBG Global Championship
Fortnite may have dethroned PUBG in the fight for battle royale
supremacy, but PUBG is pushing back with the introduction of the PUBG
Global Championship in 2019. The season is divided into three phases,
each of which is followed by one or more international tournaments.
There are six regional Pro Leagues in the inaugural season: North
America, Europe, Korea, Japan, China, and Chinese Taipei. There are also
three smaller “Pro Circuit†regions for Southeast Asia, Latin America,
and Oceana. Each will host its own regional events before sending the
top teams to compete internationally. The PUBG Global Championship
finals are set to take place some time in November.
Mobile esports on the rise
Mobile esports are still small in comparison with their PC and
console peers, but here are a few mobile esport tournaments and leagues
to check out.
Clash Royale League — Supercell’s official esports league for their hit arena strategy game, Clash Royale.
Valor Series — The premier esports league for Arena of Valor entered its third year in February.
Vainglory —
The mobile MOBA is featured regularly at international tournaments and
even has a pro league called the Vainglory Premier League.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 12:48 PM on Tuesday, March 19th, 2019
London-based marketing firm AffiliateINSIDER will take responsibility for the growth of the e-sports betting platform VIE.gg’s affiliate partner program globally
Esports’ VIE.gg offers exchange style wagering on e-sports events in a licensed, regulated and secured platform
Esports Entertainment Group Inc (OTCQB:GMBL),
the licensed online gambling company, said Tuesday it has struck up a
new contract with AffiliateINSIDER, a London-based public relations and
marketing firm, to broaden the reach of its e-sports betting platform
VIE.gg.
Under the deal’s terms, AffiliateINSIDER will take on responsibility
for the growth of VIE.gg’s affiliate partner program globally, helping
Esports to add both new affiliates and customers.
VIE.gg offers exchange-style wagering and pool betting on e-sports
events in a licensed, regulated and secured platform. It is the first
and most transparent e-sports bet exchange as a result of Esports
Entertainment Group being a fully reporting SEC issuer in the US.
“We are excited to partner with AffiliateINSIDER as we continue to
grow and manage our affiliate network. They had an acute understanding
of the complexities we face in the emerging esports sector and have been
involved with managing and growing affiliate networks and programs
since the very beginning in the gambling space,†said Grant Johnson, CEO
of Esports, in a statement.
Esports Entertainment Group Inc. is a licensed online gambling company with a focus on e-sports wagering and gaming for adults.
Esports shares held steady at US$0.55 in morning trade on Tuesday.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 2:00 PM on Thursday, March 14th, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment
$GMBL Esports audience is 350M, growing to 590M, Esports wagering is
projected at $23 BILLION by 2020. The company has launched VIE.gg
esports betting platform and has accelerated affiliate marketing
agreements with 190 Esports teams. Click here for more information
GMBL: OTCQB
———————–
Ripple (XRP) and Forte Launch $100M Fund to Integrate Blockchain With the Gaming Industry
Ripple has announced that it will launch a $100 million fund in collaboration with Forte,
San Francisco-based startup that is aiming to leverage the economic models of blockchain systems to build better economies and marketplaces in the gaming industry.
Ripple has announced that it will launch a $100 million fund in collaboration with Forte,
a San Francisco-based startup that is aiming to leverage the economic
models of blockchain systems to build better economies and marketplaces
in the gaming industry.
Forte will oversee the fund that will be allocated towards the integration of blockchain technology
with in-game markets that will allow players to make transactions with
each other more conveniently. In the past, users have often moved to
third-party platforms to sell in-game items.
Speaking to Fortune, Ethan Beard, a senior executive at Ripple’s development division Xpring, is hopeful about blockchain making gaming economies more equitable:
Video games have long been quick to
adopt new technology, from console to the PC to mobile. Now, blockchain
will help game designers who’ve had a hard time facilitating an economy
that can serve all types of players.
