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Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX.ca Acquires Significant Interest in Waveform Entertainment, a Leading Esports Operator and Tournament Producer $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $WINR $TCEHF $ATVI $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:32 AM on Tuesday, April 9th, 2019
  • Producers of major esports events in Canada including Dreamhack, GOML, Cineplex, CNE, WESG (EGLX)
  • Partners with major brands and sponsors including Ubisoft, NXNE, AMD, CSL
  • Strategic partnership expands Enthusiast’s client services to include experiential advertising, esports tournaments, and broadcast and production capabilities

TORONTO, April 09, 2019 — Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (TSXV: EGLX) (OTCQB: EGHIF) (“Enthusiast” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, signed a definitive agreement to purchase 20% of the issued and outstanding shares (“Purchased Shares”) in Waveform Entertainment Inc. (“Waveform”) for an aggregate consideration of $1,680,000 (the “Subscription Price”). Waveform is a leading esports broadcast and production company specializing in the organization of premium esports tournaments world-wide. Enthusiast has also secured an irrevocable option, at its sole discretion, to acquire a 100% interest in Waveform. (the “Buy-Out Option”).

While Waveform was established in 2018, its team has been on the leading edge of esports event production and broadcast for several years, servicing some of the world’s most prestigious esports tournaments and events including Dreamhack, Cineplex WorldGaming, and Enthusiast owned, EGLX.

“Investing in Waveform will contribute greatly to the expansion of EGLX and our events business. Waveform’s infrastructure and expertise are key for the roll out of the Rising Star Series and upcoming esports tournaments at EGLX in the future,” commented Menashe Kestenbaum, CEO of Enthusiast. “We were very impressed by the organization of our esports tournaments at EGLX in October 2018 and we see significant growth potential as esports continue to soar.”

Waveform was responsible for the broadcast, production and execution of Canada’s largest esports tournament, WESG Canadian Finals at EGLX in October 2018. Enthusiast will continue to partner with Waveform as EGLX executes on its North American expansion plan and introduces the Rising Stars Series this summer.  Waveform will provide the infrastructure, broadcast and event support to drive the expansion and continued growth of EGLX in 2020.

As esports continues to grow with $1.1bn in projected revenues in 2019,(1) large brands are entering the industry by sponsoring esports teams and championing their own activations.  Waveform has partnered with major brands including Evil Geniuses, Virtus Pro, Ubisoft, AMD, Asus, Team Liquid and more.  The investment into Waveform will help Enthusiast’s mission to reach gamers both online and offline. The Company will provide digital advertising and experiential marketing opportunities to major brands and publishers, increasing visibility and event attendance.  The partnership enables Enthusiast’s event business to increase its client services portfolio to include event production, broadcast, streaming services and creative experiential brand ambassadorship programs. In turn, the partnership also allows Enthusiast’s platform to promote Waveform’s business and portfolio of large brands and help them drive new partnerships moving forward.

Terms of Transaction

The Purchased Shares will be purchased pursuant to the terms of a share subscription agreement (the “Agreement”), among Waveform and a wholly owned subsidiary of Enthusiast created for the purpose of the transaction. Pursuant to the Agreement, Enthusiast agreed to purchase the Purchased Shares in three tranches: (i) on April 4, 2019, Enthusiast purchased 40.5% of the Purchased Shares for a portion of the Subscription Price, being $680,000.00; (ii) Enthusiast agreed to purchase, on or before (as decided by Enthusiast) October 4, 2019, 29.75% of the Purchased Shares for a portion of the Subscription Price, being $500,000.00; and (iii) Enthusiast agreed to purchase, on or before (as decided by Enthusiast) June 3, 2020, 29.75% of the Purchased Shares for a portion of the Subscription Price, being $500,000.00. On the date Waveform and Enthusiast entered into the Agreement, they also entered into a Shareholders’ Agreement for Waveform (the “Shareholders’ Agreement”). The aggregate purchase price for all Waveform’s shares, if the Buy-Out Option is exercised by Enthusiast shall be equal to the greater of: (i) four (4) times Waveform’s gross revenue (as defined in the Shareholders’ Agreement), multiplied by eighty percent (80%); or (ii) $7,680,000 (the “Option Purchase Price”). The Option Purchase Price will be subject to agreed adjustments.

The purchase of the Purchased Shares on the two remaining tranches, as well as the exercise of the Buy-Out Option (if exercised by Enthusiast) are subject to obtainment of all applicable regulatory approvals (including by the TSX Venture Exchange).

