Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 4:08 PM on Tuesday, January 15th, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment $GMBL Esports audience is 350M, growing to 590M, Esports wagering is projected at $23 BILLION by 2020. The company has launched VIE.gg esports betting platform and has accelerated affiliate marketing agreements with an additional 42 Esports teams, bringing total to 176 Esports teams. Click here for more information
—————-
Puma Enters Esports with Cloud9
Apparel brand Puma is set to become the official apparel and official game-day pants/shoes provider of the Cloud9 LCS team.
The deal only covers the 2019 Spring Split, but C9’s head of
partnerships indicated that the relationship has the potential to expand
in the future.
Puma will also provide women’s apparel for team managers.
Puma will announce its first major esports move today, an apparel deal with the tier-one team organization Cloud9 .
Under the deal, Puma becomes the official apparel and official game-day pants/shoes provider of the Cloud9 League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) team. The Puma logo will also appear on the breastplate of the team’s jersey, which are sold by We Are Nations via a league-wide apparel deal with Riot Games.
“This deal gives us ability to be a part of
more things our kids love, and that’s how our brand moves the culture
forward,†said Matt Shaw, team head, digital marketing for Puma.
“Cloud9 is really uniquely posed to help us do that.â€
The deal only covers the spring LCS season,
which kicks off Jan. 26, and it does not include any Puma product
available for retail. But both sides suggested the relationship will
expand. “There’s a lot of potential for growth on both sides, so we’re
ecstatic that this is only the beginning of the partnership,†said
Cloud9 head of partnerships Jordan Udko.
Terms were not disclosed. Cloud9 is one of esports’ most valuable and successful brands, with its League of Legends team becoming the first American team to make the global semifinals in 2018. Because the deal covers team managers too, Puma is providing women’s apparel as well.
Puma did a brand integration deal with the
video game Pro Evolution Soccer in 2014, but this is its first foray
into modern elite esports. Other apparel brands that have entered
esports recently include Champion with Team Dignitas and K-Swiss with Immortals.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:31 AM on Monday, January 14th, 2019
Announced an exclusive online wagering partnership with Epsilon eSports, a well established organization in the world of online competitive multiplayer games, in support of VIE.gg, the world’s first and most transparent esports betting exchange.
Epsilon is a multi-champion esports organization headquartered in Belgium, with teams based across Europe and North America competing in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive; Gears Call of Duty; FIFA; and H1Z1 KoH
BIRKIRKARA, MALTA (January 14, 2019) – Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (GMBL:OTCQB) (or the “Company”), a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming, is pleased to announce an exclusive online wagering partnership with Epsilon eSports (“Epsilonâ€), a well established organization in the world of online competitive multiplayer games, in support of VIE.gg, the world’s first and most transparent esports betting exchange.
MULTI-CHAMPION INTERNATIONAL ESPORTS ORGANIZATION
Founded
in 2008 with the goal of becoming a symbol in the world of esports,
Epsilon is a multi-champion esports organization headquartered in
Belgium, with teams based across Europe and North America competing in
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive; Gears Call of Duty; FIFA; and H1Z1
KoH. Epsilon is a leader in console esports, with multiple Call of Duty
European Championships, as well as, a Smite World Championship.
Epsilon
is recognized as one of the most important talent-producing eSports
team organizations, with player transfers to NIP, AS Monaco, Fnatic, PSG
and, most recently, a collaboration with English Premier League club
Manchester City to combine their FIFA 19 rosters for the upcoming season
of the Gfinity Elite Series.
Epsilon is a highly international esports organization, with players and members from over 20 different nations.
FIRST TIER-1 ESPORTS PARTNERSHIP FOR VIE.GG SETS NEW BENCHMARK
As
one of the original big names in esports, with a successful history
spanning more than 10 years, Epsilon represents the first Tier-1 esports
organization to partner with the Company’s VIE.gg esports betting
platform. Moreover, Epsilon is working with VIE.gg on an exclusive basis
for the following reasons:
The
VIE.gg P2P model is much more attractive to Epsilon because an esports
fan (an Epsilon fan) always wins, as opposed to a “house” model where
odds are heavily stacked against fans.
VIE.gg
is the first and most transparent esports bet exchange as a result of
Esports Entertainment Group being a fully reporting SEC issuer in the
United States.
