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#Beats Turns To #Esports – SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $DKNG $PENN $GAN $ESPO

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:51 PM on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020

SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group (GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible.  LEARN MORE.

Beats Turns To Esports

  • Rather than using NBA stars to promote a new line of colors in its Powerbeats Pro line, Beats by Dr. Dre has turned to esports organization FaZe Clan
  • A drone delivered the headphones to FaZe Clan’s Los Angeles headquarters Monday in an event broadcast by the organization’s Instagram account to its 9 million followers.

By Pat Evans

Apple’s Beats by Dr. Dre have been a staple in the NBA community for years, but with the league sidelined, the headphone brand is making a new push into esports. Rather than using NBA stars to promote a new line of colors in its Powerbeats Pro line, Beats by Dr. Dre has turned to esports organization FaZe Clan.

A drone delivered the headphones to FaZe Clan’s Los Angeles headquarters Monday in an event broadcast by the organization’s Instagram account to its 9 million followers. In comparison, the brand used NBA stars James Harden and Anthony Davis to debut the Powerbeats Pro line last year.

Beats by Dr. Dre Chief Marketing Officer Chris Thorne cited the hiatus of traditional sports and the thriving esports industry as reasons for the move, while noting the market of 2.4 billion global gamers and the interest of Gen Z and millennials should drive continued demand for the headphones.

Beats by Dr. Dre is the latest high-end brand – including Lamborghini and MAC Cosmetics  â€“ to move marketing money to esports, a reflection of the growing influence of video games. In the first quarter of 2020, U.S. consumers spent a record $10.9 billion on video games.

Source: https://frntofficesport.com/beats-by-dre-esports/

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Posted in Esports Entertainment Group, Esports Entertainment Group Inc. | Comments Off on #Beats Turns To #Esports – SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $DKNG $PENN $GAN $ESPO

Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL Appoints Industry Veteran Magnus Leppäniemi as VP of Marketing and Head of Esports at Vie.gg $DKNG $PENN $GAN $ESPO

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 7:08 AM on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020
  • Announced that Magnus Leppäniemi has joined the Company as Vice President of Marketing and Head of Esports at Vie.gg.
  • Mr. Leppäniemi is a gaming industry veteran and brings more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience

BIRKIRKARA, Malta, June 02, 2020 — Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (NasdaqCM: GMBL, GMBLW) (or the “Company”), a licensed online gambling company with a focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming, today announced that Magnus Leppäniemi has joined the Company as Vice President of Marketing and Head of Esports at Vie.gg. Mr. Leppäniemi is a gaming industry veteran and brings more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience.

“Magnus is a proven marketing executive with invaluable knowledge of the gaming and esports industry,” commented Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group. “Over more than two decades in gaming, Magnus has built an extensive network of relationships that could provide tremendous value as we execute on our global growth strategy.”

Since beginning his career in the gaming industry in 1996, Leppäniemi has sold and managed global esports partnerships for major brands and partners like Intel, BenQ Zowie, Electronic Arts, Activision, ESL, and the NBA. Prior to joining Esports Entertainment Group, Leppäniemi was Global Sales Director for Wehype. Previously, he served as Sales Director North America at DreamHack, a Swedish production company specializing in esports tournaments and other gaming conventions. 

“I’m very excited to join the Esports Entertainment team,” commented Leppäniemi. “As the first online betting company to list on NASDAQ, the Company has a great pedigree that we can continue to build on. We want to build trust with the players, fans, teams, publishers, and the community and give them a unique esports experience. Esports betting is here to stay, and we want to build the premier platform in the industry that benefits the gaming and esports communities. I look forward to accelerating our marketing efforts, refining our go-to-market models, and building out our esports initiatives.”

ABOUT ESPORTS ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. is a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming. The Company holds a license to conduct online gambling and 18+ gaming on a global basis in Malta and Curacao, Kingdom of the Netherlands and is able to accept wagers from over 149 jurisdictions including Canada, Japan, Germany and South Africa. Esports Entertainment offers fantasy, pools, fixed odds and exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at vie.gg. In addition, Esports Entertainment intends to offer users from around the world the ability to participate in multi-player mobile and PC video game tournaments for cash prizes. Esports Entertainment is led by a team of industry professionals and technical experts from the online gambling and the video game industries, and esports. The Company maintains offices in Malta. For more information 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:

U.S. Investor Relations 
RedChip Companies, Inc.
Dave Gentry
407-491-4498
[email protected] 

Media & Investor Relations Inquiries
AGORACOM
[email protected] 
http://agoracom.com/ir/eSportsEntertainmentGroup

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Posted in Esports Entertainment Group, Esports Entertainment Group Inc., Featured | Comments Off on Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL Appoints Industry Veteran Magnus Leppäniemi as VP of Marketing and Head of Esports at Vie.gg $DKNG $PENN $GAN $ESPO

#Esports betting volumes have increased 20-fold, during lockdown, with #FIFA and #NBA2K accounting for 85% of that growth – SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $DKNG $PENN $GAN $ESPO

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:38 PM on Thursday, May 28th, 2020

SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group (GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible.  LEARN MORE.

Esports betting volumes have increased 20-fold, during lockdown, with FIFA and NBA2K accounting for 85% of that growth

By Derek Tonin

In the fast moving world of gambling, sometimes you might miss news that could be important to you. To make sure you’re all caught up on gaming industry news, be it online or brick and mortar, we’re rounding up the some of the announcements and partnerships from the last week that you might have missed.

