Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 5:27 PM on Monday, May 11th, 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.
Interest in Esports Is booming!
Esports is the fastest growing theme in the gaming sector
Although eSports currently caters to a niche audience – almost 10 per cent of the global online population of around 4.5 billion – its reach is expanding rapidly
Esports is the fastest growing theme in the gaming sector. These organised multiplayer video game competitions have enjoyed spectacular growth over the last decade, with thousands of fans filling stadiums to watch live events and millions following them on streaming platforms.
Although eSports currently caters to a niche audience – almost 10 per cent of the global online population of around 4.5 billion – its reach is expanding rapidly.
GlobalData’s latest reSports eport states that the industry has proved largely immune to the Covid-19 pandemic due to its prompt transition into online formats and sudden spike in interest from traditional sports organisations, which pushed esports further into the mainstream and brought it to the attention of a wider audience.
Rupantar Guha, Senior Analyst of Thematic Research at GlobalData, commented: “Brands from a wide range of industries are investing in esports to reach a young demographic that is typically resistant to traditional advertising channels. The increasing involvement of non-endemic brands such as Coca-Cola and BMW is helping to legitimise eSports, as well as bringing in significant revenue.â€
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:30 PM on Sunday, May 10th, 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.
CSGO has a million active players, is CSGO the best esports for tournaments?
With over a million active players playing CSGO it’s a huge game and with over 450 million esports fans worldwide. Of these 450 million fans 201 million are active players from League of Legends, Dota 2 and CSGO.
CSGO only recently hit the 1 million milestone. Previously at 950,000 and jumped to 1 million active users. In areas like China, CSGO is unpopular but the game is still clearly the most popular.
Looking at CSGO with Asiabet.org, sites like these offer a wide range of games and reviews that show how much esports fans love esports betting.
Big tournaments in the CSGO Esport universe provide the ability to inspire and improve your style by seeing the incredible talents of athletes representing your favourite team.
Please enjoy this list of the next CSGO 2020 tournaments if you share our enthusiasm. Don’t forget – the list is in progress, and when it is publicly released, we will include updates on other contests according to the CSGO tournament schedule.
Many tournaments have different formats, however, esports platforms have data on each match and data on all teams.
Most pro players do not only use different skins to customise their characters but also to personalise csgo settings.
List of the most-watched CSGO tournaments:
ESL One Cologne (506,000 viewers)
IEM Katowice (1,200,000)
StarLadder Berlin (838,000)
These tournaments see millions of views following the tournament due to esports fans not being able to watch the tournament live.
What is CSGO?
CSGO or lengthened to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the Valve and Secret Path Entertainment squad focused the first-person shooter, published in 2012. The name itself was a standalone game developed in 1999 and eventually adapted into a Valve game series.
Players play the role of a terrorist or counter-terrorist with each side having a particular task to achieve before they are eliminated by the opposing team, or according to the full timeline, such as, for example, planting and protecting a bomb on a specific location, while counter-terrorist agents must destroy the terrorists before they can be planted or re-armed
Esports fills the gap while sports declines
In recent years, global recognition on a different stage has been influenced by esports clubs, competitions and matches. The result was that the marketers were looking more and more at the sporting industry in the same way as they consider conventional American sport like basketball and football.
Earlier in this year, we saw leading brands like Nike, BT, and Kia Motors all partner with sports teams at Louis Vuitton’s then planned 2020 League of Legends World Championships.
With the advent of the pandemic of coronavirus, athletics have now another feature where the sporting industry maintains: widespread suspension of live activities and all the resulting destruction.
But one distinction with esports is that it is fairly well placed to change to the pandemic environment, given its increasing popularity for filling stages and arenas around the world. Live sporting competitions can be moved online very quickly, unlike conventional sporting. Even though IEM Katowice is absent from his usual live crowd, the annual Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) game event set a new crowd record in early March, making it one of the most highly watched major tournaments ever.
It can only be the solution for the millions of fans whose regular activities are now held. Announcers are informed. So why are companies only just coming on board if they should have had an edge in the first mover?
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 7:01 AM on Thursday, May 7th, 2020
Signed a binding Letter of Intent to acquire LHE Enterprises Ltd, the holding company of online sportsbook and casino operator Argyll Entertainment AG and its operating support subsidiaries
Argyll has established itself as a fast growing and innovative gaming company within the UK and Irish market
“With Argyll already generating around $12 million in revenue annually, this acquisition will have a major positive impact for our company,†commented Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group.