Player
safety features built into VIE.gg create a fun but responsible esports
betting experience for fans. For example, players must choose their
maximum bet amounts when they initially sign up with VIE.gg. Any
subsequent increase to those levels requires a 30 day cooling off period
to make sure players do not get carried away.
The
recent addition of pool betting is a further extension of the P2P
model, which allows groups of opposing fans to wager against each other
when their teams go head to head.
Given
the fact some esports fans bet on esports, Epsilon fans may as well bet
on a safe platform that also supports the organization.
Gregory
Champagne, Chief Executive Officer at Epsilon eSports, stated “It is
with great pride that today Epsilon partners with VIE.gg. This is a
whole different ball game, the first betting exchange platform
where players challenge other players. VIE.GG understands
the community needs, and we are happy to have found the right partner
that understands and supports players. Extremely excited to begin this
new venture and I can see nothing but big things to come from Epsilon /
VIE.gg partnership during 2019.â€
Grant
Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group, stated, “We are extremely
honored to welcome Epsilon eSports to the VIE family. As
one of the first true esports organizations, Epsilon has a long and
successful history of esports championships that has earned them a world
class reputation and fan base. As our first
Tier-1 esports team partnership, today marks a significant milestone for
VIE and we look forward to great success together.â€
ABOUT VIE.GG
VIE.gg offers
bet exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated
and secured platform to the global esports audience, excluding
jurisdictions that prohibit online gambling. VIE.gg features wagering on the following esports games:
· Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO)
· League of Legends
· Dota 2
· Call of Duty
· Overwatch
· PUBG
· Hearthstone
· StarCraft II
In
2018, VIE.gg announced affiliate marketing partnerships with 190
esports teams from around the world and expects that number to increase
in 2019.
This
press release is available on our Online Investor Relations Community
for shareholders and potential shareholders to ask questions, receive
answers and collaborate with management in a fully moderated forum at https://agoracom.com/ir/EsportsEntertainmentGroup
Redchip investor relations Esports Entertainment Group Investor Page: http://www.gmblinfo.com
Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. is a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming. Esports Entertainment offers bet exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at vie.gg. 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 licenses to conduct online gambling and 18+ gaming on a global basis in Curacao, Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada. The Company maintains offices in Malta, Curacao and Warsaw, Poland. Esports Entertainment common stock is listed on the OTCQB under the symbol GMBL. 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.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 5:42 PM on Sunday, January 13th, 2019
It is undeniable. It is here and we haven’t seen anything yet.
The world of online gaming and esports is no longer the domain of basement dwellers – and it hasn’t been in years – but mainstream finance people are only now coming to that realization.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 3:57 PM on Thursday, January 10th, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment $GMBL Esports audience is 350M, growing to 590M, Esports wagering is projected at $23 BILLION by 2020. The company has launched VIE.gg esports betting platform and has accelerated affiliate marketing agreements with an additional 42 Esports teams, bringing total to 176 Esports teams. Click here for more information
—————-
Esports Trends in 2019: From Mobile Esports to Endemic Partnerships
China to tighten control on video games
Southeast Asia (SEA) esports will rise in 2019
Esports venues will continue to develop around the world
College competitive video gaming is becoming more popular in North America
The future of mobile esports in 2019
Esports players will be featured in more marketing campaigns by non-endemic companies
Steam won’t be the only leading marketplace for video games in 2019
At the beginning of the year, marketing intelligence firm Newzoo
released a list of trends focusing on the gaming and esports landscape
in 2019. The company covered topics as diverse as the rise of digital
stores, China’s regulatory clamp-down on the gaming industry, and the
intensifying frequency of partnerships between non-endemic brands and
esports competitors.
Newzoo’s trends to watch in 2019. Photo credit: Newzoo trends.
China’s Ethics Committee Takes an Aim at the Video Gaming Industry
At the end of 2018, a newly-set regulatory body in China, the Ethics Game Committee,
issued recommendations to several high-grossing games in the country,
outlining issues with the “morality and values†propagated by the titles that had made it on the list.
While not banning the games outright, as clarified by The Esports Observer (TEO),
the Committee charted a course for 2019 where the government would have
a much greater say in what games arrive on the market. As a result,
companies will have to either adapt.
