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Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX.ca Announces the Launch of Its Premier Global Esports Tournament Series, “EGLX Rising Stars” $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $WINR $TCEHF $ATVI $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:39 AM on Thursday, March 7th, 2019
  • Announced that it will be launching its own Esports tournament and entertainment series, called “EGLX Rising Stars”.
  • The series will leverage the distribution of its online network of over 75M website visitors, the additional 50M YouTube visitors, and the tens of thousands of attendees at its live video game expo, EGLX

TORONTO, March 07, 2019 — Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (TSXV: EGLX) (OTCQB: EGHIF), (“Enthusiast” or the “Company”), a gaming company building the largest community of authentic gamers, is excited to announce that it will be launching its own Esports tournament and entertainment series, called “EGLX Rising Stars”. The series will leverage the distribution of its online network of over 75M website visitors, the additional 50M YouTube visitors, and the tens of thousands of attendees at its live video game expo, EGLX. The tournament will begin this summer and end with grand finals at EGLX 2019, on October 18-20, 2019 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (“MTCC”), downtown Toronto. The event will be broadcast live and will be released by episodic video after the finals.

The unique series aims to discover up and coming talent in the Esports industry and follow their personal and professional journey as they compete to be recognized as the next big Esports superstar and win a large grand prize. Enthusiast currently has over 400 major gaming influencers within its online communities and will invite some of its top talent to lead the teams of aspiring participants as they battle to gain the same notoriety as the celebrities. The series will capture footage of the Esports professionals as they interact with the Rising Stars for the viewing enjoyment of the entire Esports industry. Fans will be able to watch the journey unfold as episodic content on Enthusiast Gaming’s online network, live streams during the event, and in the audience at EGLX in Toronto.

Menashe Kestenbaum, CEO of Enthusiast commented, “Our vision has always been to provide a home and community to dedicated lifestyle gamers. Until now we’ve done that separately through our online communities as well as our live events. We have now made our first major step towards bringing our online and offline communities together in an integrated, strategic relationship. With 2019 now projected to be the first billion-dollar year for Esports and attract brands across all industries, EGLX Rising Stars will provide another platform for Brands targeting the Esports Industry.”

As Esports popularity and viewership continue to grow, Enthusiast continues to invest and focus its efforts on providing a place for Esports enthusiasts to discover content and join like-minded communities. Recent acquisitions of the digital properties Daily Esports and Operation Sports, as well as hosting one of the largest Esports competitor events at EGLX 2018 established Enthusiast Gaming as a leading provider of Esports content. The Rising Stars series is a continuation of its 2019 Esports growth plans to focus its efforts on providing Esports enthusiasts with both the content and the community to follow, discover and experience the growing Esports industry.

The traditional focus of Esports events is limited to only broadcasting the live competitive match with commentators. Through Enthusiast’s content distribution platforms, The Rising Stars series will disrupt the current model, and include entertaining online and live content, such as, player narratives and storylines; behind the scenes footage of influencer personalities; and an overall unique spectator experience. The company intends for the content to be enjoyed and viewed beyond the event itself, throughout the year.

Earlier this week, Enthusiast announced that EGLX will take place in Toronto October 18-20, 2019 with nearly double the square footage of its prior event. The EGLX Rising Stars series will be a major focus of this year’s event.  Plans were also announced to expand EGLX’s footprint into the United States, which will allow US Esports competitors to participate within its Rising Stars tournament series in 2020. The company will provide further updates in the coming months.

About Enthusiast Gaming

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

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Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX.ca – G2 Esports raises $17.3 million for global growth and further investment $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $WINR $TCEHF $ATVI $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 1:07 PM on Wednesday, February 27th, 2019

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

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EGLX: TSX-V
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G2 Esports raises $17.3 million for global growth and further investment



  • Competitive gaming firm G2 Esports has raised $17.3 million.
  • In a blog post, the esports organisation confirmed it had closed out the latest round of funding, bringing its total investment to $24.5 million to date. 

By Natalie Clayton, Staff Writer

G2 Esports owns 11 teams across various competitive games, including Counter-Strike, League of Legends, Hearthstone and Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds.

The investment was headed up by New York private equity firm Seal Rock Partners, with participation from Everblue Management. G2 Esports stated that it plans to use the funds to push ahead with global expansion, pay franchise fees and further its own business and content investments.

“After an incredibly successful 2018 where we positioned ourselves as one of the leading entertainment assets in esports, G2 is doubling down on international growth and continuing our investment in world-class content creation,” said co-founder and CEO Carlos Rodriguez said.

“We have partnered with the right investors, who have a deep understanding of a variety of entertainment industries, and significant experience in scaling successful companies and brands.”

