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The rise of Esports sees wave of Gaming Cafe’s open $GMBL.us

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:46 AM on Friday, August 11th, 2017
  • Each month, over 100 million viewers tune to watch video game play and that number is expected to near 145 million by the end of the year
  • eSports tournaments have exploded in the past 14 years and what started as small events between amateur players has grew to nearly 2,000 tournaments boasting the world’s top professional players

eSports is undoubtedly a million-dollar industry with millions of fans worldwide. America, with its NBA, NFL, NHL and MLS is even witnessing eSports coming the fastest-growing and most-viewed sport. Each month, over 100 million viewers tune to watch video game play and that number is expected to near 145 million by the end of the year. eSports tournaments have exploded in the past 14 years and what started as small events between amateur players has grew to nearly 2,000 tournaments boasting the world’s top professional players.

The likes of Vodafone are now even getting in the action and took advantage of the thriving gaming market in Spain by launching its own eSports channel. The network provider launched a dedicated Twitter page for eSports Vodafone and has also announced a collaboration with G2 eSports, a world premier eSports club, to support a League of Legends team in Spain.

Many high-street bookmakers are capitalising on the buzz and host a platform for betting on eSports, offering great deposit bonuses and more. Betting on eSports may sound strange but live-betting is a form of wagering that has taken off in recent years, in particularly on live casino platforms like CasinoCruise.

Elsewhere in Europe, eSports is also big business in the UK with a number of eSports cafes propping up. In London, popular eSsports café Meltdown allows you to play games including Hearthstone, Starcraft 2, DOTA 2 and League of Legends to name a few. The café offers customers their PCs and consoles for free, whether its to play or watch live streams. All users need to pay for is any food or drink they consume, entry is free and the majority of tournaments are free to enter. The café is overwhelmingly popular and has been since its opening in 2013.

credit: Micko1986

Across the capital is Swan Wharf, a Victorian warehouse amassed with design agencies, metalworking workshops and other assorted businesses. It does not look like the place to find a promising new hub for gamers, but that’s exactly what you’ll find spanning two floors of this building. Named EXP, it is described by its founder as “the largest dedicated games and play-space in London, embracing video games, table top games, films, TV, books and comic hobbyists”. On the top floor, you’ll come across 32 gaming PCS – all great for watching and playing eSports, 20 consoles ranging from Xbox One to PlayStation 4 from the modem era and retro favourites such as Nintendo 64.

The popularity of eSports tournaments is booming. Players are simply competing against one another on the latest computer games and the industry is booming.

eSports tells us that the likely winners in the online gambling market will be not only the obvious casino players, but also others that embrace the full spectrum of entertainment and social media around it.

The total of number of hours spent watching eSports events last year exceeded six billion worldwide, up 19% from 2015. Not only has the popularity of eSports grown exponentially but so has its profitability, thus gambling websites are leveraging the trend’s success.

Read more: The rise of eSports sees wave of Gaming Cafe’s open – TNT Magazine

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BULLETIN: Casinos embrace esports even as they work to understand it $GMBL.us

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:44 AM on Tuesday, August 8th, 2017

  • Competitive video game tournaments, known as esports, are a growing industry around the world
  • fast-paced action, vivid graphics and often violent on-screen action is catnip to millennials, the audience casinos are targeting as their core slot players grow old and die

In this March 31, 2017 photo, video game players compete against one another in an esports tournament at Caesars casino in Atlantic City, N.J. Casinos are slowly embracing esports as a way to help their bottom line, but so far, the money is coming from renting hotel rooms to the young players and selling them food and drinks, not from turning them into gamblers. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Casinos are slowly embracing competitive video game tournaments as a way to help their bottom lines, but the money is coming from renting hotel rooms to the young players and selling them food and drinks, not from turning them into gamblers.

Like most other ways gambling halls have tried to attract millennials and their disposable income, it hasn’t been easy. Atlantic City was first city in the nation to adopt skill-based slot machines to woo millennials but bailed on them after a few months when the response was underwhelming.

Competitive video game tournaments, known as esports, are a growing industry around the world. The fast-paced action, vivid graphics and often violent on-screen action is catnip to millennials, the audience casinos are targeting as their core slot players grow old and die.