Domestic tech giants, such as Tencent, are already thinking of avoiding part of these regulations by setting-up a digital store in Hong Kong
and selling their games abroad. The newly-outlined provisions will also
force the hand of foreign developers to either adjust their titles or
focus on other emerging and well-developed markets, such as Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea and the established bastions of gaming to the West.
The Rise of Southeast Asia (SEA) Gaming
Southeast Asia (SEA) is going to prove a particularly vibrant market with the global audience reaching 31.9 million, according to Newzoo. Malaysia already played host to one of the largest Dota 2 events in 2018, The Kuala Lumpur Major, as part of the new competitive season for the popular MOBA title.
“Southeast Asia (SEA) boasts the fastest-growing esports audience, which will reach 31.9 million in 2019.” – Newzoo
Click To Tweet
Places like Malaysia are marked by a strong grassroots community with organizations such as Geek Farm successful launching teams across multiple high-grossing titles, including PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), Dota 2 and mobile esports games, such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
Streaming is also a popular segment in SEA where entire esports
communities are formed in social media around the idea of sharing
streams in pursuit of recognition.
According to Newzoo, up and coming titles in the region include games, such as Hearthstone, NBA 2K and Tekken 7. Another important development in the region is the arrival of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games which will introduce esports as a medaled discipline.
There is a lot of untapped potential in SEA that western companies
and event organizers are only now beginning to realize. Again, in Asia,
the MMA League ONE has decided to expand into esports,
vowing to run multiple events across Asia, drawing on its expertise in
organizing large competitions.
Building Esports Venues Is Gathering Steam
The idea of esports arenas where fans can attend in person has been gaining traction, fast-tracked by organizations such as the Overwatch League (OWL) and even the Call of Duty World League (CWL).
Official competitive events part of the LoL World Championship and Dota
2 International has attracted significant interest, but it’s league
formats as the OWL and CWL that are changing the game by creating
permanent locations for fans to flock to during competitive seasons and
in the interim periods.
— HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas (@HyperXESALV) January 10, 2019
In 2018, the HyperX Esports Las Vegas Arena at the Luxor
became one of the first venues to offer both a place for competitive
gameplay and spaces for gamers of varying skill levels to interact.
Apart from the fully decked-out arenas, HyperX unveiled its Esports Truck arena, mobile venue caring high-quality gear and a dedicated broadcasting studio.
Full Sail University’s $6-million arena project in Florida will be the largest arena for collegiate esports.
Click To Tweet
Esports venues are not built just by game developers and leagues. Full Sail University’s $6-million arena project in Florida will be the largest arena for collegiate esports. Full Sail University is part of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE).
Collegiate Esports Seem to be on a Fast-Track to Success
Collegiate esports are another fast-developing culture in North America. NACE has so far signed over 100 institutions of higher learning, fielding competitors among multiple competitions, including Overwatch, League of Legends, and most recently Hi-Rez Studios’ SMITE and Paladins.
Universities have been quick to develop their varsity programs,
introducing a number of opportunities for those interested in esports as
a competitive format and those keen on assuming a managerial role
within the industry.
According to Newzoo, the mobile experience will become far more
engrossing in 2019, creating even more engaging titles. So far, some of
the most popular games on mobile to qualify as esports have been:
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Arena of Valor
Honor of Kings
Fornite
PUBG
Clash Royale
Clash of Titans
Admittedly, not all of these titles are excessively popular, although Fortnite iOS raked in nearly $455 million
in 2018 alone in terms of game revenue. The game pulled off $69 million
in December (although that number clearly fluctuated throughout 2018), Sensor Tower reported recently.
Arena of Valor is another title that left its mark
on 2018, with 1.120.455 people watching the Arena of Valor International
Championship 2018, as per Esports Charts’ data.
Meanwhile, Supercell’s Clash Royale and Clash of Titans
have been expanding their communities, although the preferred choice of
entertainment (from esports standpoint) has been Clash Royale. The game
already features 44 esports organizations worldwide, which has landed
it traction and despite the fairly fresh concept of “mobile esports†in
the West, the segment has been doing just fine.
In 2018, Blizzard announced Diablo Immortal and
stated their plans to launch every game they have for mobile. While the
news wasn’t particularly well-met, by Blizzard fans especially.
