Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:45 PM on Sunday, May 26th, 2019
SPONSOR: Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc.
(TSX-V: EGLX) Uniting gaming communities with 80 owned and affiliated
websites, currently reaching over 75 million monthly visitors. The
company exceeded 2018 target with $11.0 million in revenue. Learn More
EGLX: TSX-V ———————————-
Mike Tyson jumps into esports with investment in Fade 2 Karma
Throughout his boxing career, former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson knocked out 44 opponents.
Now, 14 years after retiring from boxing, Tyson wants to get another knockout, this time in esports.
Jacob Wolf
Throughout his boxing career, former world heavyweight champion Mike
Tyson knocked out 44 opponents. Now, 14 years after retiring from
boxing, Tyson wants to get another knockout, this time in esports.
On Thursday, Tyson announced a strategic investment in Fade 2 Karma, a
professional esports team best known for its time in Hearthstone.
As a result, Fade 2 Karma will construct a new streaming facility
near Los Angeles in El Segundo, California, the home base of Tyson
Ranch, a marijuana company owned by Tyson.
The new facility, called “The Ranch House,” will include private
livestreaming rooms, a performance stage for tournaments, content
production and a rooftop party deck. Connected to the facility will be a
new entertainment production studio, operated by Fade 2 Karma.
On Wednesday, Tyson joined many of the Fade 2 Karma professional
Hearthstone players for a livestreaming session broadcasted on Alexandra
“Alliestrasza” Macpherson’s Twitch channel. It was the first time the
former pro boxer competed in Hearthstone, although he said he had played
other games, including Call of Duty, in the past.
“It was pretty awesome. I had the opportunity to really engage with
some millennials, which I never really actually do,” Tyson told ESPN on
Thursday. “This is the first time, and I thought it was pretty awesome.
We played Hearthstone. I really sucked real bad. You have to start
somewhere. I played games before, so I’m going to start over and see
what happens from here.”
Tyson said that he first got interested in the esports industry via
his son, who is both a gamer and a fan of professional esports
competitions. From there, Tyson tasked his team at the Tyson Ranch to
find an opportunity that made sense — with Fade 2 Karma, he said,
emerging as an option that felt like the perfect fit. He said he
believes the future of the esports industry will be gigantic.
Fade 2 Karma was founded by German Hearthstone and Magic: The
Gathering player Tim “Theude” Bergmann in July 2015. Since then, the
team has expanded to include competitive Hearthstone players and
streamers from all around the world, including the likes of the United
Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, Israel and the United States.
Outside of esports, Tyson is developing the Tyson Ranch Resort, a
420-acre entertainment complex, luxury glamping resort and cannabis
research and design facility in Desert Hot Springs, California, about a
two-hour drive east from Los Angeles. Tyson, his business partners and
California City mayor Jennifer Wood attended a groundbreaking ceremony
for the site in December.
In other ventures, Tyson completed a one-man show residency in Las
Vegas for his “Undisputed Truth: Round 2” in late 2017. Tyson said he is
interested in potentially doing another one-man show project in the
future, but for now, he is focusing on Tyson Ranch.
Tyson joins a growing list of celebrity athletes who have invested in
esports in the past five years. Some, including Rick Fox, who won three
NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s, and Golden State Warriors forward Jonas Jerebko,
have taken an active role in their organizations — being involved in
strategy, planning and execution. Other celebs, such as former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez and musicians Jennifer Lopez and Drake, have taken passive roles.
Overall, the industry continues to become a new frontier for
investors looking to capitalize on the future of sports. In 2019, the
industry is projected to eclipse $1 billion in annual revenue, according
to a report by analytics firm Newzoo.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 2:40 PM on Thursday, May 23rd, 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 190 Esports teams. Click here for more information
GMBL: OTCQB
———————–
Q1 2019’s Most Impactful PC Videogames: The Year of Growth
Both the Overwatch League and NBA 2K League have expanded. Viewership for Western League of Legends
pro leagues is up year-over-year. Across the esports industry, leagues
are being revamped and prize pools are growing. Overall, 2019 is shaping
up to be a year of growth for the industry.
This growth is reflected in The
Esports Observer’s PC Games Impact Index report for the first quarter of
2019. For a detailed breakdown of the key performance indicators that
determine a game’s index score, click here to review last year’s initial Impact Index report.
The Big Four
For the last several years, the esports industry has been consistently led by Counter-Strike , League of Legends, and Dota 2 ,
commonly referred to as the “Big Three.†Over the last year, with its
consistently high viewership and $100M USD overall prize pool for its
first season, Fortnite
has forced its way onto equal footing with the Big Three. This is
clearly reflected in the large gap between these games and the next
title in the impact rankings. The fifth place game (Overwatch) is separated from the Big Four by 21.84 – the largest gap separating any two games on the list.