But it’s been difficult to move them from the video console to the craps table.

“Everybody’s still trying to figure out, how do you make this appealing for the consumer and make sense for the business? How do we all profit from this?” said Kevin Ortzman, Atlantic City regional president for Caesars Entertainment, which owns three casinos in the city.

The company in March hosted an esports tournament at Caesars that drew about 900 competitors and spectators.

The bottom line result was encouraging, if not dynamite.

“We certainly experienced a spike in our hospitality offerings — the hotel, food and beverage side of things,” Ortzman said. “We didn’t see as much on the gambling side, which we weren’t terribly surprised by.”

But he said coming up with ways to attract millennials is a necessity for the casino industry as a whole, adding that esports players could be cultivated to embrace casinos for video game competitions the way their parents and grandparents went there to play slot machines.

Gambling requires discretionary income and free time, things that people starting their careers or families may not have in abundance, said David Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

“The big question is whether people who are 40 or 20 now will begin to play casino games as they get older,” Schwartz said. “This isn’t a given.”

Schwartz agreed the real money for casinos in esports tournaments comes from ancillary spending on food, drinks and hotel rooms.

The Caesars video tournament offered $200,000 in prize money, including a $70,000 top prize, that lured players like Jose Mavo, of Charlotte, North Carolina, who has been playing competitively for a decade and has become a casino customer as a result of being in tournaments hosted by gambling halls.

“We had a tournament in Vegas, and that was the first time I went to a casino, so ever since then, I’ve been gambling quite a bit,” he said, listing blackjack and roulette as favourites.

Alec Collins, of Piedmont, South Carolina, who goes by the competitive name Shock, is only 18, so he’s three years away from gambling legally. But it’s something he’d like to try then.

“I love Atlantic City so in a few years I would definitely come back and experience the casino a little bit,” he said.

Until then, he added, referring to the video game competition, “We’re just here to shoot our guns.”

Wall Street sees growth potential in esports. Deloitte Global pegged the worldwide esports market last year at $500 million, up from $400 million in 2015, and estimated the industry has a global in-person or online audience of nearly 150 million people a year.

Newzoo, a company following the esports market, predicted in a report that esports will generate nearly $700 million this year, including media rights, ticket and merchandise sales, brand partnerships and game maker investments. The company projects that figure will surpass the $1.5 billion mark by 2019.

One of the biggest supporters of esports among casino owners is Seth Schorr, CEO of the Downtown Grand in Las Vegas, whose casino regularly hosts video game tournaments that, he said, “make a little bit of money.” But Schorr said the tournaments offer other revenue opportunities, including suites for groups and meal packages.

“Is it the silver bullet? Of course not,” he said. “Is it one tactic in an overall strategy? Of course it is.”

Source: http://business.financialpost.com/business-pmn/casinos-embrace-esports-even-as-they-work-to-understand-it/wcm/558dffd2-75e5-49e2-932f-58b8e0e8ab66

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Tencent Details $15B Esports Investment Plan Over The Next 5 Years $GMBL.us

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:23 AM on Friday, August 4th, 2017

tencent esports

  • World’s largest mobile gaming developer and the parent owner of Riot Games, has revealed a five-year outline for its esports ventures
  • Planning to create a 100 billion yuan ($14.6 billion) industry within China,
  • Includes new leagues, tournaments, associations and its previously announced esports-themed industrial parks
 By: Graham Ashton

Tencent, the world’s largest mobile gaming developer and the parent owner of Riot Games, has revealed a five-year outline for its esports ventures. The investment holding company announced at a press conference last Friday that it would create a 100 billion yuan ($14.6 billion) industry within China, complete with new leagues, tournaments, associations and its previously announced esports-themed industrial parks.

Tencent sits within the world’s top ten companies measured by market capitalisation.

The announcement was made by Tencent E-sports, its competitive gaming subsidiary established in December 2016. At the same conference, Ding Dong, Director of the information center of the State General Administration of Sports, confirmed that Chinese sport authorities would be working closely with Tencent over the next five years to establish unified standards for esports in the country.