BIRKIRKARA, Malta, May 07, 2020 — Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (NasdaqCM: GMBL, GMBLW) (or the “Companyâ€), a licensed online gambling company with a focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming, signed a binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire LHE Enterprises Ltd, the holding company of  online sportsbook and casino operator Argyll Entertainment AG and its operating support subsidiaries (â€Argyllâ€).
Since launching its flagship brand, www.sportnation.bet, in the summer of 2017, Argyll has established itself as a fast growing and innovative gaming company within the UK and Irish market leveraging the expertise of its 40 strong staff in marketing, technology, risk management, and regulation to offer its customers an entertaining, safe and secure online gaming experience, an award winning rewards program, and access to exclusive and proprietary sports and gaming content.
“With Argyll already generating around $12 million in revenue annually, this acquisition will have a major positive impact for our company,†commented Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group. “In the current global environment of COVID-19 there has been a surge of interest in online gaming to fill the void left by traditional sports and other activities. Argyll’s established footprint and revenue base, combined with our strong cash position from our successful April capital raise combined with our esports betting platform, places Esports Entertainment in a great position to capitalize on this evolving opportunity.â€
Argyll, incorporated in Switzerland, with operational support services in London, UK and Malta, is licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission under licence no. 000-045143-R-323955-001 and the Irish Revenue Commissioners under licence reference no. 1014456 to operate online sportsbook and casino sites in the UK and Ireland, respectively.
ABOUT ESPORTS ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. is a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming. 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 holds a license to conduct online gambling and 18+ gaming on a global basis in Curacao, Kingdom of the Netherlands. 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]
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 3:42 PM on Tuesday, May 5th, 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.
The company tested its live content strategy with a charity esports event May 1.
theScore has set new records for Youtube views in two straight months, headlined by 28 million views in April.
Toronto-based theScore is best known for its sports news and betting apps. But it has quickly developed a strong following on YouTube for esports – surpassing 1 million subscribers last November.
Now, the company is adding to its esports repertoire by introducing live-streamed shows and community events to gaming fans.
theScore’s esports vertical, launched in 2015, has undergone multiple iterations, according to Aubrey Levy, who oversees esports strategy as the company’s vice president of content. What began as just providing scores and highlights of significant pro leagues and events has shifted to a focus on competitive gaming culture.
“It’s been a bit of navigation and an exploratory journey to get to the strategy that works,†Levy said. “We started by thinking we could leverage our existing sports app and apply that to esports when nobody was doing that. We did that. We marketed the hell out of it and saw some pickup, but ultimately we saw a cap on that addressable audience, which was surprising.â€
theScore now produces between eight to 10 original shows weekly for viewers, delving into crucial moments from competitions and profiling player personalities. The approach is a common one within esports circles as a means to grow the industry’s popularity with casual gamers while appeasing hardcore fans.
Rather than adapting franchises to popular esports titles, theScore’s original shows, including “The Story Of†and “Esports Shorts,†look for story angles from competitive League of Legends or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive that directly fit its shows concepts. theScore also partners with publishers to produce one-off series that promote a tournament or a younger esports title such as Mortal Kombat or Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege.
Staff being forced to work remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t led to a disruption in any of theScore’s programming. theScore attracted a record 23.3 million views in March, a number it later surpassed in April with 28 million views. The company attributes the rise in viewership partly to the backdrop of traditional sports being on pause.
“I think consumers are looking for outlets, and fortunately, we’ve been able to benefit in terms of an uptick in viewership because of that,†Levy said. theScore’s April viewership totals represent a 150% year-over-year increase.
Following the success producing video-on-demand content for streaming audiences, theScore took its first crack at running a live esports event around Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six Siege on May 1.
The COVID-19 relief event, “Pros vs. Plebs,†offered fans of Rainbow Six Siege a chance to enter a one-day competition and face off against current world champions SpaceStation Gaming and former world champion and esports content creator George “KingGeorge†Kassa.
Fans gave $5 per entry – which was donated to the Coronavirus Relief Fund part of the Global Giving’s Disaster Recovery Network. More than $8,000 was raised, according to theScore.
The three-hour stream was broadcast on theScore’s Twitch and YouTube channels and was produced without the help of a third-party, according to the company. More than 37,000 fans have watched the event as of May 4.
“This is an extension to live streaming from VOD, and less so about starting an events division,†Levy said. “The event just seemed like a good opportunity for us to dip our toes into the water with livestreaming.â€
theScore concedes there will be a large amount of trial and error as it introduces more live shows or community-based gaming competitions across multiple titles. To date, there is no defined or concrete content strategy for its new approach.