About Enthusiast Gaming

Founded in 2014, Enthusiast is the fastest-growing online community of video gamers. Through the Company’s unique acquisition strategy, it has a platform of over 80 owned and affiliated websites and currently reaches over 75 million monthly visitors with its unique and curated content and over 50 million YouTube visitors. Enthusiast also owns and operates Canada’s largest gaming expo, Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo, EGLX, (eglx.ca) with over 55,000 people attending in 2018. For more information on the Company, visit www.enthusiastgaming.com.

(1) NewZoo: https://newzoo.com/insights/articles/newzoo-global-esports-economy-will-top-1-billion-for-the-first-time-in-2019 

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Investor Relations:
Julia Becker
Head of Investor Relations & Marketing
[email protected]
(604) 785.0850

This news release contains certain statements that may constitute forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. All statements, other than those of historical fact, which address activities, events, outcomes, results, developments, performance or achievements that Enthusiast anticipates or expects may or will occur in the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking information. Such information may involve, but is not limited to, comments with respect to strategies, expectations, planned operations and future actions of the Company. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or statements formed in the future tense or indicating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” (or other variations of the forgoing) be taken, occur, be achieved, or come to pass. Forward-looking information is based on currently available competitive, financial and economic data and operating plans, strategies or beliefs as of the date of this news release, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Enthusiast to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors may be based on information currently available to Enthusiast, including information obtained from third-party industry analysts and other third-party sources, and are based on management’s current expectations or beliefs regarding future growth, results of operations, future capital (including the amount, nature and sources of funding thereof) and expenditures. Any and all forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The securities of the Corporation have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirement. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

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CLIENT FEATURE: $LMR.ca Lomiko Reports Wide Intercepts of Graphite in Multiple Drill Holes at La Loutre High-Grade Refractory Zone $DNI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 8:20 AM on Tuesday, April 9th, 2019
https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.agoracom.com/public/companies/logos/564363/hub/lomikoLogo300x100_copy.gif
  • Completd a 21-hole diamond drilling program on the Refractory Zone of the La Loutre graphite property
  • Focus of the program was to expand a discovery announced March 7, 2017, and reviewed March 7, 2019 containing high grade intercepts of 7.74% Cg over 135.60 metres, including 16.81% Cgr over 44.10 metres from hole LL-16-001.
  • Two different intersections in hole LL-16-002 reporting 17.08% Cg over 22.30 metres and 14.80% Cg over 15.10 metres
http://blog.agoracom.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/image-2-600x435.png

FULL DISCLOSURE: LOMIKO Metals is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.

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Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX.ca – The State Of #Esports: Why Investors Should Pay Attention $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $WINR $TCEHF $ATVI $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:00 PM on Monday, April 8th, 2019

SPONSOR: Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (TSX-V: EGLX) Uniting gaming communities with 80 owned and affiliated websites, currently reaching over 75 million monthly visitors. The company partial 2018 reported revenue of $7.4 million representing a 625% increase over the same period in 2017.

Images
EGLX: TSX-V
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The State Of eSports: Why Investors Should Pay Attention


  • Forget marijuana stocks and cryptocurrencies, one of the latest disruptive trends investors are looking to capitalize on in 2019 is professional video gaming.
  • “esports,” brings millions of spectators around the world together both online and on-location to watch competitive video gaming.
  • Now, 2019 is slated to be the first year the industry surpasses $1 billion in revenue, solidifying esports’ position as a serious contender on the world stage.

Luis Aureliano , Benzinga Contributor

Newzoo Global Esports Economy 2019

Market research firm Newzoo released its 2019 report on the global esports economy last month and projects revenue for the industry to reach $1.1 billion marking an impressive +26.7 percent growth year-on-year. Newzoo indicates the fastest growing revenue stream for the industry is the selling of media rights for viewing esports with an expected growth of 41.8 percent in 2019. 

Media Rights and Increased Viewership

When it comes to esports entertainment, popular streaming platform Twitch.tv, which was acquired by Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN 0.57% for $970 million in 2014, has been at the forefront. Earlier this year, Twitch and Activision Blizzard, Inc. ATVI 0.42% agreed on a two year, $90 million-minimum deal to grant the streaming platform broadcasting rights for one of Activision Blizzard’s most successful games and competition, the Overwatch League (OWL).