Neverhtless, the company seems confident in pushing ahead with its
mobile ambitions. Meanwhile, Diablo Immortal’s official trailer must be
one of the most down-voted game teasers in history (at least on
YouTube).
More Player Branding Partnerships Arriving in 2019
“RAMZES doesn’t have enough facial hair to be the face of Gillette” – Roman Dvoryankin, Virtus Pro Manager
In 2018, we saw League of Legends player Uzi become part of the Nike
Chinese “Dribble &†marketing campaign alongside mainstream athletes
such as LeBron James. Dota 2 Virtus.Pro’s Alexey “Solo†Berezin was featured in a Head & Shoulders campaign while teammate Roman “RAMZES666†Kushnarev was the face of a new Gillette commercial.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 1:42 PM on Monday, January 7th, 2019
Scheduled a conference call at 3pm EST on January 7, 2019 to discuss the acquisition of The Sims Resource
TORONTO, Jan. 07, 2019 — Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (“Enthusiast†or the “Companyâ€) (TSXV: EGLX), announces that the Company has scheduled a conference call at 3pm EST on January 7, 2019 to discuss the acquisition of The Sims Resource (“TSRâ€) previously announced this morning (see release here). Individuals will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with senior management of Enthusiast regarding the acquisition. Conference call details are as follows:
Enthusiast Gaming Conference Call
Date of call: 01/07/2019 Time of call: 3:00 PM Eastern Time
US/CANADA Participant Toll-Free Dial-In Number:
(866) 691-5896
US/CANADA Participant International Dial-In Number:
(409) 216-0841
Conference ID:
5661438
Enthusiast also announces that it has engaged Native Ads Inc. (“Native Adsâ€) to provide and manage a comprehensive digital media marketing campaign for the Company.
The Company has entered into an eight (8) week programmatic digital
advertising campaign for a total cost of C$150,000. The campaign
includes, but is not limited to: content creation, web development,
media buying and distribution, advertising development, and campaign
reporting and optimization. A budget of C$112,500 from this payment will
be allocated for digital advertising, paid distribution, and media
buying and C$37,500 will be allocated for consulting, managed services
and management fees over the campaign period. Neither Native Ads nor any
of its directors and officers own any securities of the Company.
About Native Ads
Native Ads is a full service ad agency, that owns and operates a
proprietary ad exchange with over 80 integrated SSPs (supply side
platforms) resulting in access to 3-7 billion daily North American ad
impressions.
About Enthusiast
Founded in 2014, Enthusiast is the fastest-growing online community
of video gamers. Through the Company’s unique acquisition strategy, it
has a platform of over 80 owned and affiliated websites and currently
reaches over 75 million monthly visitors with its unique and curated
content. Enthusiast also owns and operates Canada’s largest gaming expo,
Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo, EGLX, (www.eglx.ca). Over 30,000 people attended EGLX in October 2018. For more information on the Company, visit www.enthusiastgaming.com.
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.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:41 AM on Monday, January 7th, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment $GMBL – Esports audience is 350M, growing to 590M, Esports wagering is projected at $23 BILLION by 2020. The company has launched VIE.gg esports betting platform and has accelerated affiliate marketing agreements with an additional 42 Esports teams, bringing total to 176 Esports teams. Click here for more information
—————-
Twitch Sees Significant Growth From In Real Life Streaming in 2018
By The Numbers
Total Hours Watched in 2018: 540M (IRL and Just Chatting).
Total Hours Watched in 2017: 207.96.
Most-Watched Day: June 3 with 2.43M hours watched.
Peak CCV: 159.69K on May 29 when Bethesda released a Fallout teaser on its official channel.
Most-Watched IRL Channel: Chance “Sodapoppin†Morris with 49.85M hours watched.
Most-Watched Just Chatting Channel: Chance “Sodapoppin†Morris with 8.26M hours watched.
Twitch’s
“In Real Life†or “IRL†category experienced a huge re-work in the fall
of 2018 as the platform realized that more streamers were not only
using it, but using for a plethora of different reasons.
At the end of September, the category
was divided into several new categories including “Just Chatting,â€
“Sports and Fitness,†“Special Events,†“Food & Drink,†and “Talk
Shows & Podcasts.†Before that point, IRL content on Twitch
consistently drew some of the strongest viewership week-to-week in 2018
and regularly competed with some of the most-watched games on the
platform.