As the Fortune article notes, this is an expansion for Ripple, which have previously made a lot of progress in the cross-border payments niche. Should game developers get on board, the use of Ripple’s Interledger Protocol and the XRP token would give Ripple an enormous amount of exposure.
Forte was founded by Kevin Chou,
an entrepreneur with experience in the gaming space. Chou was the Chief
Executive Officer of mobile-focused Kabam and esports company Gen.G.
Forte is backed by the likes of Andreesen Horowitz, Coinbase Ventures
and Battery Ventures.
In Chou’s announcement post, he said of the direct interactions between stakeholders in the system:
I envision a future where players can
transact with each other directly instead of only with the developer. A
future where developers don’t need to figure out the maximum value they
can extract from their player base, but instead are creatively and
economically motivated to foster new types of peer-to-peer gameplay.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 1:00 PM on Tuesday, March 12th, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment
$GMBL Esports audience is 350M, growing to 590M, Esports wagering is
projected at $23 BILLION by 2020. The company has launched VIE.gg
esports betting platform and has accelerated affiliate marketing
agreements with 190 Esports teams. Click here for more information
GMBL: OTCQB
———————–
‘Revenge of the gamers’ – eSports hits big time, with or without Olympics
eSports’ bid to reach the Olympics may be on hold but backing from big sponsors and a relentless march into the mainstream raise the question of whether it needs the Games at all.
With sportswear giant Nike last month announcing its sponsorship of China’s Legends Pro League, video gaming already bears the hallmarks of any successful sport.
Adidas, Mercedes and BMW are some of the other global brands to jump
on board, while McDonald’s dropped its sponsorship of Germany’s national
football team to focus on eSports.
The Legends Pro League, China’s official competition for the League
of Legends game, has 14 regional divisions, and teams have their own
home venues. The game also has an annual world championship.
As of next year, professional players will be fully decked out in
Nike-designed jerseys and trainers, with an accompanying lifestyle range
— much like any big football, basketball or baseball team.
“It’s (eSports) already hit mainstream, a couple of years back,”
Philip So, who heads business development at League of Legends developer
Riot Games, told AFP at last week’s Sportel convention in Macau.
“(But the Nike sponsorship) had a huge reaction from our fans when we
announced it, even from the Nike side. I think it was surprising to
everyone how much buzz it generated.”
A Goldman Sachs briefing in October said eSports was on course to
reach nearly 300 million viewers by 2022 — similar numbers to American
football’s NFL.
– ‘NBA didn’t need the Olympics’ –
Some are now beginning to wonder if the Olympics needs eSports more
than the other way round, as the venerable institution dating back to
the late 19th century strives to reach a younger audience.
“I think it would be great for the Olympic programme to have eSports
because they are going to be able to capture the attention of a new
audience that otherwise would disappear,” Maurizio Barbieri, Twitter’s
Southeast Asian head of sports partnerships, said at Sportel.
“But overall, (how would the Olympics help eSports) in general?
“I mean, the NBA didn’t need the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to become the number one basketball league in the world.”
eSports won’t be part of the Olympics until at least Los Angeles
2028, after it was left off the list of nominated sports for Paris 2024
— which included the equally youth-friendly breakdancing, surfing,
skateboarding and climbing.
But So said that when eSports was a demonstration event at last
year’s Asian Games, viewing figures in China outstripped those of
traditional sports, even though the competition wasn’t shown on TV.
People who play computer games, he added, are now proud to identify
themselves as “gamers”, underlining the rise of a movement that has
spread organically, from the grassroots up.
“It’s a complete paradigm shift. This is the time for gamers to come out. It’s revenge of the gamers,” said So.
– Deeply fragmented –
Much of the opposition to eSports is related to concerns over screen
time and inactivity among young people, as well as a lack of knowledge
and understanding of the games.
China has been particularly cautious, last year announcing curbs
including temporarily suspending new releases of online games — sending
shares plummeting in Tencent, Riot Games’ parent company.
But So said China’s sports ministry remained a supporter of eSports,
drawing a distinction between professional, organised gaming and
streaming, where amateurs play for audiences online.