The expansion of media rights as a revenue stream fits with the explosive growth in viewership for esports as a whole. Compared to just years ago, viewership for esports has grown significantly, particularly for League of Legends, the most popular competitive game. During the 2018 Mid-Season Invitational, League of Legends attracted more than 60 million unique viewers. To put things into perspective, the most-watched NBA game since 1998 attracted roughly half that number in 2016 with a record 30.8 million viewers during game 7.

Number of Unique Viewers for Select Esports Competitions, Statista 

The Early Esports Advantage 

Perhaps the most attractive aspect of esports for investors isn’t just the size of the audiences but the state of the market. While esports has grown substantially since its inception, the industry is still mainly a nascent one. Consider Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch as an example again since the title was one of the first games launched with esports already in mind.

Since its launch in 2016, the company has franchised out geo-located teams for Season 1 of the OWL that began last year. Now, as Season 2 is underway, the league is beginning to look more like a traditional professional sport with teams like the “London Spitfire,” “LA Gladiators,” and many others spreading from New York all the way to China and South Korea. And yet, because the OWL is still so young, no teams have their own home arenas to play in as one would expect for a professional sports team — yet.

In Philadelphia, home to the OWL’s “Philadelphia Fusion,” Comcast Corporation CMCSA 0.41% is investing to build a $50 million esports-specific arena; the first in the league. Set to be placed directly in the center of the Philadelphia Sports Complex alongside the homes of the Eagles, Flyers, 76ers, and Phillies, the 60,000 square foot arena is expected to seat 3,500 spectators and include training and broadcasting facilities as well. 

Compared to the well-established world of professional sports, esports offers a unique opportunity for investors to still gain access during the industry’s infancy. 

Growing Pains 

Though esports has experienced impressive growth, that’s not to say it hasn’t come with some growing pains along the way. A major pain point is due to the decentralized nature of competitive play as the term “esports” encompasses a vast array of different game titles, playerbases, and various leagues. Because of the fractured nature of esports, it’s not uncommon for a title to have several unaffiliated leagues for professional players like Counter Strike:Global Offensive’s open circuit system.

However, there are efforts to reduce that confusion and forward the maturity of esports. After the success of the OWL, Activision Blizzard has hinted at the creation of a similar league for Call of Duty with geo-located franchised teams. Likewise, other actors are looking to meet the needs of standardization and legitimacy for esports as well. One of the largest platforms to-date with over a million users, DreamTeam, is creating standardization for professional players across many titles like League of Legends, CS:GO and Electronic Art’s EA 1.06% latest success, Apex Legends. The platform is aiming to bring players together with event organizers, team owners and sponsors to offer an all-in-one solution for professional gaming as a whole.

Amateur players can use the platform to create teams of their own to compete and work their way to the professional levels of play, drastically reducing the barrier to entry for many games. For some titles, that barrier to entry can be steep too. In the case of League of Legends, North American teams seeking a franchise spot had to pay a hefty $10 million fee — in Overwatch, that fee was $20 million per team and potentially doubling for expansion teams in the future. With a lower barrier to entry for players around the world and an easy-to-understand ecosystem, DreamTeam is working to bridge the gap for players forming a professional team.    

The Bottom Line 

With the advent of franchised teams, massive media rights deals and the attraction of big name sponsors like The Coca-Cola Co (NYSE: KO) and Red Bull, it’s clear that video games are no longer just a way for kids to kill time. Now, competitive gaming is one of the fastest growing industries and investors are quickly looking to get in. Whether buying a team of one’s own or investing in the endemic brands propelling esports forward, investors all over are recognizing the promising future of the industry. 

Image sourced from Pixabay

Source: https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/19/04/13488198/the-state-of-esports-why-investors-should-pay-attention

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North Bud Farms Inc. $NBUD.ca – #Cannabis Canada Daily: Pent-up demand leads to roaring start for Ontario #pot stores $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $TRST.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:02 AM on Monday, April 8th, 2019

SPONSOR: North Bud Farms Inc. (NBUD:CSE) Sustainable low cost, high quality cannabinoid production and procurement focusing on both bio-pharmaceutical development and Cannabinoid Infused Products. Click Here For More Information

NBUD: CSE

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Cannabis Canada Daily: Pent-up demand leads to roaring start for Ontario pot stores

Ontario pot shops made an average of $50K in sales on the first day of business

Data from Cova Software, which provides point-of-sale services to seven of the 10 recreational cannabis stores in Ontario, reveal that legal cannabis shops in the province made an average of $50,913 of sales on opening day.