Despite the division of one of
Twitch’s most-watched categories, the momentum of IRL wasn’t stalled. If
anything it served as a catalyst for its growth. As soon as IRL was
divided, “Just Chatting†emerged as one of the most popular forms of
content. Streamers regularly began streams by “Just Chatting†with their
viewers before they started to get into whatever game they were
playing.
Some streamers like Chance “Sodapoppin†Morris even began to expand the scope of what the category could be,
and despite just three months of existence, the Just Chatting category
on Twitch managed to sneak into rankings as one of the top 10 most-watched types of content for all of 2018.
When combined with the success of IRL prior to it’s extinction, the two
personality-driven forms of content made up 540M hours watched on
Twitch, enough to be the third most-watched category on the platform.
It wasn’t solely Just Chatting that
saw use on the platform either. While Just Chatting was by far the most
used subcategory, the other 12 categories that were born from IRL
elicited airtime from streamers.
Year-Over-Year
Even though IRL was removed from
Twitch on Sept. 26, its 388M hours watched was enough to deliver a
massive year-over-year net positive for the category. Without even
existing the last three months of the year, IRL had around 180M more
hours watched in 2018 than it did in 2017 (207.96M). In just three
months, the Just Chatting category alone drew 151.17M hours watched.
The exponential growth of IRL
justified its division into sub-categories, but even after the split,
Just Chatting averaged more hours watched per month than IRL. As more
streamers look to grow their viewership by maintaining interactive
communities, the necessity to “just chat†with subscribers and fans has
become increasingly important.
Unlike many forms of entertainment,
Twitch is most known for its game-driven content and its interactive
interfaces. The maturation of Just Chatting and IRL is the most tangible
sign of Twitch’s continued growth. Despite its short life, viewership
for Just Chatting notably increased in 2018. That was paired with a
significant increase in total airtime as well—a sign that influencers
are aware of the trend.
Influencer Impact
IRL is all about the influencer;
there isn’t much in the way of esports that comes with “real lifeâ€
content unless its a Twitch personality giving their thoughts about a
recent gaming tournament. Morris seems to have mastered the art of
interacting with his viewers in a unique and personal way that keeps
them coming back. Not only was he the most-watched IRL streamer, but he
led the Just Chatting category once it came into existence. In fact, his
channel accounts for eight of the top ten IRL or Just Chatting sessions
in 2018.
As more streamers continue to use
Just Chatting—as well as Twitch’s other non-game specific channels—as a
way to interact with their chatroom and grow a sense of community among
viewers, the opportunity for personal growth and increased sponsorships
will proliferate throughout the platform.
While the battle royale craze and Fortnite
have dominated Twitch in 2018, the life of any specific game as a form
of personality streaming content is historically limited. As Twitch
evolves, the personalities that thrive are the ones that are able to
adapt and maintain viewership with their personality—not just their
skill at a specific game. This new category’s success and rapid growth
are an indication that streamers are becoming privy to the opportunities
that are associated with…well…just chatting.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 3:46 PM on Friday, January 4th, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports
Entertainment $GMBL 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
Mobile esports on the rise
These days, you can pick up your mobile phone and play against other people in real time – all you need is a decent internet connection.
This is a major part of why mobile esports is on the rise and why many predict it will take off in a huge way in the not-so-distant future.
2018 is
over, and nobody will deny that it was a ridiculous year for the esports
industry. Celebrity investors, new competitions, almost-unbelievable
organisation valuations, and a plethora of incredible game play have all
made it a year to remember, but what’s to be expected in 2019?
Here at
Esports Insider we cover the business side of esports so, naturally, our
predictions will be based on such. Of course, we’d love to speculate on
how Astralis will fare in CS:GO in the new year and whether the FGC
will ever stop squabbling or not, but business is what we live and
breathe.
Let’s get into our five predictions for the esports industry in 2019!
Overwatch League troubles?
Activision Blizzard has brought in eight new investors to own expansion teams in the Overwatch League at $30-60 million a piece,
but things aren’t perfect. A vocal portion of esports fans think the
game is too hectic to follow (which could well make the game less
accessible to new viewers), average viewership – excluding China and
potential bots – declined steadily over the course of the inaugural
season, and the developer is fully in control of everything that happens
in the competition which is a scary prospect.