Tencent, as well as fellow esports competitor Alibaba, sits within the world’s top ten companies measured by market capitalisation. Alongside its esports success with League of Legends, Tencent acquired 84% of Finnish mobile developer Supercell in 2016 for $8.6 billion, and recently launched a $1 million prize pool league platform for its tower defense/MOBA hybrid title Clash Royale.

In China, Tencent’s LoL “inspired” MOBA Honor of Kings has consistently been a chart topper for mobile devices, was largely responsible for an 87 per cent spike for the company’s mobile game revenue in Q3 of 2016, and its Pro League last year was watched by over 70 million people. The title was soft-launched in Europe earlier this year, under the alternative title Strike of Kings.

According to the research firm IDC, China’s total revenue from the esports industry has grown 52% year-on-year to $7.3 billion, and 34 percent of this was generated by mobile gaming. Tencent’s major investment in their home esport-turf could be an attempt to finally claim the last area where they aren’t #1: prize-winnings. According to Unibet, Chinese esport tournament winnings last year eclipsed $19.3 million, primarily on the back of Valve’s Dota 2.

Source: https://esportsobserver.com/tencent-china-investment-plan/

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Esports Entertainment Group Announces Two Key Employee hires, Preparing For Launch Of Esports Betting Platform $GMBL.us

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:58 AM on Thursday, August 3rd, 2017

Esports large

  • Announced hiring of two additional key personnel
  • Preparing for the imminent launch of Esports betting operations

ST. MARY’S, ANTIGUA–(Aug 3, 2017) – Esports Entertainment Group Inc. (OTCQB: GMBL) (or the “Company”), a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering, is pleased to announce the hiring of two additional key personnel in preparation for the imminent launch of our esports betting operations. The new personnel adds to the digital marketing team and full time staff announced in July.

Stephen Cotugno – Vice President, Corporate finance

Stephen has extensive corporate finance and investment banking experience over the last 20 years. Most recently, he served as Vice President, Investment Banking at Axiom Capital Management, a New York based investment bank, where he specialized in utilizing new SEC regulations under The Jobs Act to assist companies in raising capital.

As Vice President, Corporate, Stephen will be primarily focused on leading our growth funding over the next couple of years, as well as, IR communications with institutions and funds.

Brian Cordry – Head of Esports 

Brian brings extensive esports experience to the Company on multiple fronts, including spending the past five years as an esports multi-team owner with Winterfox, as well as, a manager with Velocity eSports and Evil Geniuses.

As Head of Esports, Brian will ensure that our online product doesn’t repeat mistakes that previous gambling websites have made, keeping everything transparent for the esports community – and creating a safe, competitive platform where esports fans can show off their knowledge of their favorite teams and players while betting against each other.

Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group stated, “With the Company on the verge of launching the safest, most secure and transparent esports betting platform in the world, the addition of both Stephen and Brian to our growing team of esports and corporate professionals is timely. Esports Entertainment Group intends on becoming a meaningful long-term player and leader within the hyper growth esports industry by aggressively growing our operations over the next several years. These gentlemen bring significant skill sets and credibility to enable that growth.”

This press release is available on our Online Investor Relations Community for shareholders and potential shareholders to ask questions, receive answers and collaborate with management in a fully moderated forum at https://agoracom.com/ir/EsportsEntertainmentGroup

About

Esports Entertainment Group Inc. is a licensed online gambling company specifically focused on eSports wagering. Esports Entertainment intends to offer wagering on esports events in a fully licensed, regulated and secured platform to the global esports audience, excluding the United States. In addition, Esports Entertainment intends to offer users from around the world the ability to participate in multi-player video games tournaments online for cash prizes. Esports Entertainment is led by a team of industry and technical experts from the online gambling and video game industries, esports, marketing, legal and financial professionals. The Company maintains offices in St. Mary’s, Antigua and Barbuda. Esports Entertainment common stock is listed on the OTCQB under the symbol GMBL. For more information please visit www.esportsentertainmentgroup.com

About Esports Entertainment Group Licensing, Compliance And Regulatory Process

1. Esports Entertainment Group (Antigua Subsidiary) is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission.

2. Esports Entertainment Group has entered into a Betting Gaming Platform Software Agreement with Swiss Interactive Software GmbH to provide wagering platform software.