However, in the leadup to the coronavirus pandemic, theScore came up with several show ideas to test, including a desk-side studio show and another focused on gameplay style.
“Honestly, I think both live shows and events are open avenues for us,†Levy said. “We have the capacity to run these community-based events. And if they are successful I think we have the ability to continue standing those up across multiple titles. At the same time, we figure out our next live show after our charity event. I think you’ll probably see us try out both.â€
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 3:50 PM on Monday, May 4th, 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 NBA 2K And Esports Are Filling Voids Left By The Coronavirus Outbreak
On a Saturday night at downtown Manhattan’s Terminal 5, the atmosphere resembles that of a primetime awards show
Flashing bulbs and cameramen line a red carpet, straining for shots of luminaries as they walk by
A line of spectators waits to be granted entry to an event promised to feature celebrities, musical guests and the best in the world at their craft being recognized
Only this isn’t the Oscar’s, Emmy’s or Grammy’s. It’s the 2020 NBA 2K League Draft.
The evening has all the makings of the big leagues. The venue, one that’s featured performances from the likes of Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg in recent years, sets the stage; players who spend most of their lives in relative anonymity are, for tonight, transformed into full-on celebrities.
“There are more than 50 million players who play 2K in some way, shape or form,†said Brendan Donohue, NBA 2K League Managing Director. “We’re ending up with the top 100 players in the world, so we want to make that player feels like he got to the highest mountaintop.â€
Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis announces the first pick on behalf of Wizards gaming. Former New York star Allan Houston selects for Knicks gaming. It’s a watershed moment of sorts for NBA 2K and even esports as an industry, a sign of how far a once-niche pursuit has come in just a few short years and a clear notice served that this world isn’t going anywhere.
And within just a few weeks, it will be shattered by a worldwide crisis – replaced by a wholly different reality, one shedding a completely new light on the relevance and importance of gaming in our modern world.
On an early April afternoon, Ronnie Singh is sitting alone in his bedroom. Singh – better known in the gaming world as Ronnie 2K, Director of Influencer Marketing for NBA 2K and the franchise’s wildly popular public face, boasting over a million Twitter followers – is handling commentary and organization duties for a one-on-one tournament being played remotely between 16 NBA players, broadcast on ESPN.
He’s alone, as are each of the tournament’s participants, due to the coronavirus outbreak that’s swept the world in the weeks since he and other big names in the 2K realm convened on Terminal 5.
Scheduled 2K League play, the bulk of which is typically run at a central studio location in New York, was shut down. Players, like their NBA counterparts, began sequestering at home.
It was certainly an adjustment for Singh, who by his own admission hadn’t gone more than 10 days without traveling in four years. His efforts shifted to a support role, both for his staff and for the many players around the NBA with whom he’s developed close relationships over the years. He also took advantage of a rare chance to log a few more hours on the 2K sticks and connect with the community.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 05: Dwyane Wade (L) and Ronnie 2K attend the NBA 2K20: Welcome … [+] Getty Images for NBA 2K20
Quickly, though, his days were busied by helping fill society’s live competition void, starting with the ESPN collaboration.
“We had a responsibility to provide entertainment where there was a massive vacuum,†Singh said in a phone interview.
Some broadcast clunkiness aside (to be expected for such a unique first-time event), the tournament’s success was pretty undeniable. It was the single highest-viewed esports program in ESPN’s history, an early indicator of the public’s appetite for this sort of thing while traditional sports are shut down.
Secondarily, it was a chance to answer a question Singh and the folks at 2K have long debated: Who is really the best NBA player at the game? Competing schedules would normally keep such a dedicated competition from happening – dominant eventual champ Devin Booker and others might not have even been available to play otherwise.
“I think people really appreciated watching these guys get their competitive juices flowing in a game they love,†Singh said. “I think it was really well-received.â€
So well, in fact, that there’s real interest in a sequel before long. Ronnie isn’t giving away any details, but keep an eye out – and in typical 2K style, expect a fresh format to keep fans on their toes.
NBA 2K League is set to begin play remotely Tuesday night, another big bridge for the sport to cross. It’s been no small undertaking, one facing similar challenges to the formation of the ESPN collaboration.
“A lot is going to be different about this season,†said Donohue. “We normally play most of our games in our New York studio. This year we’re going to be going to 23 different studios – teams will be playing from their homes or studios in their respective markets.