Source: https://www.pcgamesinsider.biz/news/68606/g2-esports-raises-173-million-for-global-growth-and-further-investment/

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Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX.ca – Top games and streamers for the week, TwitchCon 2019, Tencent streaming rules $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $TCEHF

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:09 PM on Friday, February 22nd, 2019

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

Images
EGLX: TSX-V
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Top games and streamers for the week, TwitchCon 2019, Tencent streaming rules

Full Disclosure: Top games and streamers for the week, TwitchCon 2019, Tencent streaming rules

  • To the surprise of no one, Apex Legends enjoys another week at the top of the chart.
  • Respawn’s fresh battle royale offering has captured the hearts and hands of gamers across the land, and it’s 45.1 million hours across streaming platforms can attest to that.

Amanda Farough,Fri, 22 Feb 2019 17:38:00

Note: Excerpts are directly from InfluencerUpdate.biz with permission.

Top 10 streamed games of the week: Rainbow Six: Siege stacks up 9.3 million hours as it rolls into year four. To the surprise of no one, Apex Legends enjoys another week at the top of the chart. Respawn’s fresh battle royale offering has captured the hearts and hands of gamers across the land, and it’s 45.1 million hours across streaming platforms can attest to that. League of Legends takes its usual place at number two, racking up 28.8 million hours watched in the last week. While the battle royale chaos ensues around it, it’s fair to say that Riot Games long-running MOBA is safe in silver for the time being. Remember Fortnite? It’s still down in third place, after another 1.3 per cent decrease in hours watched. Read the full story.

Top 10 most watched and trending channels of the week. Twitch channel ESL_CSGO is leading the charge this week. It’s a new entry, but it racked up over 5.8 million hours watched last week covering games and news from the Counter-Strike esports circuit. The official Overwatch League Twitch is in second; the start of season two saw the channel amass over 5.2 million hours watched last week. Battle royale star Shroud is in third place, keeping numbers high after flipping over to Apex Legends. Read the full story.

Twitch announces dates for flagship US TwitchCon event. Twitch will return to San Diego later this year for TwitchCon North America 2019. The event will take place on September 27 – 29 at the San Diego convention centre. Tickets are not yet available but are expected to go on sale before summer. 2018 saw Twitch’s main US event move from its former home at the San Jose convention centre in California over to San Diego. This will be the second TwitchCon to be held in San Diego, with the first taking place in 2016. Read the full story.

Kid from the Xbox Super Bowl commercial is now living out his YouTube dreams. The Xbox advert that aired during the Super Bowl LIII resonated with audiences for its heartwarming charm. The ad was used to showcase the Xbox One adaptive controller, a customised gamepad that allows people with physical limitations to enjoy gaming. Since the commercial’s airing, his channel has grown past 5,000 subscribers and is now over 18,000 at the time of writing. Read the full story.

YouTube revokes bans on Pokémon Go channels that had accidentally been flagged for child porn. YouTube recently reinstated a number of Pokémon GO channels that had been flagged or deleted when video content for Pokemon Go content that was flagged for inappropriate sexual content. A report from the BBC stated that some creators had also had their Google accounts deleted, losing access to emails and other features. Read the full story.

Tencent brings in new broadcasting rules to police hurtful content across its products. Tencent Games is now starting to implement stricter rules for online content that involves any of its products. According to a report from Esports Observer, the new regulations it has created will be applied across all streaming platforms, not just with the platforms Tencent Games is directly involved with. Read the full story.

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/full-disclosure-top-games-streamers-173800490.html

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Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX.ca – Any Brand Not Marketing in the Esports World Is Already Behind the Curve $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $TCEHF

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:46 PM on Wednesday, February 20th, 2019

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

Images
EGLX: TSX-V
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Any Brand Not Marketing in the Esports World Is Already Behind the Curve

It’s valued at $1.5 billion and has a reach of 385 million people globally

  • EGLX is one of the leading platforms for brands to reach the gaming and Esports Audience.
  • “Any Brand Not Marketing in the Esports World Is Already Behind the Curve. It’s valued at $1.5 billion and has a reach of 385 million people globally.
  • Enthusiast’s network of 80+ gaming and Esports related websites with over 75 million visitors on a monthly basis and 900 gaming youtube channels reaching an additional 50 million visitors is well positioned as a lead

By Robert Davis

Esports suffers from a gaming stigma, which has marketers hesitant to delve into the industry. Getty Images

The conference circuit is rife with people preaching about disruption and missed opportunities. Did you hear how Apple redefined the music industry? How about how Uber rearranged the business of personal transportation? I bet you have.

Well, what about that time when the marketing world sat on the sidelines and missed the video game revolution?