The scores of each of the games in the Big Four have increased year-over-year.
While it is worth noting that the Overwatch League
did not begin until mid-February, thus putting the game at a
significant disadvantage in esports activity compared to the Big Four, Overwatch was unable to break into the top four at any point during the inaugural OWL season in 2018.
In fact, the Overwatch League itself may be a limiting factor for Overwatch’s
impact. Activision Blizzard has effectively eliminated all third-party
activity related to the game, drastically reducing both the number of
tournaments and available prize money within a given quarter. While the
league still generates viewership that frequently places highly on
weekly Twitch rankings, the lack of prominent streamers or other
tournaments ultimately hurts Overwatch’s impact score, which has declined slightly year-over-year.
By contrast, the scores of each of the games in the Big Four have increased year-over-year, with Fortnite
jumping from 13.64 points in Q1 2018 to 51.70. These games continue to
iterate on their structures while also providing opportunities for
streamers and third-party tournament organizers to drive growth for
their respective esports scenes.
On The Rise
Four games are particularly noteworthy for growing their impact scores by more than 100% year-over-year. Call of Duty , FIFA , and World of Warcraft each saw a surge in popularity in the latter half of 2018 due to the release of new titles: Black Ops 3, FIFA 19, and the expansion Battle for Azeroth,
respectively. The popularity of these games (and by extension their
viewership and esports interests) operate on a regular content cycle.
Interest peaks when a new entry is released, and then declines over time
until it spikes again with the next release.
That said, all three games are also now in the midst of a renewed focus on their esports systems. Call of Duty is gearing up for its move to a franchise system, FIFA
has enjoyed a boom in its ecosystem with more third-party tournaments
and organizers entering the space, and Activision Blizzard overhauled
the structure for both of WoW’s competitive modes as well as increasing their prize pools. Additionally, WoW continues to see large spikes in viewership during World First raid races led by esports organization Method.
Credit: Ubisoft
Although Rainbow Six Siege did not benefit from a major new game release, it was still able to see impact growth on par with the other three titles. Rainbow Six Siege is the product of steady growth and frequent content updates
which have driven more esports viewership, prize money, and
organization interest over the last 18 months. While the game is likely
to continue growing as an esport, its impact score may have peaked for
the year as its most prominent tournament, the Six Invitational,
concluded in February. However, the game’s ability to see such strong
year-over-year growth without relying on a new release gives it more in
common with the games in the Big Four, and suggests a potential to one
day contend with the impact of those titles if its current growth rate
continues into 2020.
Still Not Enough
The final game of note stands out for its absence in the top 15 – Apex Legends. Apexdominated Twitch
following its release on Feb. 4, 2019, and saw tournament support from
the streaming platform in the form of two $100K USD Twitch Rivals
events. Unfortunately, developer Respawn Entertainment and publisher EA
failed to capitalize on the game’s successful launch. By
March, the lack of a developer-supported tournament ecosystem or
significant content update had driven many of the game’s top streamers
back to other titles, primarily Fortnite. With the $30M Fortnite World Cup on the horizon, it is unlikely that Apex Legends will be able to pull top competitive Fortnite streamers away.
That said, with top streamers such as Turner “Tfue†Tenney stating that they would quit competing in Fortnite
tournaments after the World Cup due to frustration with the game, a
significant esports investment from EA in the latter half of 2019 could
be enough to draw disenfranchised Fortnite streamers to Apex Legends, giving the game a second chance to dethrone the current king of battle royales.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 2:39 PM on Wednesday, May 22nd, 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 190 Esports teams. Click here for more information
GMBL: OTCQB
———————–
Understanding the esports ecosystem
Broadcasters aren’t the only demographic trying to figure out what impact esports might have on their industry: based on a number of very well attended sessions at the recent SportsPro Live event in London, professional sport is too
Esports is emerging as an exciting new market bringing together
players from the broadcasting, gaming and sports industries, writes Ian
Volans.
L-R, Esports integrity commissioner (moderator) Ian Smith; ESL UK CEO
James Dean; New York Excelsior OWL VP of consumer products Collette
Gangemi; FACE IT co-founder & CBO Michele Attisani; Riot Games
business development manager Romain Bigeard.
Broadcasters aren’t the only demographic trying to figure out what
impact esports might have on their industry: based on a number of very
well attended sessions at the recent SportsPro Live event in London,
professional sport is too.