Overwatch League
A slew of
inappropriate behaviour and, subsequently, suspensions were present in
the first season of the premier Overwatch competition, which isn’t
attractive to sponsors. The OWL has acquired a roster of prominent
sponsors and secured a ludicrous amount of money at the same time – but
what happens if they decide to drop out? How easy will it be to acquire
new sponsors if everything isn’t as great as it’s being portrayed?
The second season of the Overwatch League
kicks off on February 14th, and we feel as if it’ll be pivotal. If the
aforementioned problems are addressed as much as possible and faith in
the game is restored in those who have become disillusioned in it, then
things could be OK for the foreseeable future. If not, then franchise
owners could well start to feel a little iffy about the future of their
trusty investments.
Battle Royale remains relevant
2018 was
undoubtedly the year of the Battle Royale genre. With PlayerUnknown’s
Battlegrounds and Fortnite both having their fair share of the limelight
in terms of player base and viewing figures, the genre was truly put on
the map in a casual basis; it’s had a harder time from a competitive
viewpoint, however. From H1Z1 Pro League coming and going,
PUBG’s dwindling popularity, and Epic Games’ questionable esports
efforts, there’s plenty of room for the genre to grow when competition
is involved.
We
predict that Battle Royale titles will continue to thrive in 2019 – with
games similar to Call of Duty’s Blackout being released and making a
wave in the market, albeit briefly – but people will still argue over
the genre’s status as a legitimate competitive format. PUBG Corp. is launching six Pro Leagues with three additional pro circuits and Epic Games still has millions of dollars to give out over the course of the year, so it’s an interesting time for the industry.
Traditional sports clubs continue to invest
Over the
last couple of years there have been a number of trends in the esports
industry, many of which aren’t as significant as traditional sports
clubs and their involvements in video games. Whether it’s straight-up
acquiring majority shares in organisations (such as OpTic Gaming and compLexity Gaming), investing and partnering with local companies (Pittsburgh Knights and the Pittsburgh Steelers, most recently),
or entering the scene through a safe route (football teams expanding
into FIFA, for example), there’s been an abundance of instances in
recent times.
Pittsburgh Knights joins forces with Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s hard
to imagine this will slow down. With that being said, if a bunch of
clubs that have already invested decide to back out of esports now as is
hasn’t been immediately fruitful monetarily, then it may heed a warning
for those looking for a quick cash-grab. This isn’t a bad thing for the
esports industry at all, though. In 2019, we expect to see more and
more crossover between traditional sports and esports when it comes to
ownership of organisations and teams.
Mobile esports on the rise
These
days, you can pick up your mobile phone and play against other people in
real time – all you need is a decent internet connection. This is a
major part of why mobile esports is on the rise and why many predict it
will take off in a huge way in the not-so-distant future.
When we attended the Clash Royale League World Finals
in Tokyo, Japan, we saw a potential glimpse into the future. Not too
different from esports as we currently know it, the arena was filled
with impassioned fans that were happy to pay to see the best players in
the world compete.
Accessibility
is a huge factor in the attractiveness of mobile esports, but titles
such as Clash Royale have proven that mobile games don’t need to merely
be a portable version of PC titles. MOBAs such as Dota 2 and League of
Legends are undeniably popular and so it’s understandable that mobile
versions of the genre are flooding the scene, but originality may well
trump all. We truly think we’ll find out more in regards to this theory
in 2019.
Course corrections
Even as valuations for organisations and companies continue to rise, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing in 2018. Echo Fox announced that it would undergo an organisational restructure
in October to better position itself for profitable and sustainability
in the future – releasing its Call of Duty and Gears of War rosters, as
well as fighting game competitors and other select players.
On a bigger scale, Infinite Esports and Entertainment – the parent company of OpTic Gaming, Obey Alliance, the now-defunct Allegiance and a host of supporting companies – released a whole host of staff members
around the same time as Echo Fox. Growing too fast was where blame was
placed, following a rapid expansion and a suite of acquisitions
following the majority share sale of OpTic Gaming in November 2017.