Source: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/marijuana/video/ontario-pot-shops-sold-an-average-of-50k-on-the-first-day-of-business~1652388

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BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – #EdTech platforms paving the way for quality #education in #India $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:04 AM on Monday, April 8th, 2019
SPONSOR:  Betteru Education Corp. Connecting global leading educators to the mass population of India. BetterU Education has ability to reach 100 MILLION potential learners each week. Click here for more information.
BTRU: TSX-V

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EdTech platforms paving the way for quality education in India

DECCAN CHRONICLE   EdTech platforms have reimagined the education landscape by making learning more student-centric and engaging.

  • EdTech platforms making learning interactive and accessible to all
  • EdTech platforms have reimagined the education landscape by making learning more student-centric and engaging.
  • 24×7 accessibility
  • Personalized approach

The advent of learning apps, video tutorials and peer-to-peer discussion portals has not only enabled students to take ownership of their learning, but also bolster their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.

Up until the 2000s, a standard classroom in India included two common components – the teacher giving lectures standing in front of the blackboard and students passively listening while taking down notes. This rigid pedagogical approach was followed for decades, leaving little to no scope for interactive learning. India’s dated education system, however, has undergone major transformations in the past few years. With educators and policymakers finally realizing the importance of digital learning, top educational institutes across the country are now turning to EdTech platforms. According to a 2016 report by Google and KPMG, the EdTech industry in India is expected to touch almost  USD 2 billion by 2021. The report further stated that the growth will be impelled by the rising number of paid users subscribed to the e-learning portals. The findings clearly indicate that a shift is taking place; students are opting for internet-based smart learning over classroom-confined learning. For instance, personalized learning app Toppr has achieved a seven-fold increase in its user-base within two years.

EdTech platforms making learning interactive and accessible to all

EdTech platforms have reimagined the education landscape by making learning more student-centric and engaging. The advent of learning apps, video tutorials and peer-to-peer discussion portals has not only enabled students to take ownership of their learning, but also bolster their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. This explains why both they have embraced tech-enabled learning tools with open arms to acquire additional knowledge outside the classroom.

24×7 accessibility

While multiple factors have contributed to the EdTech boom in India, accessibility is the primary reason why digital learning is becoming commonplace. Thanks to the increased usage of smartphones and the internet, students can get 24×7 access to study materials, notes and qualified mentors from the comfort of their homes. Moreover, EdTech platforms also allow them to attend live lectures. This feature can be particularly beneficial for those unable to attend the class in person. Needless to say, the round-the-clock accessibility has helped thousands of Indian students who often find it futile to ask questions inside their overcrowded classrooms.

Breaking geographical barriers

The scope for higher education is limited in small towns and rural parts of India. Especially, the public education sector is not well-equipped to support high-potential and ambitious students. To address this issue, EdTech companies have come forward with their extensive offerings that range from free online classes to proper guidance. In fact, there are many e-learning portals that allow students to take mock tests and self-assess themselves.

Personalized approach

Back in the 90s, most educational institutes followed the one-size-fits-all, rote-based method of learning. While it may have been effective at that time, the requirements have changed. Today, a learner-centric pedagogy that focuses on the individual’s strengths and weaknesses is the need of the hour. Given the pressing issues like skills-gap and low-employability rate in India, a personalized learning approach can help students gain a better understanding of a subject. New-age EdTech platforms incorporate advanced algorithms to a student’s behaviour and then suggest questions appropriate for their level, slowly raising the difficulty until they meet their learning goals. This, in turn, enhances the overall learning experience as well the performance of students.

Audio-visual learning

Numerous studies have shown that audio-visual learning facilitates improved understanding and higher retention of facts. 88 per cent of parents and 84 per cent of teachers seek digital, video-based content to supplement what is being taught inside classrooms, as per a Digital Education Survey conducted by Deloitte in 2016. Students, too, are relying on EdTech platforms to get access to video-based learning modules to clear their concepts.

EdTech platforms have undeniably changed the face of India’s education sector. These changes have worked in favour of students who now have the liberty to learn at their own pace, self-evaluate and introspect.

Source: https://www.deccanchronicle.com/technology/in-other-news/080419/edtech-platforms-paving-the-way-for-quality-education-in-india.html

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ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca – Societe Generale-Owned Bank Launches #Blockchain Exchange Note $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:45 AM on Monday, April 8th, 2019

SPONSOR: ThreeD Capital Inc. (IDK:CSE) Led by legendary financier, Sheldon Inwentash, ThreeD is a Canadian-based venture capital firm that only invests in best of breed small-cap companies which are both defensible and mass scalable. More than just lip service, Inwentash has financed many of Canada’s biggest small-cap exits. Click Here For More Information.