For the benefit of novices, speakers agreed that the term “esportsâ€
is not entirely useful. Introducing a panel discussion on where the
esports and gaming business is heading, Ian Smith Integrity Commissioner
at the Esports Integrity Coalition described the term as a slightly
misleading umbrella term covering a variety of games that are lumped
together in the same way that the Olympics lumps together 26 or 28
different sports. “Just like the Olympics, we have the 100m men’s final
at one end watched by 1.2 billion people and we have synchronized
swimming at the other end watched by 12 people. Esports is exactly like
that,†said Smith.
Smith placed Counter-Strike Global Offensive (CS: GO), League of Legends and Defense of the Ancients 2 (Dota2) at the Usain Bolt end of the esports spectrum, with Overwatch and Rainbow 6 being in a second tier not too far behind while other games such as Starcraft,
which was massive until a few years ago, are in decline. Each game has
its own characteristics, attracting its own community. It’s the
engagement of these communities which is of interest to professional
sporting bodies, and a potential competitor for the attention of
broadcasters’ viewers.
In a keynote, Wouter Slijffers, CEO of Fnatic said he felt
“professional gaming†is a more intuitive description. Fnatic owns ten
professional teams across the globe, including a League of Legends team which won the world championship in 2011 and was runner up in 2018
Wouter Slijffers is CEO of Fnatic, owner of ten pro esports games worldwide
Slijffers suggested that the estimated esports audience of 1.8
billion represented a quarter of world population or 40% of the online
population. The sector is projected to be worth US$1.1 billion in 2019
rising to US$1.8 billion in 2022, a very healthy compound annual growth
rate of 22%. The excitement about esports rests on adage that “there’s
money in eyeballs.â€
Media rights market There are four key
stakeholder groups at the core of the esports ecosystem: the publishers
who develop and release the games; platforms that facilitate the
broadcast of games to audiences worldwide; organisers of live events
that are filling arenas with increasing regularity; and pro teams.
Associations are emerging as the maturing ecosystem recognizes a need
for governance structures. For example, World esports Association
(WESA) is an open and inclusive organization that aims to
professionalize esports in areas such as player representation,
standardized regulations, revenue shares for teams as well as
establishing predictable schedules for fans, players, organizers and
broadcasters. The Esports Integrity Coalition is a not-for profit
members’ association that works with esports stakeholders to protect the
integrity of competition, investigate all forms of cheating including
match manipulation and doping and impose sanctions on offenders.
Slijffers outlined the increasingly diverse revenue streams that help
fund professional esports teams. Sponsorship and partnerships are key
with brands keen to tap into esports for content-led campaigns. To
support this, Fnatic has an in-house content studio and offers talent
services. Having protected its trademarks in key markets worldwide, fans
are monetized through merchandising – Fnatic has its own global e-shop
and opened Bunkr, the world’s first esports concept store, in London’s
Shoreditch tech district in 2016.
A media rights market is beginning to develop but Slijffers said that
it was “yet to be proven†how teams would share revenues with the
leagues who were doing the deals. Twitch has paid $90 million for
exclusive streaming rights for the Overwatch League for two years but BAMTech’s $350 million six-year deal reported in December 2016 for exclusive rights to stream League of Legends unraveled before it started. In May 2018, ESPN+ stepped in with a replacement deal of undisclosed value.
Sponsorship and partnerships are key with brands keen to tap into esports for content-led campaigns.
One area which highlights the similarities between sport and esports
and the cultural differences between North America and Europe is in
commercial relationship between leagues and teams. Depending on the
game, open leagues and tournaments are more common in Europe while the
model in North American is more often closed franchise,
publisher-controlled, leagues.
Romain Bigeard, business development manager at Riot Games, was one
of the SportsPro Live panelists. Riot Games released debut title League of Legends in 2009 and it has gone on to become one of the most played computer games and a driver of the esports phenomenon.
Bigeard’s career started in the open leagues with promotion and
relegation in Europe. One of the downsides of the European approach was
that because of the short esport business life cycle – six to nine
months – a team could get relegated three months into a sponsorship
deal. When he moved to America, he realized that the franchise system
gave teams – the “weak-link in the overall ecosystem†– time to
negotiate and activate sponsorship deals that work for partner brands.
Michele Attisani, co-founder of FACEIT, agrees with Bigeard: “From a
commercial standpoint, and from a business standpoint, I think a
franchise is brilliant because it gives the ability to invest for the
long term.†FACEIT is a global online esports platform with 12 million
users playing more than 15 million game sessions each month. Key
objectives in developing the platform were to make it as social as
possible in order to build communities around the games they support and
to integrate Twitch, YouTube. The company has also branched into
hosting major live events such as the FACEIT CS:GO Major which
sold-out the Wembley Arena in September 2018 and was broadcast live on
Sky Sports’ website, YouTube and Facebook channels.