Singular extends casino offering with Booming Games 

Singular and Booming Games have sealed a distribution agreement to target Tier 1 operators via Singular’s iGaming platform. Booming Games’ full slot portfolio is now available on Singular’s platform with more than 60 HTML5 slot games including popular titles like Booming Seven Deluxe, VIP Filthy Riches, Gold Vein and latest release Gunspinner. Booming Games release up to two new games per month. Soon to be released are Danger Zone, Show Master and Burning Classics. 

BtoBet closes agreement with Salsa Technology to expand casino content with Video Bingo portfolio

Salsa Technology has been buoyed by the news of a fresh content partnership with sportsbook and iGaming platform provider, BtoBet.

Salsa Technology’s market-leading Video Bingos will be integrated onto BtoBet’s Neuron 3 platform enhancing its casino offering during the COVID-19 crisis. BtoBet’s ongoing mission is enabling operators to retain current players and shift engagement from sports betting to other alternative immersive verticals. The new deal will enable BtoBet customers to gain access to numerous Salsa Technology titles, including Halloween Groove Bingo, Pachinko 3D and the Latin American classic Jogo dos Bichos Praia. 

BetOBet partners with Delasport utilizing their high-end sportsbook solutions.

BetOBet announces partnership with high-end iGaming and sportsbook solutions provider Delasport, making use of their advanced platform to solidify themselves as a major player.

‘’We are thrilled to have Delasport by our side and to take advantage of their innovative software and turnkey solutions, having such a powerful platform at our disposal is a reassuring prospect for us.” – BetObet spokesman.

BETBY inks Avento NV deal

BETBY, the innovative sports betting supplier, has signed a commercial agreement that will see it roll out its significant offering across Avento NV’s online casino brands.

The deal will see BETBY supply six of Avento’s sites, including SlotV, FrankCasino, DriftCasino, MrBit, AplayCasino and CasinoColombus.

The casinos will not just receive BETBY’s sportsbook solution, which features markets on one of the widest event catalogues in the industry, but will also have access to the supplier’s esports portfolio, including the proprietary Betby.Games offering, created by the supplier to allow for unique and localised esport content.

Relax Gaming expands in U.K. with Lindar Media’s MrQ.com

Relax Gaming, iGaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, is the third supplier to launch its slot portfolio with award winning bingo and slots operator MrQ.com.

The supplier’s portfolio of in-house and third-party games has gone live on the operator’s flagship U.K. platform, MrQ.com, with plans for further expansion across its market portfolio in the future.

To complement the operator’s bingo offering, Lindar now has access to an extensive library of aggregated slot content from Relax’s carefully selected Silver Bullet and Powered By studio partners, as well as top-performing proprietary games such as Snake Arena and Hellcatraz.

Red Tiger live with Microgame

Popular slots from casino game and software supplier Red Tiger are now live with Italian provider Microgame.

The operator has an extensive distribution capability through its network of 130 brands that will showcase Red Tiger’s content to a large audience of Italian players.

Microgame now has access to a selection of Red Tiger’s best performing releases, including the recent Dragon’s Fire MegaWaysTM, Phoenix Fire Power Reels and Pirates’ Plenty: Battle for Gold.

Hacksaw Gaming partner with Bethard Group

Casino gaming provider Hacksaw Gaming have partnered with Bethard Group and will be live with their games across Bethard.com and B2B brands within the coming days.

Founded in 2018 by a small team of entrepreneurs and professionals within the iGaming industry, Hacksaw Gaming have now produced a wide range of scratch cards, slots and premium slots which will offer Bethard Group’s players a new and unique gaming experience, targeted at mobile-first playing for on the go gaming.

Push Gaming continues rapid expansion with Glitnor deal

Push Gaming is set to reach more players than ever after agreeing a deal with the Glitnor Group and its vast portfolio of operators.

The deal will see the slots supplier, famed for the likes of Jammin’ Jars and Razor Shark, go live with operators including Lucky Casino and Gambola.

The integration has been facilitated by Relax Gaming and gives Glitnor’s operators access to Push Gaming’s full portfolio of chart-topping slots.

Red Rake Gaming signs distribution agreement with SoftGamings

Red Rake Gaming continues to increase its global foothold by signing a distribution agreement with platform developer SoftGamings. The partnership will see Red Rake’s casino content and top performing titles distributed through SoftGamings’s API integration platform.

SoftGamings is one of the industry leaders offering various casino solutions providing access to multiple game providers within one single integration. The recent agreement with Red Rake will provide SoftGamings partners access to Red Rake’s content and progressive tournament tool.  

The partnership covers distribution of over 40 games from Red Rake’s portfolio, including the newly released progressive tournament tool. Games will include the newest releases, Gustav Minebuster â€“ a cluster slot allowing players to win up to 20,000x, Mother of Horus â€“ one of the fastest rising stars with fixed jackpots, free spins and non-stop action, and Million7 â€“ 1 million ways for players to win with this 10×6 slot, not to mention the just released Secrets of the Temple, which Red Rake Gaming are confident will be a smash hit across SoftGamings’ players.