3. Esports Entertainment Group has agreed to integrate the award-winning affiliate management platform of Income Access to manage the Company’s forthcoming affiliate program.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. The safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 protects companies from liability for their forward-looking statements if they comply with the requirements of the Act.

Contact:

Corporate Matters
Grant Johnson
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]

All Investor Relations Inquiries
AGORACOM
[email protected]
https://agoracom.com/ir/eSportsEntertainmentGroup

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What The Emergence Of The #Esports Industry Means For Brands $GMBL.us

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:24 AM on Tuesday, August 1st, 2017

Deep Patel ,  contributor

  • According to ESPN (yes, even ESPN is in the mix now), the industry boasts events with viewerships that rival the Super Bowl, making it one of the fastest growing phenomena out there.  

Brands are just now beginning to understand the influence eSports has on marketing.

The world of eSports is suddenly all grown up. According to ESPN (yes, even ESPN is in the mix now), the industry boasts events with viewerships that rival the Super Bowl, making it one of the fastest growing phenomena out there. With approximately 148 million eSport fans around the globe, this has become a massive spectator sport, with cash prizes in the millions. And brands have been cashing in gleefully.

The magic of eSports isn’t just in the gameplay itself, but in the personalities and culture around it. This has led to sponsorships of teams, players and competitions, as well as giveaways, which are creating massive global visibility for brands.

Additionally, the market has a much more inclusive fandom than ordinary sports. It’s predicted that the market will reach over $1.5 billion by 2020, so it might be time for your brand to start thinking about how it can be part of the action.

I recently sat down with SoaR Games to chat about where the industry is at, why it has exploded in popularity and how your brand can take part. This team provided incredible insights. If you’re looking to get in the game, I suggest you take notes.

The New Frontier In Entertainment

“We are in a new era,” explains Michael “Makz” Maknojia, owner of SoaR Gaming. “Once you’re in the industry, you become part of a whole new universe. ESports has changed the world as we know it. No longer can people say video games will get you nowhere, because a professional eSports player could earn a salary higher than a doctor’s. It’s one of the fastest growing industries, growing at a rate almost faster than show business.”

While the internet has hurt a lot of traditional routes in media, gaming has arisen as a completely new area to capitalize on. However, in common with a lot of innovations in the tech world, some don’t understand how to target gamers.

Authenticity In A Digital World

Many advertisers worry about how to reach gamers effectively. It can be an incredibly difficult task given that these folks can be unforgiving, and even nasty, if an outsider tries to infiltrate their culture solely for monetary gain. That’s why an authentic approach is imperative. Instead of trying to sell to the gamer, learn to sell with them.

Jason “General” Wilhelm, the managing director of SoaR Gaming, says, “Many of the people involved in this industry also have a lot of passion for gaming and eSports as a whole. They want to see this scene grow and succeed because they see the potential it has.

ESports is very different from other entertainment industries, and I think it needs to be approached with a different mindset. The biggest thing that I see changing in the future is the number of big companies and people getting involved in the scene. This will only increase the value of the industry as a whole.”

Wilhelm hits the nail on the head with the word passion. These people are fully invested in this lifestyle, and if you want to reach them, you have to be passionate about gaming as well.

Take Yourself Out Of The Game

As Clayton “Nudah” Huddleston, general manager at SoaR Gaming, notes: “Today, there are so many creators out there producing content, it’s almost like having a million people to enjoy the experience with on a daily basis.

As much as the average viewer cares about what game is being played, were it not for a creator’s personality and how they portray themselves on social media, they wouldn’t feel that genuine connection with them.”

The goal when reaching out to the eSports community should be to respect who these players are and what they represent to their fans. People want to feel as though they’re a part of this intimate experience. And if your brand wants to be involved, you’d better find someone to pick up sticks with.

You should aspire to find a player or team that matches your brand’s personality. Figure out what it is they’re doing that their fans like and help push them to the next level. The less you try to insert yourself as the frontrunner in this show, the better.

Remember, this is about authenticity, and so you have to let them take the lead on what they know, with your company as a supporting actor. If you get things right, you just might find yourself riding the wave of eSports into the stratosphere.