“We’ll be doing a broadcast right at those locations. They’ll be with their teammates – they’ve been living together for the last several months.â€
The league is prepared to play remotely for as long as needed to ensure safety, Donohue says. At least six weeks are scheduled for now.
A contestant toggles a game controller during day one of the NBA 2k League (NBA2KL) professional … [+]
The difficulties of the shift have also offered opportunities to innovate. Instead of a single location in New York as the league’s hub, a virtual studio has been set up to serve every market playing. Play-by-play commentators will be located in several cities, but everything will feed into one centralized broadcast that can toggle between games.
There are tweaks abound for the tactical diehards out there as well. Based on feedback from players and team GMs, the league has expanded positional player “archetypes†– each of the five positions on the floor (point guard, shooting guard, etc.) now has eight such archetypes rather than five, opening up previously-unexplored strategic gold mines.
Twenty-three is the high-water mark for teams in the league in its third season, with a unique addition this year: The Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai will join, the first team outside North America to do so.
Who are the favorites?
“I think the T-Wolves, after winning last year, will come back strong,†Singh says. “The Blazers are always very strong.
“Celtics gaming, they have one of the best players in the league in Fab, they’re always going to be dangerous. There’s a lot of parity in the league for what I believe is the first time, so I’m fascinated to see the action when it kicks off.â€
A distinct pride in their work is evident when speaking to Singh or others involved with NBA 2K. Between buy-in from the NBA superstars who define its identity and many of the franchise’s grassroots efforts, more than just a video game tropes don’t sound contrived.
Take a recent partnership with musical entity UnitedMasters to collaborate on the NBA 2K20 soundtrack. Up-and-coming artists from around the world were asked to submit tracks for consideration, with ten actually added to the game to help launch their creators.
“One thing we’ve done that’s different than a lot of other video game brands is adapted to the culture of basketball,†Singh said.
Now, though, the stakes are different. 2K League was already well on its way, with over a million unique viewers for last season’s finals, but no one expected this. As corny as it may sound to some outsiders, those involved feel a real sense of the gravity of it all: A pursuit that for so long has struggled for mainstream acceptance is finally discovering it right as our definitions of normal collapse.
“I’ll tell you what: I’m in my 30s, and just like everyone else in my generation I’ve had to defend our playing video games,†Singh says. “Now it’s an aspirational career.â€
For many, at least right now, it might be even more than that.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 1:00 PM on Friday, May 1st, 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.
With content consumption patterns changing, the NHL continues to embrace eSports with Player Gaming Challenge
One of the major things marking the 21st century is a radical shift in the way people consume their entertainment
Sports are no different, with eSports video streaming being the main way NASCAR, NBA, and NHL fans have been getting their fixes this spring
It’s not lost on the National Hockey League brain trust that the world we once knew has changed in dramatic ways. And we’re not just talking about what will be remembered as one of the most culture-shifting periods in the history of humankind.
One of the major things marking the 21st century is a radical shift in the way people consume their entertainment. Music is all about streaming, after decades of vinyl, CDs, cassettes, and 8-tracks. There’s no need to head to the video store or multiplex when you’ve got Apple TV, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. And why spring for Nancy Silverton’s Breads From the La Brea Bakery when YouTube will walk you through every step of making sourdough?
Sports are no different, with eSports video streaming being the main way NASCAR, NBA, and NHL fans have been getting their fixes this spring.
Like other major organizations, the NHL has taken our lockdown times and found a positive among the uncertainty.
Last week, the league gave traditional-hockey-starved fans something to get excited about by announcing the Player Gaming Challenge, a four-week charity tournament featuring players from every NHL team—including the Seattle Kraken! (And no, we don’t care if the NHL expansion franchise ends up being named the Seattle Grunge, Seattle Pioneer Squares, or Seattle Microsofties—there’s only one name that counts, and that’s the Kraken!)
But the league’s recognition of the booming world of eSports began long before the Player Gaming Challenge, starting with streamed NHL 20 video versions of cancelled COVID-19 games in mid-March.
When he’s reached by the Straight at his Connecticut home, NHL mobile marketing strategist Chris Golier is excited about how the league has successfully pivoted to eSports.
In some ways the shift isn’t new. Golier notes the ongoing success of the NHL Gaming World Championship, the 2020 version of which got under way on March 11. That’s where hockey-obsessed gamers from around the globe compete in online matches for this year’s pool of $200,000 in prize money.