FIFA and NBA2K among new games added to Luckbox

Esports fans can now bet on FIFA and NBA2K at Luckbox after more new games were added to the platform.

Rocket League and Rainbow Six Siege have also been included at the site, taking the total number of games available at Luckbox to 13. 

With COVID-19 outbreak cancelling traditional sports, there has been a huge spike in the number of fans looking to bet on FIFA and NBA2K in the early part of 2020. 

Esports betting volumes have increased 20-fold, during lockdown, with FIFA and NBA2K accounting for 85% of that growth.

DWG signs inaugural U.K. operator deal with Betfred

Leading games provider and social casino operator Design Works Gaming (DWG) has announced a partnership with Betfred, marking its first direct integration with a U.K. operator.

Betfred customers will initially have access to 20 of DWG’s best-performing titles. These will be a combination of the supplier’s video slots, stepper slots, and scratch cards, as well as proprietary non-reel spinning games, such as its social casino blockbuster, Test Your Strength.

Twelve of DWG’s titles will be offered on Betfred’s recently re-launched Vegas tab, aimed at providing the operator’s customers with a truly authentic Vegas experience, while the other eight will be available on Betfred’s Games site.

Soft2Bet opens new locations in Lisbon and Belgrade

Casino and sportsbook operator group Soft2Bet has announced the opening of new offices in Lisbon and Belgrade as the company continues its rapid expansion.

The news sees part of Sof2Bet’s operations move from its current locations in Bulgaria, Malta and Cyprus, to the pair of new workspaces in Portugal and Serbia.

Following the celebrated launch of its new aggregation platform FEZbet, the company continues to grow its 250+ workforce with a string of key appointments and strategic deals.

Source: https://calvinayre.com/2020/05/28/business/gambling-industry-announcement-and-partnership-roundup-may-28-2020/

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Posted in Esports Entertainment Group, Esports Entertainment Group Inc. | Comments Off on #Esports betting volumes have increased 20-fold, during lockdown, with #FIFA and #NBA2K accounting for 85% of that growth – SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $DKNG $PENN $GAN $ESPO

#Esports has seen “two years of growth in two months” – SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 6:03 PM on Wednesday, May 27th, 2020

SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group (GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible.  LEARN MORE.

Esports has seen “two years of growth in two months”

  • “The biggest thing we are all experiencing is Esports being in the public consciousness in a way that it wasn’t,” Bryant said. “My mum asked me if I had anything to do with footballers playing Formula 1, while my next door neighbour is also asking about McLaren in Esports.

By: motorsport.com

Motorsport Network has hosted Esports discussions alongside the #ThinkingForward series, with focus turning to sim racing during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdown which has seen Esports take centre stage.

While talking points have proven to be both positive and negative, from a range of Esports charity fundraising events including the BRDC Esports series to raise money for the NHS to Daniel Abt being dropped by Audi for pulling off a Formula E Esports stunt, a panel of Esports experts hosted by James Allen analysed the Esports developments within the motorsport environment and what the future holds.

Leeston Bryant, McLaren senior marketing manager covering Esports, estimates the industry itself has experienced dramatic market growth by taking the opportunity to fill the void of motorsport action during the COVID-19 postponements.

“The biggest thing we are all experiencing is Esports being in the public consciousness in a way that it wasn’t,” Bryant said. “My mum asked me if I had anything to do with footballers playing Formula 1, while my next door neighbour is also asking about McLaren in Esports.

“I have been working in Esports for two years and while it has been growing that whole time, we have seen two years’ worth of growth in two months. I think that is incredibly exciting and I think what we are trying to do is make sure we take that forward into the future.”

F1 has duly ramped up its own Esports efforts, launching the Virtual Grand Prix series which sees current F1 drivers compete against former drivers, celebrities and sports stars from other disciplines, and has enjoyed similar expansion and fan engagement.

Julian Tan, who heads F1’s Esports initiatives, has echoed the sentiments but remains curious to understand how the recent rise of sim racing will integrate into the wider motorsport market once real racing can resume.

“We are seeing a much higher growth rate in sim racing against the rest of the industry so I think the potential is there,” Tan said during the Esports webinar. “I think the impact the coronavirus has had on the world and when we pass this, and we will pass this, the world that we will enter will look very different.

“I do think that the growth and attention that gaming and Esports is experiencing now will have an impact post-COVID-19. I think it is difficult to say or see what that impact is, but what I do know is that the fact that all of us here are navigating the space right now and we are learning a tremendous amount, doing things, trying things differently and we will emerge from this better prepared to tackle the new challenges that we will have.

“Whether we will see the Virtual GPs as we are seeing them now once we go back racing, I think it is too early to say, but I do think there will be elements of the Virtual GPs that we could potentially start to implement more widely on our Esports programme and the wider sport too.”

With sponsors eager to maintain a greater presence in the motorsport market through the new and emerging channels, Bryant believes McLaren’s partners have also seen opportunities that can be grabbed through Esports activities when the normal racing season returns.

“Speaking to McLaren F1’s sponsors about Esports, there are a few conversations about when motorsport starts up again maybe when there are breaks and in the off-season we can start to bring these activities back, so we can keep racing fans entertained 24-7,” he said.

“I think we live in a world now when people are almost expected to be always on. So, we want to see how we can give fans an additive experience. I think Esports and sim racing might be able to do that.