Deep Patel is a serial entrepreneur, marketer and the author of A Paperboy’s Fable: The 11 Principles of Success.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/deeppatel/2017/08/01/what-the-emergence-of-the-esports-industry-means-for-brands/#3438b68311b5

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PODCAST: Team Dignitas Captain And CEO Talk Winning Esports Strategies $GMBL.us

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 12:16 PM on Thursday, July 27th, 2017

Listen to the full episode here:

Team Dignitas was formed in September 2003, after the merger of two excellent Battlefield 1942 teams. The new ‘Dignitas’ Battlefield team went on to be very successful and after attending CeBIT (2004) it held discussions with ABIT and within a few months had secured its first sponsor.

In 2016, as more traditional sports team owners were discovering the potential of Esports, the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers acquired Team Digitas, becoming the first North American franchise to own an Esports team.

Team members from teams ‘Dignitas’ (L) and ‘Evil Genius’ (R) are seen on the screen during the live taping of the League of Legends North American Championship Series Spring round robin competition, at the MBS Media Campus in Manhattan Beach, California February 22, 2014. (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

In this SportsMoney podcast I chatted with Team Dignitas CEO Jonathan Kemp and team captain for Team Dignitas CS:GO Female team, Emmalee Garrido, separately. Kemp discusses the business strategy of Team Digitas; Garrido how she became involved in Esports, her training and what life is like as a professonal gamer.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2017/07/27/podcast-team-dignitas-captain-and-ceo-talk-winning-esports-strategies/#1c47054321a4

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The traditional sports world is taking eSports into the mainstream $GMBL.us

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:47 AM on Friday, July 21st, 2017

Esports large

  • US channels like Disney XD, ESPN, NBC and TBS are all trying to put eSports on the same level as traditional sports, with the end goal being to reach new, younger audiences
  • Recent interest from giant broadcasters comes as the world of eSports continues to reach new heights

Five years ago, you couldn’t have imagined video game competitions being broadcasted on the same channel as traditional sports. TV networks have been historically obsessed with pastimes such as baseball, basketball, football and soccer, but times are changing. Thanks to the massive popularity of eSports, driven in large part by the internet-streaming generation, the entertainment landscape has transformed drastically over the past couple of years. Nowadays, US channels like Disney XD, ESPN, NBC and TBS are all trying to put eSports on the same level as traditional sports, with the end goal being to reach new, younger audiences. Want to watch a EA’s FIFA or Rocket League tournament on ESPN? Well, you can do just that.

The recent interest from giant broadcasters comes as the world of eSports continues to reach new heights. Pro gaming tournaments are selling out arenas worldwide and, every time a competition is streamed on Twitch, there are millions of viewers tuning in. With business this good, why wouldn’t anyone want a piece of the pie? NBCUniversal, which owns NBC and NBC Sports, is the perfect example. The company announced it would be launching its own two-on-two eSports tournament this summer, featuring one of the most popular games right now: Rocket League. It’ll air on the NBC Sports network, right alongside the English Premier League.

“We’re in the sports business,” says Rob Simmelkjaer, senior vice president for NBC’s Sports Ventures, when asked about why his team decided to join the space. “I’ve always defined sports as competitive entertainment, and whenever you’ve got competition that people are watching to be entertained, that to me is what sports is about.” Simmelkjaer touched on how there are still people who question whether eSports are “real” sports, which he says is an argument that doesn’t make sense: “It’s got people who are passionate about it, both playing it and watching it [and] lines up with our desire to reach as many audiences as we can around the country, of all demographics, of all interests.”

ESPN is another media company making a major push into eSports, which is surprising considering the somewhat controversial comments president John Skipper made not too long ago. “It’s not a sport,” he claimed in 2014 at Recode’s Code/Media Series event in New York City. “It’s a competition. Chess is a competition. Checkers is a competition. Mostly, I’m interested in doing real sports.” Despite that, ESPN really started embracing eSports in 2015, when it broadcasted a pro gaming tournament (Blizzard’s Heroes of the Storm) on ESPN2 for the first time ever. The year before that, the network streamed a League of Legends competition online, but giving eSports a slot on actual TV was quite a significant move.

“We are at a point now where fans no longer question why we’re covering an eSports event, but are asking for more.”