Yes, that happened, even though we don’t like to talk about it. As early 8-bit console gaming grew into a $140 billion global juggernaut that captured millions of eyeballs for billions of hours, we never quite figured out the role of advertising within a gaming environment. Aside from a few cool award-winning integrations (e.g., Verizon’s Minecraft phone) and a niche market for in-game programmatic logo placements (think, billboards in car racing games), the gaming landscape is littered with dead pixels from ham-fisted, force-fit attempts at in-game branding that annoyed gamers and disappointed advertisers. Brands can participate via advertising, sponsorships and creative activations much in the same way already they do with any analog sport.

We have a second chance to embrace gaming. One extra life, in the form of esports.

Marketers’ reaction to esports is typically rather black and white: overt enthusiasm or adamant incredulity. Rest assured, fans really do fill professional sports arenas to watch organized competitions among skilled teams of video gamers. With a projected $1.5 billion market next year, a global audience of 385 million people and an inordinate amount of money being invested by the NFL, NBA and NHL along with big-name former players (Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Shaq), many would argue that esports is already the next big thing.

When one peels back the veneer, there’s actually a lot of familiar territory for brands to explore in esports. The model of event/broadcast/influence prevails in every major traditional sport; esports is no different, other than using screens in place of a playing surface. The esports world revolves around a growing network of tangentially aligned teams, leagues and tournaments. Like their counterparts on the ice, parquet and grass, esports stars wield a great amount of social influence. Feeding off social currency and monetary value from posting videos on Twitch and YouTube, gaming stars are rising fast. The best earn millions of dollars a year from their craft and have followings that eclipse even the most popular analog athletes.

Brands can participate via advertising, sponsorships and creative activations much in the same way already they do with any analog sport. There’s no pressure to solve the conundrum of in-game advertising; the value lies in the surrounding media and opportunities. Esports should be a slam dunk for advertisers: Fans pack into arenas, devotedly follow their favorite gamers and watch competitions at home via TV and online streams. That’s right in our wheelhouse.

So why aren’t brands and agencies flocking to esports?

To be fair, some have found their way. Endemic industries and some brave consumer-focused brands have jumped in feet-first. But the gold rush is not on yet. Esports suffers from a stigma passed down from video gaming, the misperception that fans are reclusive tweens and unemployed teens who spend their days worshipping at the altar of Xbox or the sanctum of PlayStation. It’s a popular belief that happens to be wrong. Esports fans skew older (traditionally males between the ages of 21 to 35), and with higher income than marketers generally give them credit for.

There is a generation gap in perception, perhaps a bit of cynical generation gap. The tone used by people who don’t understand esports is similar to that which is directed at snowboarders in that sport’s early days, as if it were somehow an abomination just because it was new.

We blew it with gaming all those years ago, but let’s not do it again with esports. Now is the time for us to take this growing industry seriously. There are only so many multi-billion-dollar trends that come around.

We’ve got that extra life. What will we do with it?

Source: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/any-brands-not-marketing-in-the-esports-world-is-already-behind-the-curve/

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Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL – ESports poised to break $1bn barrier in 2019: Report $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $TCEHF

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:17 PM on Wednesday, February 13th, 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

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ESports poised to break $1bn barrier in 2019: Report

  • The global market for eSports is poised to breach the $1 billion mark this year.
  • Gaming and eSports analytics firm Newzoo’s ‘2019 Global ESports Market Report’ projects that global eSports revenues will hit $1.1B this year.
  • The North America and China markets will spearhead this race with $409.1 million and $210.3 million contribution respectively.

Commodity wise brand investments like media rights, advertising, and sponsorships will contribute 897.2 million – 82% of total revenue. The brand investment contribution is projected to reach $1.5 billion by 2022 and account for 87% of total eSports revenues.

Courtesy: Newzoo

China will remain home to 75 million eSports gamers this year – the most of all global markets – and is expected to register the equivalent of US$210.3 million in revenue. The report also hints that the total eSports audience will reach 453.8 million in 2019.

“These numbers cannot be ignored, and it will double in next 3 years. As per PWC Sports Survey 2018 also ESports tops the chart for “Top ten sports by growth”, says  Lokesh Suji, Director, ESports Federation of India.

ESports has now left football and basketball behind as fastest growing commercial sports. The top ten chart for the fastest growing sports has cricket in the 10th position, a rank below tennis.

“Time has now come to just get involved in eSports, whichever way. Though the revenue numbers for India are miniscule, but India poised to become fastest growing market for esports. Our Infrastructure is getting better day by day and Skills of our esports athletes is improving every passing day,” adds Suji.

The audience will make a significant base to eSports growth, according to Jurre Pannekeet, a senior marketing analyst for NewZoo. Many eSports leagues are shifting their focus towards monetising their audiences having worked hard to establish a loyal fan base, Sportspromedia has quoted Pannekeet as saying.

“ESports has always provided an engaging viewing experience to an audience no longer tied to traditional media,” he said. “This has propelled the massive growth in esports viewership and audience numbers.