With more money coming in, Attisani says that with the approach adopted by Riot with League of Legends and Blizzard with the Overwatch League
there is greater stability for the teams, the players, the brands and
the leagues. However, he cautions that the long-term consequences of the
model are not fully understood. Stability comes at a cost: at the time
of the ESPN+ deal, Bloomberg reported that League of Legends teams were paying between $10 million and $13 million for franchises.
The FACEIT founder firmly believes that esports success depends on
having a strong and very engaged competitive community and large fan
bases for the games. “You need to make sure that as you build a
franchise you also maintain the overall health of the ecosystem for the
game.â€
Open ecosystem James Dean is CEO of the UK
subsidiary of Turtle Entertainment GmBH, owner and operator of the ESL
brand which runs a number of esports platforms, national and
international pro leagues and produces and broadcasts gaming events live
and globally. He warns that it is easy to lose sight of the fact that
all games publishers are some sort of commercial entity and that unlike
die-hard football fans who are unlikely to abandon their club, esports
fans can quite easily move away from one game to another. Dean believes
that an open ecosystem below community-based franchises is the best
combination to sustain an aspirational path for talent from lower
levels. “We have to encourage the talent, but you need the commercial
infrastructure to sustain the business model,†he said.
ESL created the World esports Association (WESA) to create an
alternative structure capable of giving players that aspirational path
to the top, but with sustainability. ESL’s CS-GO Pro League will be run under the auspices of WESA in 2019.
Collette Gangemi, VP of consumer products and merchandising for New York Excelsior, a pro team in the Atlantic Division of the Overwatch League
team, owns a community-based franchise in New York City. She observes
that having the IP rights combined with the ability to create fandom and
a community is hugely important and gives confidence for investment.
“We’re New York and will continue to invest in franchise-based models:
first with the Overwatch League and with others launching very soon.â€
There is growing interest in esports among traditional sports: for
example, FACEIT has been working with NHL. Attisani says the NHL Gaming
World Championship which enters second year in 2019 has been
“phenomenal†in revitalising the NHL brand and its relevance to younger
audiences.
2018 was the second year of Formula 1’s involvement in esports, and
the first year of official teams: nine out of ten of the F1 teams
participated. A total of 66,000 entered the four qualifying rounds and
the final was watched live by 1.2 million on TV and a further 3.2
million on a dedicated livestream. The competition generated 100 million
social media impressions and 20 million online views of F1 esports
content. For F1, esports creates “material fan engagement and commercial
opportunities.â€
Soccer has also jumped on the bandwagon: FIFA has revamped its FIFA eWorld Cup for 2019 with qualification through EA Sports FIFA19 Global Series. While in England, the ePremier League 2019 final was broadcast live on Sky Sports in March.
Leicester City footballer Christian Fuchs owns a pro esports team and
is planning to build a dedicated esports arena in New York City
Christian Fuchs, a member of the 2015-16 Leicester City squad that
famously disrupted the oligopoly that has dominated the English Premier
League, has set-up his own pro team – #NoFuchsGiven – that competes in FIFA19
tournaments. Fuchs told delegates at SportsPro Live that he has bought a
36-acre sports complex in New York and is planning to build a dedicated
thousand-seater esports arena which will be the biggest in the city.
For digitally native younger demographics there is little doubt that
esports is a rival to both broadcast and traditional sports. Only time
will tell how the three sectors will learn to co-exist.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:15 AM on Wednesday, May 22nd, 2019
Fastest growing North American gaming network achieved through organic growth, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships
Diverse platform of gaming sites and YouTube channels provides unique advertising solutions
Scaling rapidly to own the largest piece of industry market share
TORONTO, May 22, 2019 – Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (TSXV: EGLX) (OTCQB: EGHIF), (“Enthusiast†or the “Companyâ€), the largest publicly traded video game media and esports company in North America, is excited to announce that its network of video game enthusiasts has grown to 150 million total monthly visitors(1). Enthusiast’s platform is the fastest growing gaming network in North America(2) and includes owned and operated gaming related websites and a network of YouTube channels.
Monthly visitors across the network has doubled since Enthusiast
completed its going public transaction in October 2018 and has grown
from two million monthly visitors since 2015. The increase validates the
rapid growth of the gaming industry and further positions Enthusiast as
a leader in the space. The significant growth and size of Enthusiast’s
network has provided the Company with a number of different revenue
streams, including direct sales, revenue sharing and subscription models
that diversifies the business and supports continued future growth.
Through its aggressive acquisition and organic growth strategy,
Enthusiast has been able to scale and grow its business quickly, in an
attempt to gain significant market share within the gaming industry.
Enthusiast has seen consistent monthly organic growth across its
network, with more visitors engaging with its content rich gaming
properties. As an early industry leader, Enthusiast has built a solid
framework to take advantage of future growth opportunities and
capitalize on the overall sector growth in the coming years.