“The objective, right from the beginning, has been ‘Let’s use this gaming platform as a way to reach the younger fans,’ †Golier says of the eSports tournament, which is now in its third year. “It’s a touchstone for fandom—some people start to learn the game based on playing the game, and in some cases that’s because of the video game.â€
With folks turning to eSports in record numbers to pass the time—think everything from eNASCAR races to NBA2K20 to NHL 20—the challenge became capitalizing on that. Giving hockey fans something to get excited about a time when the Stanley Cup Playoffs would normally be in full swing added an extra incentive.
It was out of this that the Player Gaming Challenge was born. Step one was reaching out to teams, and the response to the tournament was enthusiastic across the board. Fifty players from the 31 existing NHL franchises signed on, with Thatcher Demko and Adam Gaudette eager to represent the Vancouver Canucks.
The Player Gaming Challenge will see players from each team competing head-to-head from their homes, in games viewable on platforms ranging from Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube to television broadcasts on Sportsnet ONE and NBCSN.
Working with its teams as well as the NHL Players’ Association, the NHL had a good idea which players were already active on streaming platforms and social media. A short list of participants includes Ryan Reaves (Vegas Golden Knights), Filip Forsberg (Nashville Predators), Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington Capitals), and Zach Hyman (Toronto Maple Leafs).
A big goal of the tournament is to engage fans through in-game banter—and if you’ve ever heard players miked up during an on-ice NHL game, you know that what gets said behind the play and between the whistles is fascinating. Considering that participants include the famously colourful likes of the Calgary Flames’ Matthew Tkachuk and his brother Brady from the Ottawa Senators, the NHL 20 gameplay in some ways seems like bonus content.
“The Tkachuk brothers were actually taped over the weekend, and you can imagine there was some good chirping going on,†Golier says with a laugh. “We tried to align the matchups in that way—either there was a common bond where they’d played together in the pros or juniors, or came from the same area and came up together in a province. In some cases we had college teammates. We tried to group them together in that way, so the actual matches themselves would be a whole lot of fun.â€
Some games have already been taped for the tournament, which officially starts April 30, and Golier says there’s a major payoff for those who love hockey.
“It gives fans another point of reference for the players,†he suggests. “The players are human—they have families, and they’re in this quarantine together. They’re working out the best they can, much like we’re all trying to get a run in. To see that side of the players they normally don’t see—gaming is the conduit here. It’s the conversation starter, and it also allows the players to get their juices flowing again. They don’t want to lose, even though all this is for fun and for charity.â€
And yes, hockey fans aren’t the only big winners of the Honda-sponsored Player Gaming Challenge. NHL 20 game publisher Electronic Arts donated $70,000 to COVID-19 relief as part of the initiative, an amount matched by the NHL.
The important message in a time of crisis is an oft-repeated one: we’re all in this together.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 4:48 PM on Wednesday, April 29th, 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.
Is Covid-19 an opportunity for esports to go mainstream?
Even though the traditional sports industry has a forecast value of $614 billion in 2022, TV audiences are increasingly dwindling
With most eSports largely free to view for fans, is this now an opportunity to push that growth forecast of $180 billion to something even more ambitious?
The current global health crisis caused by the Covid-19 virus has had a major impact on almost every country, industry and person globally. One industry, among many, that has come to a complete halt is sports. Most major sports have either halted, postponed or cancelled their season. Even the pinnacle of global sport, the Olympic Games, has been postponed until 2021.
At a time when the vast majority of the population is confined to their homes, watching live sport on TV would have been a very pleasurable way to while away the extra hours saved on the daily commute. Alas, with all sport cancelled, aside from a few repeats of classic matches or races, there is a void for sports fans.
Is this an opportunity for eSports and online gaming to become more mainstream?
Creating an engaging experience
Whether we are talking football (all forms), F1, basketball, boxing or golf, there are competitions that can be organised and run with real players but using digital balls, clubs and cars. There is still competition, strategy, jeopardy and tension to create fan engagement and excitement. There are also lower costs, far fewer safety issues but also a lack of physicality and combative (non-violent of course) player interaction. Yes, some things are taken away from the real world versions and it’s a different experience, but presented well it can still be an engaging sporting experience.
However, there is another category of eSports or online gaming that for huge swathes of older sports fans has utterly passed them by. We are talking Fortnite, PUBG, League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) to name a few. In the past few years, these games have grown massively around the world and many now hold competitions offering millions of dollars in prize money and attracting audiences of tens of thousands to live events and millions online.