“It won’t quite be potentially at the same level it is now but I think it will have a profound effect for years to come.”

For more information on the latest Esports news check out Motorsport Games.

Source: https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/esports-seen-two-years-growth-152145633.html

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Posted in Esports Entertainment Group, Esports Entertainment Group Inc. | Comments Off on #Esports has seen “two years of growth in two months” – SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL Forms New Jersey Subsidiary to Pursue Licensing Strategy in United States. Receives Additional $1.86 Million From Exercise of Warrants $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 7:08 AM on Tuesday, May 26th, 2020
  • Announced the formation of a new wholly owned subsidiary, “GMBL New Jersey Inc.”, to pursue gambling licenses throughout the United States
  • Company expects to make its first such application with the State of New Jersey in the near future and will provide updates for each anticipated application as they are submitted in each available jurisdiction
  • “The US market represents a very big opportunity for us and thanks to the continued support of our valued shareholders, we intend to aggressively pursue it in 2020 and beyond.” said Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group.

BIRKIRKARA, Malta, May 26, 2020 — Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (NasdaqCM: GMBL, GMBLW) (or the “Company”), a licensed online gambling company with a focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming, is pleased to announce the formation of a new wholly owned subsidiary, “GMBL New Jersey Inc.”, for the express purpose of commencing its strategy to pursue gambling licenses throughout the United States that will further the Company’s esports gambling market.  The Company expects to make its first such application with the State of New Jersey in the near future and will provide updates for each anticipated application as they are submitted in each available jurisdiction.

The Company’s US operations will be based in New Jersey, where the Company expects to establish facilities and operating personnel.  

COMPANY RECEIVES ADDITIONAL $1.9 MILLION FROM WARRANT EXERCISES

Investors participating in the Esports Entertainment Group’s public offering of securities which was consummated on April 14, 2020 (the “April Offering”),  exercised a total of 439,844 warrants at a price of $4.25 per share for gross proceeds of approximately $1,860,000 as of May 22, 2020. 

Combined with the Company’s announcement on May 15th in which, the underwriters of the April Offering partially exercised and closed on their over-allotment option and purchased an additional 209,400 shares of common stock from the Company for gross proceeds of $885,762,  the Company has received  an aggregate of approximately $2,750,000 to date in the month of May  significantly bolstering its financial strength and resources necessary to execute its business plan.       

“Today’s announcement marks yet another significant milestone and provides the market with even greater insight as to our growth strategy,” said Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group.  “The US market represents a very big opportunity for us and thanks to the continued support of our valued shareholders, we intend to aggressively pursue it in 2020 and beyond.” 

ABOUT ESPORTS ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. is a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming. The Company holds a license to conduct online gambling and 18+ gaming on a global basis in Malta and Curacao, Kingdom of the Netherlands and is able to accept wagers from over 149 jurisdictions including Canada, Japan, Germany and South Africa. Esports Entertainment offers fantasy, pools, fixed odds and exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at vie.gg. In addition, Esports Entertainment intends to offer users from around the world the ability to participate in multi-player mobile and PC video game tournaments for cash prizes. Esports Entertainment is led by a team of industry professionals and technical experts from the online gambling and the video game industries, and esports. The Company maintains offices in Malta. For more information 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:

U.S. Investor Relations 
RedChip Companies, Inc.
Dave Gentry
407-491-4498
[email protected]

Media & Investor Relations Inquiries
AGORACOM
[email protected]
http://agoracom.com/ir/eSportsEntertainmentGroup

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Posted in Esports Entertainment Group, Esports Entertainment Group Inc., Featured | Comments Off on Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL Forms New Jersey Subsidiary to Pursue Licensing Strategy in United States. Receives Additional $1.86 Million From Exercise of Warrants $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Why #Esports and #Bitcoin are a natural match – SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:20 PM on Monday, May 25th, 2020

SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group (GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible.  LEARN MORE.

Why esports and Bitcoin are a natural match

  • Some market projections claim esports could even eclipse popular sports tournaments like Formula One or the UEFA Champions League in revenues, topping US$2.3 billion by 2022
  • Moreover, those projections were made before March 2020, when the world began its preference for online interaction over physical crowds thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic

By Guest Contributor

Esports, aka competitive video game tournaments, is one of those ideas that’s been touted as perfect for Bitcoin since the beginning. Easy payments and prize pools, portable game item ownership, provably fair games with permanent and transparent records, anti-cheating measures, accessibility from anywhere, and a billion-dollar market. So where are the stadium-sized Bitcoin esports events? Let’s take a look at the issues to find out why you might be seeing some soon.

It’s not as though no one has tried to make Bitcoin esports a thing. Like many other ambitious ideas, though, they often ran into the blockchain industry’s technical (and human) limitations. Bitcoin Core’s (BTC) hobbled block size nixed the idea of any kind of blockchain there. Others, like Ethereum and EOS, have had more appeal for game builders but still suffer from those platforms’ technical and scaling limitations.

Then there’s the problem of convincing the big companies and players in the gaming industry that Bitcoin offers the benefits they’re looking for. This is common in any industry. Even if you believe in Bitcoin and want to build your own esports platform from scratch, there’s the challenge of attracting enough game designing and building talent away from the mainstream producers.