Menashe Kestenbaum, CEO of Enthusiast commented, “Our
consistent growth further validates our business model, as we continue
to outperform visitor growth month over month. Our team continues
providing innovative, rich content which attracts dedicated gamers. This
content allows us to deepen our reach both vertically and horizontally
across a number of sub-sectors within the gaming industry.†Kestenbaum continued, “In
a relatively short period of time, we have managed to amass a network
of over 150 million monthly visitors and now major brands are taking
notice. In addition to our core revenue generating verticals of content,
advertising, and events, the size of our network has provided a number
of different revenue opportunities, that we believe will add
sustainable, long-term value to our network moving forward.â€
Founded in 2014, Enthusiast Gaming is the largest vertically
integrated video game company and has the fastest-growing online
community of video gamers. Through the Company’s organic and acquisition
strategy, it has amassed a platform of over 150 million monthly
visitors across its network of websites and YouTube channels. Enthusiast
also owns and operates Canada’s largest gaming expo, Enthusiast Gaming
Live Expo, EGLX, (eglx.ca) with approximately 55,000 people attending in 2018. For more information on the Company, visit www.enthusiastgaming.com.
Source: Google Analytics, April 2019
Source: Comscore Media Metrix Multi-Platform, Dec 2017-Dec 2018, US
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Investor Relations: Julia Becker Head of Investor Relations & Marketing [email protected] (604) 785.0850
This news release contains certain statements that may constitute
forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. All
statements, other than those of historical fact, which address
activities, events, outcomes, results, developments, performance or
achievements that Enthusiast anticipates or expects may or will occur in
the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking
information. Such information may involve, but is not limited to,
comments with respect to strategies, expectations, planned operations
and future actions of the Company. Often, but not always,
forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such
as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”,
“estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or
variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or
statements formed in the future tense or indicating that certain
actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will”
(or other variations of the forgoing) be taken, occur, be achieved, or
come to pass. Forward-looking information is based on currently
available competitive, financial and economic data and operating plans,
strategies or beliefs as of the date of this news release, but involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors
that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of
Enthusiast to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking
information. Such factors may be based on information currently
available to Enthusiast, including information obtained from third-party
industry analysts and other third-party sources, and are based on
management’s current expectations or beliefs regarding future growth,
results of operations, future capital (including the amount, nature and
sources of funding thereof) and expenditures. Any and all
forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly
qualified by this cautionary statement. Trading in the securities of
the Company should be considered highly speculative.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
release. The securities of the Corporation have not been and will not be
registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended
and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration
or an applicable exemption from the registration requirement. This press
release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an
offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any
jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be
unlawful.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 4:29 PM on Tuesday, May 21st, 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 190 Esports teams. Click here for more information
GMBL: OTCQB
———————–
Which tournaments attract the most esports bettors?
As competitive gaming evolves, as too has the rise in esports betting.
Though the exact value of esports’ betting handle is difficult to pinpoint
There’s a reason to believe it has now surpassed $1 billion based off Business Insider’s evaluation last year.
As
competitive gaming evolves, as too has the rise in esports betting.
Though the exact value of esports’ betting handle is difficult to
pinpoint, there’s a reason to believe it has now surpassed $1 billion
based off Business Insider’s evaluation last year.
Each
esport boasts its own unique community, ecosystem and infrastructure;
despite there being several competitive gaming communities in existence,
only a handful of them are fit to be a bookmaker’s product.
Though
the consistency exhibited in esports such as the Overwatch League or
NBA 2K League is a big motivator for bookies to offer spreads on them,
there are a number of key tournaments that trump the rest when it comes
to attracting significant volumes of bettors to risk. In this report,
we’ll detail the leading tournaments that you’ll want to keep an eye on
if you want to be involved in esports betting.
The International
Since 2011, The International, also referred to as TI,
has brought forth the best esports has to offer in terms of size,
viewership and of course, prize money. The annual tournament organised
by Valve assembles 16 of the toughest contenders in Dota 2
from direct invites, regional qualifiers and those who amass enough
Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) points through the competitive season.
Aside
from establishing itself as the pinnacle of Dota 2 championships, The
International’s reverence is bolstered heavily by the lofty prize amount
raised each year. Dota 2 developers, Valve, contributes $1.6 million as
a base amount for The International’s tournament winnings which are
then passed off to the community to raise through crowdfunding; by
dedicating a portion of Battle Pass sales to the total prize pool.
The International has seen a year-over-year growth since its inception – last year’s TI8 amassed a whopping $25,532,177 ($20,035,099).
This year’s The International has already garnered over $12 million
just two weeks into its fundraising period, with the tournament poised
to kick off on August 15 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai.