There are star players with huge online followings, PewDiePie with over 100million YouTube and 20 million Instagram followers or Ninja with 23 million YouTube, 15 million Instagram and 14 million Twitch subscribers, for example. Then there are the well organised and well-funded teams such as Team Liquid and OG, training and competing to win these significant prizes. They have major household names as their sponsors, and each have racked up over $30million dollars in prize money alone so far. These players and teams are not teenage geeks in their bedrooms. They are highly skilled professionals running significant operations that easily match the complexity and scale of all but the largest of traditional sports teams.
Aiming high
Unlike traditional sports, these new online gaming environments are not tied down with huge legacy infrastructure, traditionalism and – in too many cases – vested interests and corruption. Despite the market forecast for the gaming industry set to be worth $180 billion in 2021 and almost all the top games and streaming platforms being owned by a small number of large corporations including Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Tencent, they have allowed and supported the games developers and players to lead the direction of development. At the moment, many are adopting a considerably more bottom-up rather than top-down driven approach to the development of their sports.
Even though the traditional sports industry has a forecast value of $614 billion in 2022, TV audiences are increasingly dwindling. This is largely driven by more and more sports appearing on Pay TV and behind a paywall. Subscribers are voting with their dollars and choosing not subscribe and pay to watch, as observed with F1 last year.
With most eSports largely free to view for fans, is this now an opportunity to push that growth forecast of $180 billion to something even more ambitious? After all, most traditional sports have really only grown their value in the last 20 or 30 years with the growth of Pay TV, and if subscribers are turning away at the increased cost but still crave competition and excitement, why shouldn’t eSports fill the gap?
Finding a way to bring this traditional TV audience online with ease of use and a great user experience that is a little TV-like in terms of browsing and discovering content is key. Apps on smart TVs and casting from mobile to TV is probably one way forward and will avoid the TV tax and the enforcement of paywalls. The right marketing and communications plan and key partnerships will be important to reach this new audience.
Whilst we hope the world does not see another global crisis like Covid-19, it may just present an opportunity for eSports to accelerate its growth and find a new audience. An audience that hopefully will see the excitement, exhilaration and enjoyment that younger audiences have enjoyed and nurtured for the last decade or so and that, with that that bit more spending power, will drive harder and faster the growth of eSports.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 6:14 PM on Tuesday, April 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.
Is the eSports business immune to COVID-19?
Where traditional sports are now dark, eSports have become the only competitive field available in the age of social distancing.
Worldwide now, people are spending more time playing video games than streaming videos or hanging out on social media sties, a revelation that speaks to the relative immunity of e-sports to COVID-19, according to Goff, who pointed out that Verizon reported gaming peak hour traffic increased by 75 per cent during the first week of lockdown in North America versus a 12-per-cent increase in video watching and no bump for social media.
With major league sports taking a time out due to COVID-19, eSports is now the hottest game in town, according to a new report from Echelon Wealth Partners analyst Rob Goff, who writes that gamblers and casinos are turning to e-sports as a way to fill the void.
The coronavirus pandemic has done a number on many sectors of the economy but perhaps nowhere is more of a ghost town than major league sports, leaving literally billions of fans with nothing to cheer for aside from computer simulations featuring their favourite teams and players and, of course, an end to the health crisis itself.
But where traditional sports are now dark, eSports have become the only competitive field available in the age of social distancing. Worldwide now, people are spending more time playing video games than streaming videos or hanging out on social media sties, a revelation that speaks to the relative immunity of e-sports to COVID-19, according to Goff, who pointed out that Verizon reported gaming peak hour traffic increased by 75 per cent during the first week of lockdown in North America versus a 12-per-cent increase in video watching and no bump for social media.
All of which is good news for the gaming companies, Goff said.
“The growth in the esports is acting as a catalyst for the gaming companies,†Goff wrote. “The increase in gaming related spending is close to online grocers driven by ongoing social distancing norms. We have seen double digit growth in the shares of Electronic Arts (+32 per cent), Take-Two Interactive (+27 per cent), Super League Gaming (+31 per cent), Sea Limited (+42 per cent), Bilibili (+50 per cent) in the last one month.â€
Goff said that spending on digital games reached its highest monthly total ever in March, with growth in areas such as premium console sales and PC revenue altogether raising digital games revenue to $10.0 billion worldwide for March, up 11 per cent year-over-year and up eight per cent from February. At the same time, Twitter reported a 71 per cent jump in conversation about e-sports and gaming during the second half of March.