Enter Bitcoin SV, which in early 2020 restored the original Bitcoin protocol and removed all data limits. Companies like Kronoverse, with its “CryptoFights” combat/strategy game, have made the jump from Ethereum to Bitcoin and serve as the most prominent demonstration of Bitcoin’s esports capabilities.

Kronoverse have cited advantages unique to blockchain, like verifiable results, betting on matches, and game item ownership, as reasons why they chose to build their competition on Bitcoin. They also saw Bitcoin BSV as more technically capable than Ethereum and its Enjin gaming platform.

CEO Adam Kling said, “When I looked at the scaling roadmap of Ethereum, it became clear that we were never going to be able to have a million players playing on Kronoverse. Instead, everyone is having to develop layer-two technologies and are only submitting the results to the Ethereum blockchain. With Bitcoin SV, we wouldn’t have to do that.”

All about esports

The worlds of “esports,” “online gaming” and “online gambling” share many similarities, but there are components unique to each. We’ll explain the history and background for esports to get an idea what distinguishes it.

Esports as a concept has been around since the 1970s and 80s, but if you’re old enough to remember those times you’ll also remember the games back then weren’t much of a spectacle. Still, there’s always been a certain rush from watching someone play a game you like really well, and the same intensity in watching people compete to be number one on the leaderboard.

It was the advent of multiplayer games, though, that really saw esports take off. Rather than just trying to achieve the highest score, competitors could now play directly against each other in the same game—just like regular sports.

Esports can involve any kind of game. The nature of the market has meant combat games like Counter Strike, League of Legends, StarCraft II and Dota2 have gained the most attention, and many were designed with esports in mind. But there’s plenty of opportunity for simpler games and games for all demographics. All that’s needed is someone to organize the competition and build the system.

Kronoverse’s CryptoFights, for example, is designed for competition yet played only on mobile devices. The possibilities it and other similar ideas offer are endless.

New #CryptoFights website is live! https://t.co/7dCUZafRlD #kronoverse #indiegame #esports #bitcoinsv pic.twitter.com/xVLZ9LJiRA — Crypto Fights (@CryptoFights) May 13, 2020

There’s been a lot of debate over the years over whether esports can be classified as “legitimate sports”. However that argument is pretty irrelevant if esports tournaments can haul in crowds (and money) on par with the more physical kind.

Some market projections claim esports could even eclipse popular sports tournaments like Formula One or the UEFA Champions League in revenues, topping US$2.3 billion by 2022. Moreover, those projections were made before March 2020, when the world began its preference for online interaction over physical crowds thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Esports tournaments have frequently taken place in actual stadiums. But if it’s the kind of game or tournament that can be played online, esports is actually more accessible to more potential competitors, enhancing its appeal.

Claims that 106 million people watched the World Esports competition in 2017 was enough for even the International Olympic Committee to hold a summit on the matter. While participants argued esports could be considered sports, there were concerns over violent game content and the lack of an international regulatory body. There are still campaigns to feature esports at Olympic events somehow, even if as a demonstration sport or showcase side event for starters.

Just like regular sports, though, you don’t need to be playing at tournament or stadium level to enjoy them—or even make money. Competitions can be any size, and prize money can be pooled from admission fees even if there isn’t a corporate sponsor. Home viewers can interact with the tournament in more ways than say, a football match on TV. There’s also a secondary market for gambling on who’ll win, if that’s permitted in your jurisdiction.

Transparency, fairness and the problem of cheating

Game integrity—whether esports games are equally fair to all players, and detecting who might be cheating—has been a big problem for the industry. This is especially true if a tournament happens online and if players are using their own devices.

Kronoverse says Bitcoin plays a big part in overcoming these problems. Game elements like item ownership, game rules and moves can all be recorded on the blockchain permanently. Others can scrutinize and analyze these records to see if anything untoward has taken place, no matter when the game was played.

Here’s where Bitcoin’s unlimited scalability comes into play. Blockchains designed for data processing, like Ethereum, have hit snags when on-chain projects became popular. BTC can’t do data. Both have had to lean on second-layer protocols to handle large quantities of data (or in BTC’s case, anything much at all) and all these “solutions” come with their own set of costs.

Still, it will take one successful esports platform to run on Bitcoin BSV before larger players will see its benefits in action. Kronoverse hopes to be that leader, and has been beta-testing CryptoFights since late 2019. It hopes to hold more open betas in the coming months and launch a marketplace by the end of 2020, with a fully-playable game and competition following after.

Source: https://calvinayre.com/2020/05/25/bitcoin/why-esports-and-bitcoin-are-a-natural-match/

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Video games, #Esports booming during coronavirus isolation – SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:53 PM on Wednesday, May 20th, 2020

SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group (GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible.  LEARN MORE.

Video games, Esports booming during coronavirus isolation

  • “In this time of isolation, video games are the way that people are building a community,” says Neirotti. “It is already a 35% increase in the size of the people watching, playing, buying equipment.”
  • Esports industry has skyrocketed over the last few years with revenue now surpassing $1 billion. The industry attracts more viewers than almost every major sports league — and it has advantages over other professional sports.

By: Russell Falcon, Nexstar, and Anna Wiernicki

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nexstar) — When the whole world hit pause, millions of Americans escaped to a new reality online.

Sports management professor Lisa Neirotti says people are picking up a controller at a record rate.

“In this time of isolation, video games are the way that people are building a community,” says Neirotti. “It is already a 35% increase in the size of the people watching, playing, buying equipment.”