“I don’t think eSports makes the government very nervous. I really don’t think so,” he said.
“Because the sports bureau etc, we work very closely with them and
it’s definitely on their agenda and interest to grow the sport as well.”
However, So was at a loss to predict whether eSports would finally
make it into the Olympics, a campaign that faces a number of hurdles.
As well as concerns over eSports’ lack of physical activity, the
scene is deeply fragmented, as different games are made by competing
studios. It is also yet to form a world governing body — a stipulation
demanded by the IOC.
“I honestly don’t know. I wish I had the answer,” So said, when asked what was the way forward for eSports’ Olympic bid.
“How an overarching arm across all different games (would work), I’d be very curious to know,” he added.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 1:00 PM on Monday, March 11th, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment
$GMBL Esports audience is 350M, growing to 590M, Esports wagering is
projected at $23 BILLION by 2020. The company has launched VIE.gg
esports betting platform and has accelerated affiliate marketing
agreements with 190 Esports teams. Click here for more information
GMBL: OTCQB
———————–
Five eSports Predictions: What Does The Year Hold For Companies And Developers?
Between League of Legendsappearing in the Asian Games and worldwide phenomenon Fortnite
dominating headlines, 2018 has been a formative year for eSports. Never
before have games had such an assertive presence in mainstream media
and entertainment.
As the CEO of a mobile eSports platform for developers, venues and
sponsors, I don’t believe the trajectory of eSports is slowing anytime
soon — bigger, better things lie ahead. Whether you’re an industry
veteran or just starting to explore how eSports fits into your business,
these are five key trends to keep in mind while planning your business
strategy for the remainder of 2019.
1. New titles will shake up the top five eSports rankings.
This year, new games will likely challenge incumbents for supremacy.
Prominent 2018 launches include the inaugural season of Activision
Blizzard’s Overwatch League, the introduction of the NBA 2K League, and new battle royale title Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. With fresh content flooding the market, the most popular eSport of the future has likely yet to be created.
Given increasing eSports democratization, consumers will be hungry
for innovative content, and top rankings are ripe for the taking.
Currently, the most popular consumer trends I’ve seen include shooters,
multiplayer competition and mobile experiences — so future blockbusters
may feature these elements.
Why does this matter? Understanding what games are trending and why
is essential for anyone in the space, whether you’re running a gaming
company or a non-endemic brand looking to access the growing eSports
audience. For game developers, keeping a pulse on community reactions
and responses to new industry trends is critical to developing relevant
themes for future titles. Watch closely to see which games are picking
up traction. Industry analyst studies, focus groups and preliminary beta
testing are all useful options to consider for additional insight.
2. Brand investments in eSports will increase.
With eSports viewership projected to grow to about 600 million by 2020 (paywall),
sponsorships could become more valuable to brands looking to gain an
advantage in an increasingly lucrative and competitive market.
Sponsors like Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz, T-Mobile, Adidas and even the U.S. Navy
have already invested in eSports. Given the positive results of
engaging with this global audience, brand investments will likely
increase this year, with even more non-endemic corporate sponsors coming
aboard.
Gamers are arguably one of the most sought-after audiences — many are young (paywall) and often loyal to their games of choice. According to Dot Esports,
research firm Newzoo estimates that global eSports awareness will reach
2 billion by 2021. If you’re in the eSports business, I recommend
looking to capitalize on this influx of interest in 2019.
For developers looking to grab a slice of the audience, focus on
creating a game that’s simple to pick up, complex to master and fun to
watch. The combination of these elements is what I’ve found makes a
great spectator sport — and once you get viewers on board, the sponsors
will likely follow.
3. Mobile eSports will go mainstream and sell out professional stadiums.
With an estimated 2.3 billion mobile gamers worldwide (paywall)
in 2019, mobile is an incredibly popular gaming platform. As mobile
eSports become an increasingly important part of the ecosystem, even
more competitors could view it as mainstream entertainment.