League of Legends World Championship
Photo courtesy: Riot Gamesp
Riot Games’ League of Legends is by far the most played game in the world at the moment; the most recent report from Riot confirmed in 2016 the game boasted 100 million monthly players,
which we can only assume has grown based off the lofty increase in
tournament viewership over the subsequent years. When it comes to
League, there is one event that stands well above the rest on the yearly
calendar – the League of Legends World Championship also referred to as Worlds.
The
World Championship is the annual culmination of the competitive season
organised by Riot Games, currently coming up on the ninth event in the
tournament’s history this November. Worlds brings together the 24 best
League of Legends teams to clash over a month-long period for the game’s
most prestigious title as well as the Summoner’s Cup which weighs in at 32kg.
The
prestige, popularity and length of the World Championship make it a hot
product for bookmakers to feature spreads on. Last year’s Worlds was
just barely shy of 100 million unique viewers, orbiting similar statistics to that of the Super Bowl – and where there are viewers, there are punters. Legal Sports Report’s overview of the esports betting market in 2018 illustrated League of Legends accounts for 38% of the total handle.
If
you’re looking to place a wager on League of Legends, it’s a safe bet
to assume any bookmaker that carries esports will offer lines on this
game. As exemplified by eSportbetting.eu’s guide to betting on League, the catalogue of sportsbooks that support the game is quite extensive – including major US fantasy sports contest provider, DraftKings.
CS:GO Major Championships
Photo courtesy: HLTV
Counter-Strike
is one of the oldest and most prosperous esports today. Valve’s
first-person shooter has truly withstood the test of time in our current
esports panorama with a bustling ecosystem supported by tournament
organisers, online platforms and big sponsors.
Counter-Strike’s
large player base across a number of divisions makes for a seemingly
infinite amount of offerings from bookmakers; the aforementioned study
by Legal Sports Report estimates CS:GO is responsible for 29% of the betting handle, only second to League of Legends.
Though, when it comes to betting on Counter-Strike, Valve’s CS:GO Major Championship
series is the choice event for punters. Since 2013, CS:GO Majors have
furnished the most enthralling narratives and display of CS the game can
generate; the format of the Major builds off the last by incorporating
teams who can go deep enough in the previous tournament and spans across
roughly three weeks.
The
volume of matches between high-profile teams ramps up the number of
bets placed on CS while bookmakers often capitalise on Majors by
offering exclusives and specials linked to the tournament.
Recap
While there are several other tournaments such as the Overwatch League Season Finals and Call of Duty World League Championships
that are able to congregate a number of bettors to wager, those
mentioned above three are by far the market leaders. If you do decide to
get involved in esports betting, Esports Insider reminds you to bet
responsibly!
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 11:21 AM on Friday, May 17th, 2019
SPONSOR: Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc.
(TSX-V: EGLX) Uniting gaming communities with 80 owned and affiliated
websites, currently reaching over 75 million monthly visitors. The
company exceeded 2018 target with $11.0 million in revenue. Learn More
EGLX: TSX-V ———————————-
Hip Hop & ESports: The New Intersection Of Tech & Culture
As the esports industry rises in value, hip hop artists and entrepreneurs are seeing the big investment opportunities the sector provides.
Esports is believed to be the next wave of competitive entertainment and everyone is taking notice, since its expected to surpass $1 billion in revenue in 2019.
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 03: Kenny Williams of team 100 Thieves in
action during Esports Call Of Duty World League at Copper Box Arena on
May 03, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)
As the esports industry rises in
value, hip hop artists and entrepreneurs are seeing the big investment
opportunities the sector provides. Esports is believed to be the next
wave of competitive entertainment and everyone is taking notice, since
its expected to surpass $1 billion in revenue in 2019. Hip hop in
perpetuity is turning up the volume on esports growth by bringing in its
loyal fan base.
The Breakdown You Need to Know
Esports is a subculture of gaming and hip hop is very prominent across the industry in several capacities. However, CultureBanx
noted that early research on gaming culture alluded to the lack of
industry diversity, both in terms of gender as well as ethnicity, and
meant that for a long time, primarily white men dominated the American-based video game industry,
that has clearly changed. It’s estimated that 380 to 400 million people
worldwide will watch esports this year, including 165 million regular
esports viewers. Additionally, research firm Newzoo estimated $700
million was spent on esports ventures.
Hip hop’s affinity for video games is not a new found love as these
artists have included video games in their rhymes since the late 80s.
Entertainers such as Drake and The Weeknd are already tapping into the
cash flow of esports. Drake invested in esports company 100 Thieves in
October of 2018, and last month The Weeknd invested in OverActive Media,
the parent company of the Overwatch League franchise Toronto Defiant.