The Esports industry has skyrocketed over the last few years with revenue now surpassing $1 billion. The industry attracts more viewers than almost every major sports league — and it has advantages over other professional sports.

And the same goes for collegiate sports.

“The players are still playing when they are home because they can, and so this is something unique and special about Esports,” says Neirotti.

David Willis is the head coach of Esports at St. Edward’s University in Austin. He says 15 students currently compete on the university’s varsity team.

He says the season is still going — because it can. Willis says tournaments have been pushed through June.

Unlike non-virtual games, Esports can continue on.

“The different leagues are playing,” Neirotti says. “Overwatch league is playing. And it is filling the void.”

Read More: https://www.kark.com/news/video-games-esports-booming-during-coronavirus-isolation/

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How to invest in #Esports – SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 6:04 PM on Tuesday, May 19th, 2020

SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group (GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible.  LEARN MORE.

How to invest in esports

  • The idea of wanting to spectate a video game than actually playing it would have seemed crazy decades ago
  • While esports events are increasingly becoming popular with viewership like that of traditional sports, several investors are discovering ways to get involved as it encompasses gaming, entertainment, and other adjacent markets

By CM Guest Columnist

Esports has to do with the coming together of multiple players in a competitive gaming environment with lots of viewers streaming or watching live until a winner emerges. These events are increasingly becoming popular and gaining a massive audience, as tickets to various live events in major arenas sell out pretty quickly.

The idea of wanting to spectate a video game than actually playing it would have seemed crazy decades ago. While esports events are increasingly becoming popular with viewership like that of traditional sports, several investors are gradually discovering ways to get involved as it encompasses gaming, entertainment, and other adjacent markets.

Game Developers

The entire ecosystem is growing due to the input of developers who created games that are appealing to a wider audience. They ensure that these games remain engaging by introducing several amazing features in line with the latest technological trends.

Before investing in the esports industry, you should research game developers and publishers who have made considerable input in the industry. They are key to your success as an investor since franchising has become common among them.

Activision Blizzard is one such game developers with popular esports leagues that are making waves in the industry. They are making money from the sale of individual games, as well as franchising/publisher fees, advertising, broadcasting rights, and ticket sales. Investors get to profit by investing in these game publishers.

Streaming Platforms

The audience for esports events is not just those that are physically present in the arena but include those that are viewing it live from different geographic locations. A couple of streaming platforms made this possible, allowing fans to watch their favorite teams from the comfort of their homes.

Huya and Amazon’s Twitch are among the most popular esports streaming platforms that you can invest in. With millions of people streaming live events on these platforms daily, it will be of great benefit to you as new monetization strategies are implemented.

Hardware Manufacturers

Players and teams always look to upgrade their hardware and peripherals like headsets to stay trendy and improve the performance of their computers. You need to consider the opportunities that this area presents when investing in esports, as players are always acquiring new peripherals, including keyboards and mice.

A couple of hardware makers are partnering with certain teams, hence increasing the popularity of their products as well as its demand in the esports ecosystem.

Event Sponsors

When looking for esports companies to invest in, you should consider those that are organizing notable events and tournaments. These tournaments present an opportunity for gamers to meet and connect with each other as they support their favorite teams.

WePlay is one of such esports companies with entertainment arenas and tournament modules aimed at giving fans a memorable experience. You are guaranteed of positive return with investments through this channel.

Venture Capital funds

Venture capital funds are now investing in esports which is laden with great potential returns. Venture firms that are actively investing in this industry include BITKRAFT and JKR. Companies like JKR is not solely focused on esports, hence you can get exposure in other fields as you enjoy positive returns from your investment.

How To Invest In Video Games

Video games have been around for decades and gamers are beginning to earn millions of dollars from winning esports events. They may have had to spend several months behind game controllers to attain the level of mastery to become the best in those gaming tournaments that they won.

You do not have to play these games to begin to earn from them as there are alternative ways to start getting your desired returns. For access to massive returns from a popular video game, investing in public stocks, as well as Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) is your best course of action.

Public Stocks

There are several companies that are doing excellently well in the stock market, providing a stable way for investors to enter the online gaming and esports industry.

Some of the biggest players include Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ: TTW) which owns the Red Dead franchise, as well as Grand Theft Auto, WWE 2K, and NBA 2k series. Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) owns the popular FIFA soccer series and Apex Legends. Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI) is another company that has produced several massive games that earned them billions of dollars like Call of Duty, and the Overwatch League.

Tencent (NASDAQ: TCEHY), with popular franchises like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Fortnite, League of Legends is another gaming giant. The acquisition of Twitch by Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has also put them in the forefront of the gaming scene, with investors happily smiling to the bank.

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)

Investors that are seeking to get fully involved without focusing on a specific gaming company should consider the opportunity provided by ETFs. They cover various areas of gaming including hardware, software, and entertainment.

Video Game Tech (ARCA: GAME) is one of such ETFs that offer numerous opportunities to investors. With several exchange-listed companies in different sectors of the gaming industry, this is a valid option to consider.

Also important is the VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF (ARCA: ESPO) which exposes investors to the ever-growing esports market. With several holdings that are driving revenue generation, you get to enjoy the level of esports exposure you want as the video gaming industry expands.