That strategy shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, since ESPN’s first-ever eSports stream netted the network more viewers than that year’s NBA Finals and the last game of MLB’s 2014 World Series. League of Legends on its own is estimated to be a $1 billion-per-year business, so it’s only natural that ESPN, NBC, Turner (owner of TBS) would want to get involved. In its latest report about the eSports industry, research firm Newzoo said it expects competitive gaming to reach yearly revenues of $1.5 billion by 2020.

“eSports has been around for some time, but its trajectory is still exciting to us because it allows us to experiment with various content, coverage and distribution platforms,” says Kevin Lopes, director of programming and acquisitions at ESPN, says. “We are at a point now where fans no longer question why we’re covering an eSports event, but are asking for more.”

There are growing pains, however. For instance, ESPN forced a player to change the outfit of his Street Fighter V character Cammy during the EVO fighting game championships, because it was deemed too revealing. She was wearing her usual green thong jumpsuit, which obviously showed most of her butt. The network later said it had to abide by “Broadcast Standards,” but Lopes says it’s about something bigger than that. “One of the goals for our coverage is to highlight and celebrate the diversity, inclusiveness and sportsmanship of eSports,” he says. In other words, ESPN probably wants to change the course on gaming’s long history of objectifying female characters — and rightly so.

Organizations like ESPN and NBC aren’t the only ones making efforts in eSports. The National Basketball Association, along with developer and publisher Two-Take Interactive, is developing a new competition called the “NBA 2K eLeague.” A first of its kind, it will feature esquads that will represent 17 NBA teams, including the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks. The inaugural season is set to take place in 2018, and the pro gamers who participate will get the full NBA treatment: health benefits, training, personal development, sponsorships and more.

“It may be a different kind of physical prowess in terms of reflexes and your ability to move your thumbs very quickly, but these athletes can be any shape or size, and any age, and from anywhere.”

“Physical prowess, at least the way it’s necessary on an NBA court, will no longer be necessary,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver during a press conference at All-Star Weekend in March. “It may be a different kind of physical prowess in terms of reflexes and your ability to move your thumbs very quickly, but these athletes can be any shape or size, and any age, and from anywhere.” According to the NBA, each of its 30 teams will eventually have their own eSports squad, though it’s unclear when exactly that’s going to happen.

If the 2K eLeague ends up being successful, don’t be shocked to see other major US sports organizations like the NFL, MLB or MLS follow suit. In Europe, we’ve already seen football (er, soccer) teams such as Manchester City and West Ham recruit their own FIFA gaming stars, while others such as German club FC Schalke 04 have acquired renowned League of Legends crew “Elements.”

Source: https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/21/how-the-traditional-sports-world-is-embracing-esports/

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BOOOM! Patriots, Mets Amongst Pro Teams That Bought Cities In Overwatch Global ESports League. $GMBL.us

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:33 PM on Wednesday, July 12th, 2017
  • Blizzard has announced major investment in its Overwatch League, the official home of Overwatch esports, first announced at last year’s Blizzcon.
  • Seven team slots have been acquired by organisations from both the traditional sports and esports worlds, as well as a couple of tech-focused entrepreneurs, with ESPN reporting a potential fee of $20 million per team.

“We’re not commenting on the price of the spot,” said Nate Nanzer, Commissioner of the Overwatch League when I spoke to him this week. “But we can talk a little bit about the terms of the relationship.

“I think one of the key differences in our structure is the local opportunity. There really hasn’t been a city-based, global league in this way. Not just in esports, but in traditional sports too, there hasn’t ever really been a league where Los Angeles plays Shanghai in the regular season.”

When a team owner purchases a position in the league, they also acquire the rights to a city of their choice. Boston, for example, has been picked up by Robert Kraft, the Chairman and CEO of the American football team, the New England Patriots.

His team will eventually have a home stadium in Boston, with all local revenues (up to an undisclosed figure) remaining with the team itself. On top of that, the team will have the option to host and monetise up to five amateur Overwatch League events in their home territory each year.

The other team owners include Jeff Wilpon, the COO of the New York Mets, who unsurprisingly nabbed New York as his team’s city of choice, as well as a couple of tech organisations based out of Shanghai and Seoul. There are also three esports-only teams, often referred to as ‘endemics’: Immortals (Los Angeles), Misfits Gaming (Miami-Orlando) and NRG Esports (San Francisco).