This year, you may see more players earning sizable salaries and
collegiate scholarships from mobile eSports. In addition, mobile eSports
events could sell out more professional sports stadiums. In countries
like China, mobile gaming is already taking center stage.
Keep an eye on your smartphones, because they’re growing at breakneck
speeds in terms of both technical capability and consumer adoption —
GSMA estimates
that there will be 5.9 billion unique mobile subscribers in
2025. Developers — especially those that may have overlooked mobile in
the past — should consider how rapidly advancing mobile technology can
help them achieve a blockbuster hit and reach the largest subset of
gamers. I believe the key to breaking into this industry is creating a
game that is easy to learn, has a compelling core loop, and offers its
players strategic depth in terms of game mastery. This stimulates player
acquisition and new user performance metrics — ultimately driving
player retention and deeper game monetization.
4. The industry will experience heightened cheating risks.
While eSports growth has been impressive, it’s not without risk.
Similar to offline sports, the growing fame and fortune of athletes can
also attract cheaters.
In 2018, BattlEye banned over a million PUBG accounts for hacking. According to PCGamer, banning cheaters is also the “highest priority†for Fortnite developer Epic Games. In Asia, hackers are facing jail time and multimillion-dollar fines
for developing and distributing cheats. Although the industry is
working tirelessly to prevent cheating, it’s likely that as eSports
grow, so too will fraudulent efforts.
This year, I expect more eSports to institute fairer environments for
their games, just like we see in offline sports. Whether it’s by
integrating increasingly comprehensive third-party anti-cheating
software or developing their own, developers creating the next big
eSport will have to keep cheating at bay. Otherwise, their game might be
over before it begins.
5. A boom in availability and production value could occur for eSports broadcasts.
Now featured on YouTube, ESPN and more, eSports are quickly becoming a
hot area of growth in digital entertainment. ESL, a large eSports
league that runs CS:GO and Dota 2 tournaments, signed an exclusive streaming deal with Facebook in 2018 for an undisclosed amount. Twitch’s exclusive rights to stream the Overwatch League is purportedly worth as much as $90 million.
Both traditional and emerging channels are vying to showcase
tournaments to viewers. I’d count on seeing even more significant
broadcasting collaborations among both cable networks and social media
juggernauts in 2019.
Companies and developers planning to break into eSports broadcasting
in 2019 should keep the growing number of distribution options in mind
to ensure they’re picking the best channel for their content.
The eSports landscape is shifting quickly, and I project the coming
months to be some of the most important for the industry’s future. As
eSports viewership is expected to grow and mobile devices are becoming
more widespread, businesses should consider how they can take advantage
of this growing sector.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:39 AM on Thursday, March 7th, 2019
Announced that it will be launching its own Esports tournament and entertainment series, called “EGLX Rising Starsâ€.
The series will leverage the distribution of its online network of over 75M website visitors, the additional 50M YouTube visitors, and the tens of thousands of attendees at its live video game expo, EGLX
TORONTO, March 07, 2019 — Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (TSXV: EGLX) (OTCQB: EGHIF), (“Enthusiast†or the “Companyâ€), a gaming company building the largest community of authentic gamers, is excited to announce that it will be launching its own Esports tournament and entertainment series, called “EGLX Rising Starsâ€. The series will leverage the distribution of its online network of over 75M website visitors, the additional 50M YouTube visitors, and the tens of thousands of attendees at its live video game expo, EGLX. The tournament will begin this summer and end with grand finals at EGLX 2019, on October 18-20, 2019 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (“MTCCâ€), downtown Toronto. The event will be broadcast live and will be released by episodic video after the finals.
The unique series aims to discover up and coming talent in the
Esports industry and follow their personal and professional journey as
they compete to be recognized as the next big Esports superstar and win a
large grand prize. Enthusiast currently has over 400 major gaming
influencers within its online communities and will invite some of its
top talent to lead the teams of aspiring participants as they battle to
gain the same notoriety as the celebrities. The series will capture
footage of the Esports professionals as they interact with the Rising
Stars for the viewing enjoyment of the entire Esports industry. Fans
will be able to watch the journey unfold as episodic content on
Enthusiast Gaming’s online network, live streams during the event, and
in the audience at EGLX in Toronto.