Conclusion

Being able to identify and take advantage of opportunities as they become available makes you a great investor. The risks associated with each venture, time factor, and the possibility of actualizing your investment goals should not be ignored if you want to enjoy positive outcomes.

There is no perfect investment strategy as they all have a downside which is why diversification is important. It improves your exposure as you acquire relevant experience in the esports space, whether you are investing in startups or major companies.

Source: https://cyprus-mail.com/2020/05/19/how-to-invest-in-esports/

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Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL Begins Onboarding Hundreds of Affiliate Partners to Newly Relaunched VIE.gg #Esports Betting Platform $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 7:06 AM on Monday, May 18th, 2020
  • Company has officially begun onboarding hundreds of affiliate marketing partners to its newly relaunched VIE.gg wagering platform
  • Affiliate partners include esports teams, influencers, streamers, leagues, and super affiliates from Asia, Europe, North America and South America
  • Company believes its Affiliate Marketing program will play a significant role in its organic growth

BIRKIRKARA, Malta, May 18, 2020 — Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (NasdaqCM: GMBL, GMBLW) (or the “Company”), a licensed online gambling company with a focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming, has officially begun onboarding hundreds of affiliate marketing partners to its newly relaunched VIE.gg wagering platform. The affiliate partners include esports teams, influencers, streamers, leagues, and super affiliates from Asia, Europe, North America and South America. The Company believes its Affiliate Marketing program will play a significant role in its organic growth.

MALTA LICENSE AND NASDAQ LISTING ARE MAJOR ATTRACTIONS FOR AFFILIATES

The Company’s recently announced Malta gaming license and recent listing on NASDAQ are cited by our affiliate partners as very strong factors in their decision to partner with VIE.gg.  Though the Company first began registering a small sample of interested affiliates in 2018, these two factors have generated noticeable enthusiasm from existing and new affiliates who take great comfort in knowing the Company is working within one of the strictest licensing and listing regulatory environments, as compared to private operators.

Moreover, the Company’s financial strength as a result of its successful $8.4million public offering now provides VIE.gg with the resources necessary to support and grow its soon to be large affiliate partner base. 

“Our Affiliate partners are a very important part of our organic growth strategy in 2020 and beyond, so it has been a high priority of ours to provide the comfort and security they need to partner with us and drive their valuable global audiences to VIE.gg,” said Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group.  “We believe that with the combination of our NASDAQ listing, capital raise and Malta license over the last 30 days we have a formidable competitive advantage to attract, support and grow with affiliate partners that we believe will lead to rapid organic growth for our newly relaunched VIE.gg esports wagering platform.”

Esports Entertainment offers bet exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at VIE.gg. Utilizing this peer-to-peer wagering system, the Company offers real-money, exchange-style wagering on esports events worldwide in a secure environment. The VIE.gg platform provides customers the ability to match bets against one another with Esports Entertainment taking a small commission on the winnings.

“Affiliate marketing is a proven growth model for online gambling,” commented Christian Heinrichs, Esports Affiliate Manager. “Our affiliate streamers broadcast to massive, global esports audiences. Combined with the credibility and support of the many teams and leagues we continue to sign as affiliates, we believe our VIE.gg platform can quickly become the industry standard for safe, secure esports betting.”

ABOUT ESPORTS ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. is a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming. The Company holds a license to conduct online gambling and 18+ gaming on a global basis in Malta and Curacao, Kingdom of the Netherlands and is able to accept wagers from over 149 jurisdictions including Canada, Japan, Germany and South Africa. Esports Entertainment offers fantasy, pools, fixed odds and exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at vie.gg. In addition, Esports Entertainment intends to offer users from around the world the ability to participate in multi-player mobile and PC video game tournaments for cash prizes. Esports Entertainment is led by a team of industry professionals and technical experts from the online gambling and the video game industries, and esports. The Company maintains offices in Malta. For more information 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:

U.S. Investor Relations 
RedChip Companies, Inc.
Dave Gentry
407-491-4498
[email protected]

Media & Investor Relations Inquiries
AGORACOM
[email protected]
http://agoracom.com/ir/eSportsEntertainmentGroup

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#NHL Teams Are Utilizing #Esports To Keep Fans Engaged During #Coronavirus Pandemic $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:48 PM on Friday, May 15th, 2020

SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group (GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible.  LEARN MORE.

NHL Teams Are Utilizing Esports To Keep Fans Engaged During Coronavirus Pandemic

  • According to team figures, a simulated NHL 20 game between the Devils and Philadelphia Flyers drew over 60,000 live viewers across its platforms and more than 30,000 in games against Calgary, the New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes
  • Other teams that joined in and hosted NHL 20 games included Montreal, Winnipeg, Nashville, Edmonton, Washington, Colorado and Dallas

By: Shlomo Sprung

When the National Hockey League suspended play on March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic, its 31 teams were suddenly confronted with no games, no open arenas, no concession or parking revenue and no obvious, direct way to keep their tens of millions of fans interested and engaged as the world faced months of quarantine and isolation.

“How are we putting ourselves in a position that we can continue to provide a source of entertainment, a source of hope and help people heal throughout this process,” asked Jake Reynolds, the New Jersey Devils’ team president.