Also, Sean “Diddy†Combs put several coins into high school esports
initiative PlayVS in November 2018, following a $30.5 million Series B
funding round. Play VS gives high school students access to competitions
and scholarships.
Other rappers including XXXTentacion, Lil Pump, 21 Savage, Lil Yachty
and Trippie Redd have played games, primarily Fortnite on Amazon owned
Twitch. When Drake and Tyler “Ninja†Blevins teamed up to play Fortnite
back in March of 2018, the stream broke records.
Gaming Clout
Between the high viewership numbers
and the billions of dollars at stake, these numbers have even captured
the attention of the NBA. Last year, they held a draft for the launch of
their new esports league, selecting 102 professional players in a ceremony that matched its traditional basketball draft.
Also, esports isn’t slowing down any time
soon and the industry is ripe for cultivating and investing in
up-and-coming talent. More than 50 colleges have esports programs and
offer scholarships for players. Not to mention that video games have out
earned all of Hollywood’s offerings and all record label projects
combined over the last eight years and counting.
Hip hop’s impact on video games through esports has played a major
role in various marketing campaigns to reach new markets. For example,
following a partnership with esports group Mousesport, German
streetwear chain SNIPES released a video featuring rapper Rick Ross
alongside the announcement of its new collection.
Sneaker culture has long been connected to hip hop and is now being
intertwined with esports. In summer 2018, Drake’s 100 Thieves entered
into a partnership with streetwear and sneaker reselling platform
StockX. These professionals are on the path to become celebrities in
their own right and will probably start signing major sneaker deals of
their own.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:08 AM on Friday, May 17th, 2019
Announced the appointment of John Brackens as Chief Information Officer
Mr. Brackens is a senior level professional with extensive experience in startups, high-tech companies and the gaming industry, holding positions that have included CIO, COO and CTO.
BIRKIRKARA, Malta, May 17, 2019 — via OTC PR WIRE – Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (OTCQB: GMBL) (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 John Brackens as Chief Information Officer. Mr. Brackens is a senior level professional with extensive experience in startups, high-tech companies and the gaming industry, holding positions that have included CIO, COO and CTO.
During his time at Activision Blizzard, Mr. Brackens served as
Manager of Network Operations, where he directed IT service management
and hardware support for 4,500+ servers and 50+ million monthly active
players. In addition to reducing server maintenance costs by 35%, he
also improved system uptime from 97.81% to 99.99%. Moreover, he managed
technology projects including the automated detection and repair of
online services and infrastructure using artiï¬cial intelligence.
Other key achievements by Mr. Brackens include the creation,
execution, and monetization of the League of Gods Asia eSports series,
as well as, managing a licensing application for Malta Gaming Authority
and Curacao eGaming License.
Mr. Brackens stated, “I joined Esports Entertainment Group because of
Grant Johnson’s commitment to providing a best in class betting
experience to esports fans. Esports is going to be the leading source of
entertainment in the next few years eclipsing many major traditional
sports. I want to be a part of this movement. I look forward to helping
drive the growth of VIE.gg through cost-effective technologies that
deliver value and innovation to players and fans alike, so that everyone
can enjoy all of our services as intended.â€
Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group stated, “We are
very pleased with the addition of John to our senior management team.
His experience at the highest levels of information technology and
network operations, especially within different licensing regimes, will
be invaluable as the Company embarks on its aggressive growth plans
within the global esports industry.â€
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. 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 11:07 AM on Wednesday, May 15th, 2019
Attending the 20th Annual B. Riley FBR Institutional Investor Conference on May 22 – 23, 2019 at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles.
TORONTO, May 15, 2019 — Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (TSXV: EGLX) (OTCQB: EGHIF), (“Enthusiast†or the “Companyâ€), the largest publicly traded video game media and esports company in North America, will be attending the 20th Annual B. Riley FBR Institutional Investor Conference on May 22 – 23, 2019 at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles.
Eric Bernofsky, COO, and SVP Finance of Enthusiast will be presenting
the Company at 9:00am on May 23, 2019. The Company will also be
available for one-on-one meetings throughout the conference. To
schedule a meeting, please contact Julia Becker, Head of Investor
Relations & Marketing at [email protected].