Idk large
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Societe Generale-Owned Bank Launches Blockchain Exchange Note

  • Kleinwort Hambros, a Societe Generale-owned private bank and wealth manager, has launched an actively managed exchange-traded note (ETN) targeting the blockchain sector.
  • The London-based bank announced the news on Monday, saying its Luxembourg-listed ETN will invest in companies that could “profit most” from the development and increasing uptake of blockchain technology.
  • ETNs are unsecured debt securities that, like exchange-traded funds (ETFs), are traded on a stock exchange.

Yogita Khatri

The blockchain note will initially have 20 stocks diversified across areas including technology, shipping, oil and gas, custody and industrials.

Kleinwort Hambros’ portfolio manager John Birdwood said:

“We have seen increasing interest from clients in the area of blockchain and we are very excited to be able to cater to this demand with the launch of our first blockchain note.”

The product will provide its clients with the “diversified exposure to the promising growth prospects blockchain technology offers, while maintaining the rigorous active management,” Birdwood added.

It’s worth noting that the ETN will be only available for Kleinwort Hambros’s existing and new clients, with a minimum investment of £1,000 ($1,305).

The centuries-old bank has assets under management of £14.2 billion ($18.52 billion) and over 900 employees as of last year, according to its own figures.

In similar news, investment management company Invesco and Elwood Asset Management jointly launched a blockchain exchange-traded fund (ETF) on the London Stock Exchange last month.

The crypto community’s ongoing wait for a bitcoin ETF, however, is still awaiting a decision from the Securities and Exchange Commission in the U.S. However, several exchange-traded products (ETPs) for bitcoin and other cryptos have gone live for trading in Europe.

Societe Generale image via Shutterstock

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/societe-generale-owned-bank-launches-blockchain-etn

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Good Life Networks $GOOD.ca – These are the 5 big trends that will shape the future of digital advertising #adtech according to Adobe $ADBE $TTD $RUBI $AT.ca $TRMR $FUEL

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:45 PM on Sunday, April 7th, 2019
SPONSOR: Good Life Networks (GOOD:TSX-V) Video advertising is the future! Company’s A.I. makes 80,000 calculations / second, targeting 750 million users to deliver higher prices and volume. Company announced FY2018 trailing pro forma of ~ $48,000,000 with Adjusted EBITDA of $7,100,000 Click here for more information.
GOOD: TSX-V

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These are the 5 big trends that will shape the future of digital advertising, according to Adobe

  • A new report from Adobe looks at the history of digital advertising and where it’s headed.
  • Programmatic TV and new creative tools are two big areas of marketer interest, said Keith Eadie, VP and general manager of Adobe Advertising Cloud.
  • More ad-tech consolidation is on the way as brands seek to work with fewer than 10 vendors, he said.

By: Lauren Johnson

A quarter-century after Hotwired.com, a digital offshoot of Wired magazine, sold the first banner ad for AT&T, US digital ad spending has eclipsed traditional advertising and is expected to hit $129.34 billion in 2019, according to eMarketer.

A new report from Adobe chronicles the evolution of digital advertising, including big moves like Yahoo launching search ads in 1996 to Snap’s rollout of ads in 2016. The report also details advertisers’ shift from direct to programmatic buying.

Business Insider talked with Keith Eadie, VP and general manager of Adobe Advertising Cloud, about five big trends that Adobe sees shaping the future of digital advertising. Below are excerpts from the interview.

Read more: ‘We’re going to see continued consolidation’: Adobe’s $4.75 billion acquisition of Marketo could spur a takeover spree at Salesforce and Oracle

TV is the next battleground for programmatic advertising

Adobe is betting big on the future of video.

Today, most TV ads are not purchased through data-based deals but Eadie sees that changing as more companies like AT&T and Disney move into streaming TV services and content.

“You’re going to see a spectrum of packaging options put forth by the publisher,” Eadie said. “I don’t see a scale challenge in over-the-top — it’s a pretty big and rapidly growing pie.”

For its part, Adobe is focusing on building programmatic pipes for buyers to plan and measure addressable TV (which uses cable-box data to target ads), OTT and digital video. The company has partnerships with companies like NBCUniversal, Nielsen, Experian and Placed.