At the same time, not all e-sports verticals are performing well, as those such as Activision-Blizzard’s Overwatch League depend on in-person events at arenas for their success.
Still, Goff points to gambling and casino interest in e-sports as another takeaway from the COVID-19 era. As evidence, the analyst pointed to Nevada’s Gaming control board which recently approved wagers on five e-sports leagues and the anticipated bet traffic for the three-day virtual NFL draft 2020.
“E-sports betting has benefitted from both sports postponements and temporary casino closures,†Goff wrote. “The lack of traditional sports betting markets has pushed some bookmakers, including William Hill, into esports as a possible solution to recoup lost revenues.â€
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 4:23 PM on Monday, April 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 ride crest of a wave as figures rocket during Covid-19 crisis
The playing of video games is up – Verizon reported that US domestic peak-hour usage was up 75% in the first week of quarantine – but tellingly gaming as a spectator sport is also through the roof.
Twitch, one the world’s biggest streaming platforms for gamers, is estimated to have grown its audience by up to a third in March alone
Esports have never had it so good. Although competitive video gaming hasn’t proven entirely invulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic, it isn’t doing so bad out of it either. With mainstream sports around the world on hold, people are increasingly turning to gaming to fill the empty hours of lockdown and isolation.
The playing of video games is up – Verizon reported that US domestic peak-hour usage was up 75% in the first week of quarantine – but tellingly gaming as a spectator sport is also through the roof. Twitch, one the world’s biggest streaming platforms for gamers, is estimated to have grown its audience by up to a third in March alone. “With more stay-at-home mandates being issued around the world and the entertainment industry finding new ways to migrate their offerings to livestreaming platforms, we expect to see these numbers rise,†says Doron Nir, the chief executive of StreamElements.
Globally, gaming is also riding the crest of a wave brought about by celebrity endorsement. With sport’s best-known athletes temporarily not doing what they do best, digital pursuits are filling the void. Motor racing has led with way, with Formula 1 hosting virtual Grands Prix in place of its scheduled events. Last weekend, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc won on debut for the FDA Hublot Esports Team. The race was broadcast live on ESPN2 among 12 hours of esports programming. Nascar and Supercars have also migrated online in this time of hiatus, the latter backed by Jamie Whincup and shown on Kayo and Fox Sports.
Elsewhere in Australia, NRL clubs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Wests Tigers met as they were intended to in round three of the premiership season. But instead of competing on the rugby league field, players locked horns on the imaginary battlegrounds of Fortnite. And it was all streamed on Facebook. In Finland, rather than cancel its national hockey league play-offs, the decision was taken to migrate them to the NHL 20 console game and broadcast them on national television. In the UK, the world’s most famous thoroughbred jumps race, the Grand National, was this year digitally simulated, bet on with real money and watched by almost 5m free-to-air viewers.
But if you think esports is immune to the effects of the coronavirus, think again. Although essentially digital events, the big gaming competitions are held in stadiums and attended just like conventional sports. The US$30m 2019 Fortnite World Cup, won by a 16-year-old gamer known as Bugha, drew 2.3m concurrent views across YouTube and Twitch but was also watched live by 19,000 people at New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium.
For sporting organisations in this country, the disruption to normality might quicken an association with esports that to date has been a toe in the water
The upward trajectory for gaming brought on by the pandemic has accelerated what was already a growth industry, with Australian estimates suggesting demand for esports has at least tripled since the coronavirus outbreak. For sporting organisations in this country, the disruption to normality might also quicken an association with esports that to date has been a toe in the water.
Football Federation Australia inaugurated the E-League in 2017, with each A-League club represented by two gamers on the Fifa video game. Last month, FUTWIZ Marko and FUTWIZ Jamie claimed the 2020 premiership for Sydney FC. Also in 2017, the Adelaide Crows became the first Australian sports club to expand into esports when they acquired the Legacy Esports team.