Founded in 2014, Enthusiast Gaming is the largest vertically
integrated video game company and has the fastest-growing online
community of video gamers. Through the Company’s unique acquisition
strategy, it has a platform of over 80 owned and affiliated websites and
currently reaches over 75 million monthly visitors with its unique and
curated content and over 50 million YouTube visitors. Enthusiast also
owns and operates Canada’s largest gaming expo, Enthusiast Gaming Live
Expo, EGLX, (eglx.ca) with approximately 55,000 people attending in 2018. For more information on the Company, visit www.enthusiastgaming.com.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Investor Relations: Julia Becker Head of Investor Relations & Marketing [email protected] (604) 785.0850
This news release contains certain statements that may constitute
forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. All
statements, other than those of historical fact, which address
activities, events, outcomes, results, developments, performance or
achievements that Enthusiast anticipates or expects may or will occur in
the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking
information. Such information may involve, but is not limited to,
comments with respect to strategies, expectations, planned operations
and future actions of the Company. Often, but not always,
forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such
as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”,
“estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or
variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or
statements formed in the future tense or indicating that certain
actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will”
(or other variations of the forgoing) be taken, occur, be achieved, or
come to pass. Forward-looking information is based on currently
available competitive, financial and economic data and operating plans,
strategies or beliefs as of the date of this news release, but involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors
that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of
Enthusiast to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking
information. Such factors may be based on information currently
available to Enthusiast, including information obtained from third-party
industry analysts and other third-party sources, and are based on
management’s current expectations or beliefs regarding future growth,
results of operations, future capital (including the amount, nature and
sources of funding thereof) and expenditures. Any and all
forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly
qualified by this cautionary statement. Trading in the securities of
the Company should be considered highly speculative.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
release.
The securities of the Corporation have not been and will not be
registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended
and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration
or an applicable exemption from the registration requirement. This press
release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an
offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any
jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be
unlawful.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:00 PM on Monday, May 13th, 2019
SPONSOR: Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (TSX-V: EGLX) Uniting gaming communities with 80 owned and affiliated websites, currently reaching over 75 million monthly visitors. The company exceeded 2018 target with $11.0 million in revenue. Learn More
EGLX: TSX-V ———————————-
The eSports Boom, and the Numbers Behind the Sector’s Explosive Growth
The oldest professional sport teams can trace their start back to the
mid-19th century, a period when casual past times such as baseball or
football transitioned into more organized leagues.
Since this tipping point, pro sports has thrived around the world,
and the business of sports has evolved into a multi-billion dollar
ecosystem for teams, leagues, players, merchandisers, sponsors,
broadcasters, and event spaces.
Today, this evolution still continues – and it is being driven by the
emergence of eSports (electronic sports), an exciting frontier for fans
and business alike.
eSports Extravaganza
Today’s chart breaks down the eSports boom, including data on the
sector’s rapid growth, prize pools, and the most valuable eSports
companies today.
Despite having a reputation in the media and in popular culture as
being on the fringes, it is clear that gaming is now a truly mainstream
phenomenon.
In fact, the global gaming industry has now eclipsed $135 billion in
revenue worldwide – a figure that is twice as much as the film and music
industries combined.
With hundreds of millions of avid fans around the world, demand to
watch the most elite gamers has reached a fever pitch – and now, it’s
not uncommon to see sold-out arenas, big name sponsorship deals, and
massive prize pools in the name of eSports.
Defining the eSports Ecosystem
Like any professional league, eSports creates the foundation for an entire ecosystem of opportunities.
Players Players are central to the ecosystem,
since they are the stars and they have their own personalities. One
famous star is Kuro Takhasomi (KuroKy), who has brought in a whopping
$4.2 million in prize money from Dota 2 tournaments so far. He has
earned more than any other player in eSports.
Teams Because the games played are mostly
team-based, there is a crucial element of teamwork involved. eSports
franchises are currently selling for millions of dollars.
It’s worth noting that these franchises don’t just employ players –
they also hire staff that can better ensure the success of players, such
as coaches, trainers, and personal chefs.
Games and Developers Some of the most important
games in the eSports world right now include: Dota 2, Counter-Strike,
League of Legends, Overwatch, Fortnite, and Call of Duty.
Competitions Leagues and tournaments can offer
massive prize pools for players. The biggest single pool so far was
$25.5 million, offered for a Dota 2 tournament in 2017 (“The
Internationalâ€). It’s the second-largest prize pool offered in any kind
of sport, behind the U.S. Open (tennis).
Organizers Running eSports events is big money,
and organizers of events can tap into sponsorship and fan revenue.
Sometimes game publishers will organize the events, but third-party ones
also exist in the ecosystem.
Sponsors Sponsors like Coca-Cola, Intel, and
Mercedes-Benz have shelled out millions of dollars to sponsor events and
reach the massive audiences associated with eSports. In more recent
news, SAP signed a deal to sponsor one of the biggest names, Team Liquid.
Broadcasters Broadcasters, both traditional and
online (YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitch, etc.), are also in to get a part
of the action. Recently, game developer Blizzard signed a broadcasting
deal with Disney to broadcast Overwatch League playoffs on ESPN, ABC,
and Disney XD.
What do you think is the most exciting part of the eSports boom, and why?