“I’m happy to announce that we have three endemic teams to reveal today, despite the fact that the internet says we don’t talk to endemics,” said Nanzer. “Obviously we’re also very excited about the traditional sports owners because they bring a lot of incredible history to the table: building generational fandom around their teams and great local expertise, which is important for our city-based, home and away structure.”

ow_league_2

The Commissioner.

A couple of weeks ago, Eurogamer published an article that questioned the current state of Overwatch esports, suggesting that since the announcement of the Overwatch League in November, very little has actually happened. More than that, its announcement in some ways had a damaging effect on the tournaments operating outside of the league itself.

“We wanted to make sure that when we spoke with our community next in a meaningful way, we had really important stuff to talk about,” said Nanzer when I questioned him on this. “Building a sports league from scratch is pretty hard and takes a lot of time.

“Blizzcon is obviously the best place ever for us to announce anything, but do I wish Blizzcon had been in March or April, instead of November? Sure.”

We’re still waiting on the league’s official start date, although we’ve been been told the first season will begin at some point this year. For the duration of that season, all matches will be played at a venue in Los Angeles, giving the seven team owners time to build up the necessary local infrastructure they’ll require going forwards.

During the league itself, matches will be played every Thursday, Friday and Saturday and we can apparently expect the match schedule soonâ„¢.

Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-07-12-blizzards-big-plan-for-overwatch-esports-allows-teams-to-buy-cities

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Esports Entertainment Group Hires Digital Marketing Team And Opens Antigua Headquarters With Full Staff In Preparation For Launch Of Esports Betting Platform $GMBL.us

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 1:44 PM on Thursday, June 22nd, 2017

Esports large

  • Opening Antigua office in preparation for imminent launch of Esports betting operations
  • Hiring key personnel, staff
  • Antigua Headquarters will serve as the operational brain trust of the Company

ST. MARY’S, ANTIGUA–(Jun 22, 2017) – Esports Entertainment Group Inc. (OTCQB: GMBL) (or the “Company”), a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on eSports wagering, is pleased to announce the hiring of key personnel, staff and the opening of our Antigua office in preparation for imminent launch of our Esports betting operations.

DIGITAL MARKETING TEAM

The Company is pleased to announce the hiring of the following two digital marketing experts.

Stephen Banham — Social Media Marketing Manager

Stephen has served as a Social Media Marketing Consultant and Manager in the gaming industry since 2012. He will be responsible for establishing, developing and managing our social media strategy for the purpose of engaging the online gaming community, building brand awareness and driving traffic to our online betting platform. In accomplishing this goal, Stephen will be creating content for Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and any other relevant gaming communities.

Sandra Österlund — Global Affiliate Manager

Sandra has served as an Affiliate Marketing Manager and Marketing Executive to several online casinos and eGaming Operators. She will be responsible for establishing, developing and managing our online affiliate program, focusing specifically on partnerships with affiliates with large audiences such as website operators, gaming streamers and social media influencers.

DIGITAL MARKETING TEAM TO ATTEND MAJOR INDUSTRY CONFERENCES

Our digital marketing team is already confirmed to attend two major industry conferences in the next two months as follows:

Amsterdam Affiliate Conference — July 11 -14

The Amsterdam Affiliate Conference will take place during the iGaming Super Show and is expected to attract over 4,500 delegates, including 100 speakers and 150 sponsors / exhibitors. The conference is widely regarded as one of the best events to meet, find and sign new affiliates. To this end, the Company has already confirmed meetings with approximately 25 affiliates, including Super Affiliates and is confident it will be concluding meaningful affiliate relationships.

gamescom (Cologne, Germany) — August 22 – 26

gamescom is the biggest consumer gaming conference in the world, with approximately 900 exhibitors, 500,000 visitors and 650 journalists from 55 countries attending this year. For the digital gaming world is it considered the meeting point for global companies from the entertainment industry and the international gaming community. Esports Entertainment Group will be exhibiting at gamescom in anticipation of the launch of additional platforms by the Company over the summer.