Ad-tech consolidation will continue — and brands are asking for it

Eadie joined Adobe through the acquisition of TubeMogul and said he expects more consolidation in ad tech, with eventually two or three companies emerging to compete with Facebook and Google.

Brands are pushing for some of that consolidation, who want to work with fewer than 10 companies, not hundreds, he said.

Some marketers have pushed back on the pitch by marketing clouds including Adobe of a one-stop shop for advertising and data because they are wary of getting locked into big deals, but Eadie said Adobe is well-positioned to work with big brands.

“Our approach is to be empower the digital transformation of the largest brands in the world,” he said. “We also approach it from the perspective that we’re building an open platform and our solutions will integrate with other technology if the marketer wants to do that.”

Ad fraud and viewability concerns are “teenager-like problems” for digital advertising

One area that is getting better is ad fraud and transparency, Eadie said.

Advertisers began grappling with tough problems like ad fraud, viewability and brand safety issues nearly 10 years ago. While advertising boycotts over brand-safety concerns on platforms like YouTube persist and bad actors continue to find new ways to siphon away ad dollars, Eadie said advertisers have made progress in tamping down areas of fraud like bots and malware that hijack ad networks and generate fake ad impressions.

Advertisers have also made headway in bringing transparency to ad-tech fees as more companies disclose their “tech tax” rates.

“We just have to be diligent and mindful about it, but we’re not spending an outsized amount of time on them as we used to be,” he said.

Marketers struggle to manage multiple channels

While technical issues in digital advertising are getting better, brands face new pressure to orchestrate marketing across multiple platforms.

Marketers are trying to sync up email, text messaging and website data to make ads more personalized. That requires brands to focus more on customer experiences and less on ad copy and messaging in specific campaigns. The challenge for CMOs is organizing teams accordingly, Eadie said.

Creative will become more important in digital

As the number of distribution platforms grows, brands increasingly are creating several versions of assets, like switching between horizontal web and email campaigns to vertical formats for Instagram and Snapchat.

Advertisers have tinkered with tactics like dynamic creative optimization that in theory can swap out ad copy, colors and click-through actions on the fly, but they struggle to do so, he said.

Adobe is tackling creative because it believes that digital advertisers haven’t focused on it as much as they should.

“If you don’t start with a channel that the ad is going to be delivered on and build a bespoke asset for that, you’re essentially wasting your money because the creative doesn’t match the format you want to utilize,” he said.

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/adobe-5-big-predictions-for-digital-advertising-2019-3

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Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX.ca spectators offer investors an opportunity to capitalize on #Esports $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $WINR $TCEHF $ATVI $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:15 PM on Sunday, April 7th, 2019
  • Ambitious approach to rounding up these audiences between owned and affiliated media, YouTube channels, and a convention that had over 55,000 people attending in 2018
  • A market leader in digital media for video gaming
  • Its platform represents more than 80 websites reaching 75 million monthly visitors, as well as 900 YouTube channels reaching 50 million additional monthly visitors.

By: Max Arnold | April 05, 2019

The video gaming industry’s media audience goes beyond just the players of video games; there is now a robust audience of non-player spectators as well. This considerably shifts the dynamics of media in the eSports space making it similar to the media ecosystems of traditional sports, and creating correspondingly profitable business opportunities.

Toronto-Based Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (“Enthusiast Gaming”) (TSXV: EGLX | OTCQB: EGHIF) has taken an ambitious approach to rounding up these audiences between owned and affiliated media, YouTube channels, and a convention that had over 55,000 people attending in 2018, making it one of the market leaders in digital media for video gaming. Its platform represents more than 80 websites reaching 75 million monthly visitors, as well as 900 YouTube channels reaching 50 million additional monthly visitors.

Strategically Partnering with and Acquiring Channels

Enthusiast Gaming has built a respectable portfolio of media assets through partnerships and acquisitions. At the beginning of 2019, Enthusiast Gaming announced a partnership with US-based Omnia Media Inc. (“Omnia”), to exclusively represent all of Omnia’s online gaming traffic in the United States, through Omnia’s multi-channel YouTube network which, across 900 channels, has 50 million monthly visitors and a base of more than 400 million subscribers.

In November 2018, Enthusiast Gaming acquired Operation Sports LLC (“Operation Sports”), which operates a leading web portal for eSports and video game content. Under Enthusiast Gaming’s ownership, the subscriber base of Operation Sports grew by more than 100,000 users, bringing the total subscriber base to over one million users as of March 20, 2019.