For a large number of teams, the answer was esports titles like EA Sports’ NHL 20. And with the NHL game day experience abruptly a thing of the past, clubs like the Devils wanted to provide as best an approximation of that game day feeling as it could. So New Jersey quickly mobilized its content and marketing staff to bring its fans NHL 20 simulations on every game night against its would-be opponents for the remainder of the 2019-2020 season.

New Jersey got Matt Loughlin, its radio announcer, to do the play-by-play for the games. The team integrated actual game day sponsors like M&Ms for its moment of the game, PSE&G for its power plays, Investors Bank for a team roll call and RWJBarnabas Health for the starting goalie matchup. After goalie Cory Schneider recorded 98 saves on 102 shots in a simulated game against the Calgary Flames on March 19, Loughlin interviewed him from his couch, with his excited kids climbing all over him.

“It brought a sense of realism to it,” Reynolds said. “And that was one of the things we heard from so many of our fans. That this was the first sense of normalcy that their children had had during the quarantine period through the first couple of weeks.”

According to team figures, a simulated NHL 20 game between the Devils and Philadelphia Flyers drew over 60,000 live viewers across its platforms and more than 30,000 in games against Calgary, the New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes. Other teams that joined in and hosted NHL 20 games included Montreal, Winnipeg, Nashville, Edmonton, Washington, Colorado and Dallas.

“When more teams cooperate,” Devils senior vice president of marketing Jillian Frechette said, “it benefits both teams. The engagement on social platforms is much stronger.

That’s what the Minnesota Wild did when they simulcasted a simulated game against the Devils and decided to stream the rest of their regular season schedule on their Twitch channel. But instead of letting the CPUs do the work, Minnesota enlisted local professional gamers to play the roles of the Wild and its opponents on the scheduled game nights. Though the Wild only got several hundred viewers on its still-growing Twitch, the team was encouraged by the results.

“The market for this is relatively small, but it’s growing,” said Jim Vanek, Minnesota’s senior manager of events and brand activation. “But the people who are interested branch out and consume anything and everything available. So they’re not sticking to just one particular team or market.”

Minnesota’s also gotten a lot of interest from some of its own players to represent the team in NHL 20 matchups, including forwards Jordan Greenway and Ryan Hartman and goalie Devan Dubnyk.

“Some of these younger players that come into the league grew up as gamers,” Vanek said, “and for these guys coming up now and having an affinity for this, it’s been really great for us.”

Greenway and Hartman have played the Nashville Predators duo of Nick Bonino and Roman Josi to a series of two-on-two games, something Nashville has done with some other teams.

“It brings another dynamic when you can have these players on headsets commentating on what’s happening,” Vanek said. “You hear the banter back and forth. It just adds a whole other layer to the viewing experience.”

A look at the Wild’s two-on-two gaming series against Nashville. Twitch screengrab. Twitch

The Florida Panthers tried engaging their fans in certain ways, that included a virtual 5K run that attracted nearly 500 runners in 26 states and two Canadian provinces, but they wanted to try their hand at esports as well after seeing other NHL teams’ success.

So they posted to Twitch for the first time on May 5, with TV analyst Randy Moller playing FloridaPanthers.com reporter Jameson Olive in a game of current Panthers against team alumni called by radio play-by-play announcer Doug Plagens. Olive has even gone on to play some fans in NHL 20 himself over the last week. Eventually, the Panthers are going to bring interested players like forwards Jonathan Huberdeau, Frank Vatrano and Mike Hoffman on board to do live Twitch streams as well.

“When I saw a couple of other teams going with simulations, I liked it, but we thought that we should do something a little different,” said Panthers vice president Shawn Thornton, who won a pair of Stanley Cup titles over his 14-year playing career. “We felt like we wanted to be a little more interactive with our fanbase.”

While Minecraft isn’t the typical esport you’d think of, teams like Minnesota, Anaheim and Las Vegas are using it to reach its youngest fans. They partnered with the North American Scholastic Esports Federation for a contest where teams of four kids between grades 3 and 12 can design team jerseys, logos or physical arenas. The contest runs through May 29, and all entries that design Wild elements will be sent to the team, Vanek said. A winner will be picked in each category and be given a prize pack, and a grand champion will get a player signed Minnesota jersey for the teams of up to four kids.

“We’re really excited to see what kind of creativity comes out of this and to be able to share those submissions with our audience,” Vanek said.

While the Devils were more experienced in producing esports events that can attract big audiences— with weekly Saturday night streams continuing with this weekend’s battle against the archrival New York Rangers— the Wild and Panthers have been encouraged by their initial forays into Twitch.

Minnesota plans on promoting matches more heavily on social media, creating its own gaming specific social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the Wild Gaming handle. Vanek mentioned the Washington Capitals as a team it’s using as an example for gaming specific channels.

Florida plans on reaching the 500 minutes per months streaming threshold on Twitch to become a Twitch Affiliate, which enables streamers to monetize their content. The pause in play, Thornton said, allowed the Panthers to take a longer approach for their esports strategy even when things return to normal and NHL teams can go back to having fans in the seats. But as the league remains suspended, it’s still about keeping those fans engaged with their teams and brands.

“We have to stay relevant,” Thornton said. “So we’re constantly coming up with different ideas to try and keep the content flowing.”

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/shlomosprung/2020/05/14/nhl-esports-devils-panthers-wild-rangers-predators-capitals-minecraft-coronavirus-pandemic/#3df00172d403

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