As well as a vehicle to increase brand awareness, esports can broaden audience and provide new revenue streams. “Most of our traditional streams of revenue are almost tapped out,†Nigel Smart, the Adelaide chief operating officer, said on the Sports Geek podcast last year. “Where does future growth come from? We have a multi-dimensional international strategy and we also have a multicultural strategy. Having an esports team is an extension of both of those. The founding shareholders of Legacy, they’re still involved in the team. They’re on the performance side, they’re on the front end. What we bring as a football club is that back end in terms of content strategy, merchandise models and commercial partnerships.â€
With Covid-19 now starving clubs of their usual forms of income, the need to branch out has never been greater. “If they want to engage more of their members, and keep their members as members, they need to evolve that esport team to create tournaments in their club,†Esports Academy director Patrick Chye said recently. “The Crows, for example, should create tournaments for their fans to engage them. Now’s the opportunity. Everyone is at home anyway.â€
Mat Jessep, the Esports Games Association Australia chief executive, adds: “There are so many opportunities to integrate competitive gaming into your traditional sports offering. This alone probably would not save a club, or a sport in a position that the NRL is in, but it wouldn’t hurt either. It could really form that incremental income, that come the next rainy day, there’s a bit of savings set aside that a sport can fall back on.â€
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 6:14 PM on Friday, April 24th, 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 popularity explodes
It’s a multi-billion dollar industry, with the top-tier players taking in huge earnings through prize money, sponsorship and endorsements
And now the growth and viewership of Esports has taken off during isolation as sports fanatics turn to what is one of the only alternatives to regular live competition
By Michael Roberts | posted on April 24, 2020
WITH traditional sports like footy and cricket taking an enforced hiatus during the COVID-19 crisis, Esports has taken control of the driver’s seat as viewers flock to watch their favourite sports stars try their hand at online games.
For the uninitiated, Esports or simply electronic sports, sees professional video gamers compete for glory in online tournaments, with sometimes millions watching around the world through streaming sites like Twitch.
It’s a multi-billion dollar industry, with the top-tier players taking in huge earnings through prize money, sponsorship and endorsements.
And now the growth and viewership of Esports has taken off during isolation as sports fanatics turn to what is one of the only alternatives to regular live competition.
Unable to host real life races, motorsports like IndyCar, Formula 1 and Australian Super Cars are all holding virtual tournaments to fill the void.
Ball sports are also getting in on the action too, with the NBA hosting an online players tournament and some of the biggest clubs in European football getting involved in representative gaming competitions.
With the Australian Supercars Championships suspended until June, a BP Supercars Allstars Eseries is taking place via an iRacing computer simulation platform, with Supercars drivers contesting the race from their respective homes.
The action is being broadcast live on Fox Sports, Kayo and on Facebook, with over 350,000 people tuning in from around the world to watch round one of the online action.
Australian Esports League Executive Director Darren Kwan said the COVID-19 shutdown had brought in a new type of audience to the Esports space because there was a lack of content.
“It’s a significant growth period for the Esports industry,†he said.
“It’s been a huge leap. It’s been explosive.â€
Mr Kwan said virtual motorsport was easily the fastest growing market.
“Bringing in the superstar power of the drivers and the race teams into it really worked,†he said.
“You look at the existing races that had audiences of 800 watching and now they’ve got audiences in the hundreds of thousands watching.â€
In a sensational coup, Supercars recruited Formula 1 superstar Max Verstappen as a wildcard for round two of its Allstars Eseries, with the Belgian star finishing second at the virtual Barcelona circuit behind close friend Shane van Gisbergen.
Speaking to Fox Sports, Verstappen said the whole race was a lot of fun.
“These cars are definitely not easy to drive,†he said.
“I really enjoyed it.â€
The races are proving a hit all over the country, including locally in Albany, with GoldMX radio host and self-confessed racing fanatic Damien Watson telling the Weekender he was impressed by the quality of production.
“It’s literally like watching the V8s on the weekend,†he said.
“You’ve even got Neil Crompton doing the commentary. They do a great job, it’s extremely professional. It surprised me.â€
Mr Watson doesn’t just love watching motorsports; he is passionately involved in iRacing too and has even had the chance to race with the like of van Gisbergen during online practice sessions.
“I love watching them race, but I hate seeing how good they are compared to me,†he said.
“I have been on the track with a couple of them, and they make me look amateur, and I’ve been doing this most of my life.â€
Mr Watson said iRacing had been around for about a decade, but participation had skyrocketed since the COVID-19 shutdown.
“It’s about three times the amount of users online you would normally see at any one time now,†he said.
“This is a way for Esports to get into the mainstream. This is reaching a target audience Esports could have only dreamed of.â€
Such is the momentum, Mr Kwan said the Australian Esports League had been approached by local councils and state governments to set-up online tournaments for various PG-rated games where residents could get together and form some friendly competition.
“That’s something we never thought would happen,†he said.
“There are a lot of bored people at home who need this to take their mind off things.†Source: https://gsweekender.com.au/esports-popularity-explodes-australian-super-cars-gold-mx-albany-wa-damien-watson/