We
wouldn’t be surprised to see this happen at other prominent companies
and organisations in the upcoming year, too. Spend is ridiculously high
when you occupy spots in League of Legends and the Overwatch League,
player demands are ever-growing, and contract buyouts are nearing
unfathomable heights. Sometimes you have to take a step backwards to
move forward in a stronger state, and it should be expected as the
industry edges towards a potential bubble.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:09 AM on Friday, January 4th, 2019
Announced the appointment of Alan Alden to the Board of Directors
Mr. Alden has been a specialist in advising remote gaming companies located in Malta since 2000, when he advised the first remote gaming companies as the Senior Manager of Enterprise Risk Services at Deloitte & Touche (Malta)
BIRKIRKARA, Malta, Jan. 04, 2019 — Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (GMBL:OTCQB) (or the “Company”), a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming, is pleased to announce the appointment of Alan Alden to the Board of Directors.
Mr. Alden has been a specialist in advising remote gaming companies
located in Malta since 2000, when he advised the first remote gaming
companies as the Senior Manager of Enterprise Risk Services at Deloitte
& Touche (Malta). In 2006 Alan set up Kyte Consultants Ltd, a
company that specialised in the remote gaming and payment card sectors,
to assist companies located in Malta. In 2009, Alan became a founding
director in Contact Advisory Services Ltd, a licensed Company Service
Provider (CSP) that offers a complete service to its customers, from
company incorporation, to licensing for gaming and financial
institutions.
Since 2010, Alan has served as the General Secretary of the Malta
Remote Gaming Council. Alan is a certified CISSP and CISA. Alan was also
the founding President of the ISACA Malta Chapter between 2005 -2008.
In 2015, Alan became a Part Time Lecturer on IT Auditing at the
University of Malta.
Mr. Alden stated, “I am very pleased to have been offered this
opportunity by Esports Entertainment Group, as they are an ambitious
company with vision, a solid strategy and an exciting and unique product
offering. I look forward to working with the team and hope I am able to
assist them in achieving their objectives.â€
Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group stated, “Alan’s
experience in finance, Gambling and regulatory matters make him uniquely
qualified as a board member for our company. We are excited to have him
join our Board, as he will be a major asset in our future plans.â€
ABOUT VIE.GG
vie.gg
offers bet exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed,
regulated and secured platform to the global esports audience, excluding
jurisdictions that prohibit online gambling. vie.gg features wagering on the following esports games:
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO)
League of Legends
Dota 2
Call of Duty
Overwatch
PUBG
Hearthstone
StarCraft II
This press release is available on our Online Investor Relations
Community for shareholders and potential shareholders to ask questions,
receive answers and collaborate with management in a fully moderated
forum at https://agoracom.com/ir/EsportsEntertainmentGroup
Redchip investor relations Esports Entertainment Group Investor Page: http://www.gmblinfo.com
Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. is a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming. Esports Entertainment offers bet exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at vie.gg. 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 licenses to conduct online gambling and 18+ gaming on a global basis in Curacao, Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada. The Company maintains offices in Antigua, Curacao and Warsaw, Poland. Esports Entertainment common stock is listed on the OTCQB under the symbol GMBL. 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.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:36 AM on Thursday, January 3rd, 2019
Announced the hiring of two key executives and the opening new global headquarters in Malta.
Malta was chosen due to its strategic location within the European Union, as well as, access to a highly educated and multi-lingual workforce, especially in the fields of online gambling.Â
BIRKIRKARA, Malta, Jan. 03, 2019 — Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (GMBL:OTCQB) (or the “Company”), a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming, is pleased to announce the hiring of two key executives and the opening of our new global headquarters in Malta.
Malta was chosen due to its strategic location within the European
Union, as well as, access to a highly educated and multi-lingual
workforce, especially in the fields of online gambling. The Malta
office launch includes two (2) key executive hires and will serve as the
new global headquarters of the Company, with additional personnel
expected to be added through 2019 as the Company ramps up development of
its esports betting operations through vie.gg, the world’s first and most transparent esports betting exchange.
NEW ADDITIONS TO EXECUTIVE TEAM
The Company is pleased to announce the hiring of the following two key executives:
Adrien J. Lefèvre – Chief Risk & Compliance Officer
Adrien has served as a Compliance Officer, including Regulatory
Compliance Officer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer in the gaming
industry since 2015, including his most recent position with The Multi
Group Ltd. He will be responsible for creating an integrated risk
framework, assess risk, quantify risk limits, develop plans to mitigate
risks and manage any new license applications in any regulated
jurisdictions. His extensive experience at all levels of compliance
will be invaluable as Esports Entertainment Group pursues additional
gambling licenses in 2019 to further strengthen its market position and
rapidly expand into new geographic regions.