Menashe Kestenbaum, CEO of Enthusiast commented, “Our
vision has always been to provide a home and community to dedicated
lifestyle gamers. Until now we’ve done that separately through our
online communities as well as our live events. We have now made our
first major step towards bringing our online and offline communities
together in an integrated, strategic relationship. With 2019 now
projected to be the first billion-dollar year for Esports and attract
brands across all industries, EGLX Rising Stars will provide another
platform for Brands targeting the Esports Industry.â€
As Esports popularity and viewership continue to grow, Enthusiast
continues to invest and focus its efforts on providing a place for
Esports enthusiasts to discover content and join like-minded
communities. Recent acquisitions of the digital properties Daily Esports
and Operation Sports, as well as hosting one of the largest Esports
competitor events at EGLX 2018 established Enthusiast Gaming as a
leading provider of Esports content. The Rising Stars series is a
continuation of its 2019 Esports growth plans to focus its efforts on
providing Esports enthusiasts with both the content and the community to
follow, discover and experience the growing Esports industry.
The traditional focus of Esports events is limited to only
broadcasting the live competitive match with commentators. Through
Enthusiast’s content distribution platforms, The Rising Stars series
will disrupt the current model, and include entertaining online and live
content, such as, player narratives and storylines; behind the scenes
footage of influencer personalities; and an overall unique spectator
experience. The company intends for the content to be enjoyed and viewed
beyond the event itself, throughout the year.
Earlier this week, Enthusiast announced that EGLX will take place in
Toronto October 18-20, 2019 with nearly double the square footage of its
prior event. The EGLX Rising Stars series will be a major focus of this
year’s event. Plans were also announced to expand EGLX’s footprint
into the United States, which will allow US Esports competitors to
participate within its Rising Stars tournament series in 2020. The
company will provide further updates in the coming months.
Founded in 2014, Enthusiast is the fastest-growing online community
of video gamers. Through the Company’s unique acquisition strategy, it
has a platform of over 80 owned and affiliated websites and currently
reaches over 75 million monthly visitors with its unique and curated
content. Enthusiast also owns and operates Canada’s largest gaming expo,
Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo, EGLX, (eglx.ca) with over 55,000 people attended in October 2018. For more information on the Company, visit www.enthusiastgaming.com.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Investor Relations: Julia Becker Head of Investor Relations & Marketing [email protected] (604) 785.0850
This news release contains certain statements that may constitute
forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. All
statements, other than those of historical fact, which address
activities, events, outcomes, results, developments, performance or
achievements that Enthusiast anticipates or expects may or will occur in
the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking
information. Such information may involve, but is not limited to,
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and future actions of the Company. Often, but not always,
forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such
as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”,
“estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or
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statements formed in the future tense or indicating that certain
actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will”
(or other variations of the forgoing) be taken, occur, be achieved, or
come to pass. Forward-looking information is based on currently
available competitive, financial and economic data and operating plans,
strategies or beliefs as of the date of this news release, but involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors
that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of
Enthusiast to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking
information. Such factors may be based on information currently
available to Enthusiast, including information obtained from third-party
industry analysts and other third-party sources, and are based on
management’s current expectations or beliefs regarding future growth,
results of operations, future capital (including the amount, nature and
sources of funding thereof) and expenditures. Any and all
forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly
qualified by this cautionary statement. Trading in the securities of
the Company should be considered highly speculative.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
release.
The securities of the Corporation have not been and will not be
registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended
and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration
or an applicable exemption from the registration requirement. This press
release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an
offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any
jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be
unlawful.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 4:27 PM on Tuesday, March 5th, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment
$GMBL Esports audience is 350M, growing to 590M, Esports wagering is
projected at $23 BILLION by 2020. The company has launched VIE.gg
esports betting platform and has accelerated affiliate marketing
agreements with 190 Esports teams. Click here for more information
GMBL: OTCQB
———————–
G-Loot welcomes $25 million in investment
Swedish esports company G-Loot has received an $25 million £18,695,883.50) from both new investors and current investors such as Swedbank Robur and asset management company Norron.