In-Person Engagement

Part of how Enthusiast Gaming has built its audience organically is by cultivating engagement through its flagship convention Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo (“EGLX”). Its first iteration in 2015 saw 1,700 attendees, growing to 12,000 attendees in 2017, followed by 24,000 attendees in March 2018, and 30,000 attendees in October 2018. EGLX is the largest gaming expo in Canada, and the event has sponsors that include Bell Canada, Nintendo, World Gaming, LG, and eBay. Enthusiast Gaming is contemplating expanding EGLX to other North American cities in light of significant growth in the video gaming sector.

Diversified Base of Revenues

Enthusiast Gaming generates earnings through a number of revenue categories. Video content attracts advertising payments, and EGLX produces revenue from show admissions, exhibitor booths, and show sponsors. Paid user subscriptions are another form of revenue for Enthusiast Gaming. For example, Enthusiast Gaming acquired The Sims Resource in January 2019, which generated approximately CAD $2.8 million in subscription payments in 2018, making up about 40% of its revenue.

Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. has a current market cap of CAD $57.60 million and commenced public trading on the TSX Venture through an IPO on October 4th, 2018 with a closing price of CAD $1.07. TSXV: EGLX closed April 4th 2019 at a price of CAD $1.25, up 16.82% since inception.

Source: https://investorintel.com/sectors/technology/technology-intel/enthusiast-gaming-continues-to-accumulate-esports-viewers/

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ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca – #Davos Report: Over 40 central banks worldwide are experimenting with #blockchain technology $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:00 PM on Sunday, April 7th, 2019

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Davos Report: Over 40 central banks worldwide are experimenting with blockchain technology

  • Several central banks are looking into experimenting with cryptocurrencies
  • The degree of blockchain technology research and experimentation varies greatly among central banks, as do the motivations for interest.
  • The central banks use permissioned blockchain network to create their CBDCs

Rajarshi Mitra FXStreet

As per a new report by the World Economic Forum, over 40 central banks around the world are experimenting with blockchain technology. Ashley Lannquist, a project lead in blockchain and distributed ledger technology at the World Economic Forum and the primary author of the report, believes that “It’s very much the case that several central banks are looking at this [experimenting with cryptocurrencies].”

The report states that the degree of this experimentation varies greatly among banks:

“The degree of blockchain technology research and experimentation varies greatly among central banks, as do the motivations for interest. Some central banks are progressive, having begun research and experimentation as early as 2014 and having conducted multiple pilots or even deployments. Another set of institutions is curious and interested in the technology but largely monitors activity by peer institutions and within the private sector, including cryptocurrency investing activity. A final set has not yet dedicated resources to blockchain technology research and may never do so, either because of pressing priorities or the view that DLT at this stage does not promise sufficient upside when considering technological immaturity and risks.”

The report states how these central banks implement their CBDC pilots:

“In many of these CBDC pilots, the central bank issues digital tokens on a distributed ledger that represent, and are redeemable for, central bank reserves in the domestic currency held in a separate account with the central bank. The agents in the system use the CBDC to make interbank transfers that are validated and settled on the distributed ledger.”

The central banks prefer permissioned blockchain networks to create their CBDCs:

“The central banks typically use “permissioned” blockchain network implementations, whereby participants are limited and must be granted access to participate in the network and view the set of transactions. 

The central bank chooses, according to suitability and availability, the type of network and its internal mechanisms (most importantly, the decentralized consensus mechanism the network uses for participants to reach agreement on valid transactions). R3’s Corda, the Linux Foundation’s Hyperledger Fabric, J.P. Morgan’s Quorum, or a simple private configuration of the Ethereum blockchain network are the most popular implementations used by central banks.”

Source: https://www.fxstreet.com/cryptocurrencies/news/davos-report-over-40-central-banks-worldwide-are-experimenting-with-blockchain-technology-201904050249

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Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL – Professional esports are just getting started, Take-Two CEO says $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:00 AM on Friday, April 5th, 2019
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Professional esports are just getting started, Take-Two CEO says

  • According to research firm Newzoo, esports is projected to generate $1.1 billion in revenue in 2019, marking the first year the industry would reach the billion-dollar mark.

By Lynn Wilkins on April 4, 2019 at 4:00 pm

Earlier this week at the Barclays Center, 74 men and 1 woman got the chance to live out a dream — they became professional competitive gamers.