Jenny Pace – Head Of Payments
Jenny has specialized in payments processing for almost 25 years,
including her most recent position as Country Manager and Director of
Western Union Business Solutions in Malta since 2009, where she
maintained full leadership and operational control. Her list of
responsibilities will be extensive, including but not limited to,
managing our relationships with banks, credit card companies and payment
processors, as well as, insuring vie.gg
provides its players with the most up to date payment options. Given
the speed at which the payments world is changing, her extensive
payments experience and industry relationships will be critical to the
success of Esports Entertainment Group.
Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group, stated, “The
opening of our Malta office and the addition of our newest executives is
a new milestone for Esports Entertainment Group. Malta is a full EU
member nation that provides greater resources and the infrastructure
necessary to continue our growth. The addition of Jenny and Adrien
significantly strengthens our regulatory and operational expertise.â€
ABOUT VIE.GG
vie.gg
offers bet exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed,
regulated and secured platform to the global esports audience, excluding
jurisdictions that prohibit online gambling. vie.gg features wagering on the following esports games:
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO)
League of Legends
Dota 2
Call of Duty
Overwatch
PUBG
Hearthstone
StarCraft II
This press release is available on our Online Investor Relations
Community for shareholders and potential shareholders to ask questions,
receive answers and collaborate with management in a fully moderated
forum at https://agoracom.com/ir/EsportsEntertainmentGroup
Redchip investor relations Esports Entertainment Group Investor Page: http://www.gmblinfo.com
Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. is a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming. Esports Entertainment offers bet exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at vie.gg. 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 licenses to conduct online gambling and 18+ gaming on a global basis in Curacao, Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada. The Company maintains offices in Antigua, Curacao and Warsaw, Poland. Esports Entertainment common stock is listed on the OTCQB under the symbol GMBL. 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.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:52 AM on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2019
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Ninja made almost $10 million in 2018 with Fortnite
He also made more than $500,000 “on a good month†of 2018.
Ninja is used to working in quantities of 10 million at this point. He became the first Twitch streamer to reach that number of followers in the platform in early August 2018, and has since amassed 2.8 million more.
He also has 20 million YouTube subscribers and said he has 60,000 Twitch subscribers in a recent video for Wired.
Fortnite streamer and gaming star Tyler “Ninja†Blevins earned almost $10 million in 2018, he told CNN reporter Dave Briggs.
The streamer also said he loses “tens of thousands of dollars†when
he’s not streaming, and that he earns “a lot more†than $500,000 “on a
good month.†Ninja’s interview was published on Dec. 31, which makes
these values the most accurate to assess the streamer’s financial
success in 2018.
Ninja said most of the revenue he gets from streaming comes from ads,
like the ones he rolls or the brands he shows on screen when he’s live
playing the game. His monthly revenue also takes Twitch subscriptions
into account, which vary between $4.99 to $24.99 per subscriber
depending on how much each one chooses to pay every month.
Ninja is used to working in quantities of 10 million at this point.
He became the first Twitch streamer to reach that number of followers in
the platform in early August 2018,
and has since amassed 2.8 million more. He also has 20 million YouTube
subscribers and said he has 60,000 Twitch subscribers in a recent video for Wired.
Ninja’s earnings are a consequence of his ever-increasing popularity. He streamed Fortnite in Times Square for the ball drop on New Year’s eve, went to several TV shows in the second half of 2018, and shattered a Twitch concurrent viewers record on an individual channel when streaming with rapper Drake.
Ninja refrained from detailing how much he makes from every source of
revenue he has today, but he said he has to be constantly streaming to
avoid losing viewers, subscribers, and money as a consequence.
He told CNN he streamed nearly 4,000 hours of Fortnite in 2018.
Ninja’s earnings and popularity are still dependent on Fortnite’s
popularity since it’s the only game he’s been streaming. Regardless of
what the future holds for Ninja, he’s one of the most financially
successful Twitch streamers of 2018.