ANTIGUA HEADQUARTERS OPENED AND FULLY STAFFED

The Company recently opened its Antigua Headquarters with a full staff of six seasoned online gambling experts with the following specialties: Finance, Card Services, Customer Service, IT, Operations and Anti-Money Laundering. The Antigua Headquarters will serve as the operational brain trust of the Company and is expected to add more personnel through to the end of 2017.

Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group, stated, “Esports Entertainment Group is on the verge of launching operations and becoming a meaningful long-term player within the hyper growth Esports industry. We can’t accomplish this goal without a great team and I’m happy to show our shareholders, partners and the industry that we are well on our way to building that team with this announcement. As we set to launch the safest and most secure Esports betting platform on the planet, this group of seasoned professionals and future anticipated additions will play an important role in executing our plan.”

This press release is available on our Online Investor Relations Community for shareholders and potential shareholders to ask questions, receive answers and collaborate with management in a fully moderated forum at https://agoracom.com/ir/EsportsEntertainmentGroup

About Esports Entertainment Group

Esports Entertainment Group Inc. is a licensed online gambling company specifically focused on eSports wagering. Esports Entertainment intends to offer wagering on eSports events in a fully licensed, regulated and secured platform to the global eSports audience, excluding the United States. In addition, Esports Entertainment intends to offer users from around the world the ability to participate in multi-player video games tournaments online for cash prizes. Esports Entertainment is led by a team of industry and technical experts from the online gambling and video game industries, eSports, marketing, legal and financial professionals. The Company maintains offices in St. Mary’s, Antigua and Barbuda. Esports Entertainment common stock is listed on the OTCQB under the symbol GMBL. For more information please visit www.esportsentertainmentgroup.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. The safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 protects companies from liability for their forward-looking statements if they comply with the requirements of the Act.

Contact:

Corporate Matters
Grant Johnson
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]

All Investor Relations Inquiries
AGORACOM
[email protected]
https://agoracom.com/ir/eSportsEntertainmentGroup

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AEG Increases Investment In Esports With Immortals Deal; LA Live Set To Host Events $GMBL.us

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:01 AM on Wednesday, June 21st, 2017

LA Live immortals AEG

  • International sports and live entertainment company AEG is upping the ante when it comes to its investment in the world of esports.
  • Top North American teams across a variety of esports.
  • Currently fields teams in League of Legends, CS:GO, Overwatch, Super Smash Bros. and Vainglory

AEG and Immortals

AEG announced it on Tuesday that it made a strategic investment in the esports franchise Immortals. That is one of the top North American teams across a variety of esports. It currently fields teams in League of Legends, CS:GO, Overwatch, Super Smash Bros. and Vainglory

“AEG prides itself on being a forward-thinking, innovative company and is committed to leading the way as the industry evolves,” said Dan Beckerman, president and CEO of AEG, in a press release. “Expanding our interests in esports is a natural progression as we continue to invest in growth initiatives that further our leadership in sports and live entertainment.

“L.A. LIVE offers state-of-the-art venues, production facilities and an unparalleled fan experience, and we have ambitious plans for the campus to become the epicenter of esports in Los Angeles. Through our partnership with Immortals, we are looking forward to exploring a variety of collaborative opportunities to further broaden the global appeal of esports.”

LA Live will host Immortals events

One big part of the deal is that Immortals’ Los Angeles-based tournaments will take place at AEG’s LA Live entertainment complex, which is home to Staples Center.

“AEG’s unrivaled experience in the cross-section of sports and entertainment makes them an ideal partner for any organization,” Immortals CEO Noah Whinston said. “Combined with Immortals’ competitive success and passionate fan base, this partnership provides unique and appealing paths forward to achieve our goal of creating the most exciting and fulfilling esports fan experience in the world.

“Whether it’s through hosting events at AEG’s world-class venues, such as L.A. LIVE, allowing fans unprecedented access to our team and players, or the seemingly endless well of talent and business experience AEG brings to the table; this partnership marks an exhilarating milestone for Immortals and its fans.”

AEG already invested in esports

It marks the second major esports foray for AEG, which entered into a long-term partnership with ESL last year. That gave ESL access to AEG’s portfolio of 120 clubs, theaters, arenas and stadiums to host esports events.

Source: https://www.esportsbettingreport.com/aeg-announces-investment-in-leading-esports-franchise-immortals/

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