The esports athletes were officially drafted for the second season of Take-Two‘s NBA 2K League, the gaming giant‘s esports league featuring their flagship NBA 2K sports video game franchise. Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick emphasized the excitement surrounding the league‘s second season, highlighting the popularity and rising importance of the esports industry as a whole.

“The first season ended with a great result, and everyone‘s looking forward to the April second tip-off,” he said Friday on CNBC‘s “Fast Money.” “Over 250 million people worldwide consume esports as a form of entertainment. About half of them, 125 million, are avid esports watchers.”

According to research firm Newzoo, esports is projected to generate $1.1 billion in revenue in 2019, marking the first year the industry would reach the billion-dollar mark.

In many ways this year‘s NBA 2K League embodies how quickly the space is growing. AT&T is joining the likes of Dell and Intel as a partner for the league, which has also expanded to 21 teams from the original 17 NBA franchise-owned teams that hit the virtual court during last year‘s inaugural season.

This year‘s draft pool also included 22 international players from outside of the U.S., reflecting the overall industry‘s drive to expand globally. Among the players in the draft pool was Chiquita Evans from Chicago, who became the league‘s first female player in a time when the esports industry as a whole is grappling with discussions around diversity and inclusion.

Ultimately, Zelnick believes that esports leagues like NBA 2K will boost the video game industry as a whole.

“We‘re having a record year with NBA 2K, so one of the things we love is that when there‘s more hits in the market, there are more people engaged and the entire market grows,” he said. “So we‘re going to sell more units of NBA 2K this year than ever before, we‘ll have higher recurrent consumer spending than ever before.”

But the biggest gaming companies are facing stiff competition. While Take-Two and Activision Blizzard have dove into esports, with Blizzard‘s Overwatch League being the latter‘s most recent investment in the space, they‘re still facing the likes of other publishers who have dominated the industry.

For example, Tencent-owned Riot Games‘ “League of Legends” events still draw huge numbers of viewers, with last year‘s World Championship finals attracting nearly 100 million unique viewers who watched the match (for comparison, this year‘s Super Bowl had 98 million viewers). This while Epic Games‘ “Fortnite” also continues to dominate online viewership, both recreational and competitively.

Zelnick, however, believes that those same competitors, like “Fortnite,” lift the games industry as a whole.

“We think that ‘Fortnite‘ is a great thing for the industry, it has probably brought in a somewhat younger consumer,” he explained. “I‘m often asked if it‘s something that has hurt us. To the contrary, we‘ve seen the market continue to grow at the same time that ‘Fortnite‘ has been an extraordinary hit for Epic.”

This despite the fact that some analysts believe game revenues could be set to decline. Back in January, London-based research firm owner Pelham Smithers forecast that video game revenue is headed for its first decline since 1995 on the back of tightening regulations in China, a shortage of big console hits in 2019 and waning player enthusiasm for battle royale titles like “Fortnite.”

But Smithers also made his predictions before the release of Electronic Arts‘ “Apex Legends,” which took the gaming world by storm and garnered 50 million players in just one month. The battle royale title is yet another name in the free-to-play ecosystem that has revolutionized the gaming industry in the last few years, allowing users to download a game at no cost. In this case, the vast majority of revenue is made through in-game purchases and microtransactions, which have become dominant sources of earnings for many publishers.

This has led even the biggest publishers to explore in-game monetization. Zelnick notes that not only have microtransactions become the “biggest opportunity” to encourage users to continue interacting with a title, but it ultimately is the biggest measure of engagement.

“Microtransactions is spending, and that‘s a reflection in our view of engagement,” he said, adding that they often are a result of “making the highest quality enttertainment” that “[engages] the customer.”

“If we get that right, monetization follows, revenues follow and profits follow, and that‘s been our story for the 11 years that we‘ve been responsible for this enterprise,” he added.

Additionally, the Chinese government has seemingly eased on their game approval regulations. After freezing game approvals for months last year in a content crackdown on gaming companies, Chinese regulators have since approved 80 new games in January and one more for gaming giant Tencent in late February.

Despite the games industry‘s growth, Activision Blizzard and Take-Two Interactive have struggled with both stocks down 9 and 15 percent respective this year. Thanks to its “Apex Legends” sensation, Electronic Arts has outperformed its competitors and surged 25 percent.

Source: https://senecastandard.com/professional-esports-are-just-getting-started-take-two-ceo-says/34939/

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