G-Loot is the parent company of competitive PUBG platform Global Loot League and competitive card game platform TopDeck. This capital will be used to bolster prize pools and help expand in terms of staff, more competitive titles, and more competitions.
Patrik Nybladh, Founder and CEO of G-Loot
commented on the investment: â€It feels great that G-Loot now has
secured 25 million US dollars to finance our ongoing expansion and to
support our ambition to become the world’s leading online esports
company. As far as I know it is the largest European esports investment
ever. I am particularly glad that our current major owners increased
their holdings when given the chance.â€
G-Loot
received $12.1 million (£9.2 million) in an investment round led by
Swedbank Robur in January 2018. At the time, the capital was said to be
going towards staff recruitment, increased marketing, and platform
development.
Henrik Carlman, Fund Manager at Swedbank Robur
commented: “Esports is one of the fastest growing forms of
entertainment today. There are plenty of opportunities and many
companies are trying to get a piece of the growth but only a few of them
have a clear idea on how to monetize the emerging industry. G-Loot are
among the very few with a proven business model and a grand vision of
democratizing esports and making competitive gaming available to all.
“I am
very proud and enthusiastic to support G-Loot and its entrepreneurs with
our second investment in the company. G-Loot’s strong growth and
improved profitability creates a fantastic opportunity for our funds to
participate in this kind of value creation.â€
Esports
Insider says: This is a huge investment for most industries, never mind
just in esports. G-Loot’s offering is interesting so we’ll be keeping
an eye on how these additional funds helps things to improve further
over the coming months.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 12:18 PM on Friday, March 1st, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment
$GMBL Esports audience is 350M, growing to 590M, Esports wagering is
projected at $23 BILLION by 2020. The company has launched VIE.gg
esports betting platform and has accelerated affiliate marketing
agreements with 190 Esports teams. Click here for more information
GMBL: OTCQB
———————–
Nike Signs Its First Esports Sponsorship Deal
Nike is entering the esports game, following competitors Adidas and Puma into the field.
The global sports brand has signed a four-year deal with China’s League of Legends Pro League, agreeing to supply all squads with clothing and footwear starting this year.
“Since its inception, Nike has always believed that in all sports, a
strong body and will will make athletes better,†the company said in a statement.
“As China becomes a new e-sports cultural center, Nike is pleased to
support the next generation of athletes and establish a long-term
cooperative relationship with e-sports to contribute to the future
development of sports ecology.â€
The league consists of 16 teams and has one of the largest followings
in the world. Fans will also be able to buy Nike-produced products at
live tournaments.
The announcement is Nike’s first formal sponsorship of an esports
team or competition, although the company did feature an esports athlete
in a marketing campaign last year. Financial terms of its esports
contract with the league were not disclosed.
The company is actually a bit late to the competitive video game
world, as Adidas and Puma both already have presences in the field.
Beyond simply supplying clothes and shoes, Nike says it also plans to
work with esports athletes to custom-design training programs to help
them improve.
While they might have been scoffed at initially, esports have become
recognized as a bona fide athletic event in recent years. They were
under consideration at one point for inclusion in the 2024 Olympics
and they will be a medal event in the 2022 Asian Games—a multi-sport
event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia.
Tournaments are regularly aired on ESPN, Turner Broadcasting, Disney and other networks.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 2:46 PM on Thursday, February 21st, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment
$GMBL Esports audience is 350M, growing to 590M, Esports wagering is
projected at $23 BILLION by 2020. The company has launched VIE.gg
esports betting platform and has accelerated affiliate marketing
agreements with 190 Esports teams. Click here for more information
GMBL: OTCQB
———————–
Activision’s $5 million bet on esports kicks off today with the 2019 season of Overwatch League