“This transition started in 2018, but this year, the industry will take its early learnings and expand upon them. As a result, 2019 will be esports’ first billion-dollar year, and its vigor has attracted brands and companies across every industry.

“Non-endemic brands sponsored eSports organisations in droves last year, which will continue in 2019.”

The League of Legends World Championship was 2018’s biggest tournament by live viewership hours on Twitch, with 53.8 million hours, while the Overwatch League was the most-watched league by live viewership hours on Twitch, generating 79.5 million hours.

The total prize money in 2018 reached $150.8 million, a significant increase from 2017’s $112.1 million.

Source: https://www.insidesport.co/esports-poised-to-break-1bn-barrier-in-2019-report/

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Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX.ca – Newzoo estimates #esports revenue will eclipse $1 billion this year $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $TCEHF

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:18 PM on Tuesday, February 12th, 2019

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

Images
EGLX: TSX-V
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Newzoo estimates esports revenue will eclipse $1 billion this year

Jacob WolfESPN Staff Writer

  • esports market is expected to eclipse $1 billion in revenue for the first time in 2019, according to a market report from research firm Newzoo released on Tuesday.
  • The esports industry brought in $865.1 million in revenue in 2018, according to Newzoo, and stands to reach $1.1 billion in 2019 based on the company’s projections.

The esports market is expected to eclipse $1 billion in revenue for the first time in 2019, according to a market report from research firm Newzoo released on Tuesday. It’s been a long offseason, but the second season of the Overwatch League is about to kick off. How did the Atlantic side fare in the offseason moves?

The esports industry brought in $865.1 million in revenue in 2018, according to Newzoo, and stands to reach $1.1 billion in 2019 based on the company’s projections. With a growth rate of 22.3 percent year over year, Newzoo predicted that the industry will rake in $1.79 billion in revenue by 2022.

These numbers are more modest than previous reports from the firm, which outlined $1.5 billion by 2020. The industry will take an additional year, to hit those numbers, according to Tuesday’s report.

The audience for the space is also expected to grow to include 453.8 million people who consume at least one esports event per year in 2019, with 201 million of those fans watching at least one esports event per month, according to the firm. In 2018, Newzoo found 394.6 million people watched at least one esports event per year.

In October and November, more than 58.3 million hours of the League of Legends World Championship were consumed by viewers, with the majority of that viewership stemming from China. By comparison, the second most-watched tournament, the Dota 2 Asia Championships in February 2018, accrued a total of 12 million hours viewed.

The majority of the esports revenue will come from brand investments, which Newzoo categorizes as sponsorships, advertising and media rights. Forty-two percent of revenues are projected to come from sponsorships, which have hit record numbers in the past few years, according to the report. In the past few months, companies such as Coca-Cola, Alienware and others have forged global deals with the Overwatch League and League Championship Series respectively.

Newzoo also predicted an uptick in interest from media companies both on digital and linear TV. In late 2017 and throughout 2018, the League Championship Series and Overwatch League struck multimillion-dollar deals with ESPN, while the Overwatch League also finalized a two-year, $90-million deal with Amazon-owned livestreaming platform Twitch. Other livestreaming platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and Caffeine — which raised $100 million from Fox News in September — have committed to making bigger investments in the space as well.

Despite increased interest and revenues, average spending per fan will likely increase but still remain very low compared to traditional sports, Newzoo said. In 2019, regular esports consumers will spend $5.45 per year on esports, excluding the purchase of game titles.

Of the 173 million people who consumed esports more than once a month, 72 percent were men, while 28 percent were women, according to Newzoo’s report. The dominant age range for both was 21-35, including 39 percent of men and 15 percent of women. Of viewers who watched at least once per year, Newzoo found that 66 percent were men and 34 percent were women.

Although the benchmark of $1 billion provides optimism, there are some signs that the esports industry is struggling in other areas. Despite more than $500 million being committed to franchise fees in both the Overwatch League and Riot Games’ League Championship Series and League European Championship in 2017 and 2018, some investors have looked to sell, while some teams have made layoffs within the last six months.

In October, OpTic Gaming and Houston Outlaws parent Infinite Esports & Entertainment — which committed $33 million in franchise fees to the Overwatch League and League Championship Series in 2017 — laid off 19 employees and ousted CEO Chris Chaney. Their main shareholders, a group comprised of Texas Rangers owners Neil Leibman and Ray Davis, are now looking to sell majority stake of that company for around $150 million, ESPN reported in January.

Infinite’s ownership group is not alone. Vision Venture Partners, the parent of Echo Fox and Twin Galaxies, had layoffs in November after its H1Z1 Pro League began to unravel in fall 2018. The Overwatch League had layoffs, too, after it overspent its original estimates, league sources said. Its parent company, Activision Blizzard, also shuttered the Heroes of the Storm Global Championship in December, and Activision Blizzard is expected to lay off hundreds employees this week, per a Thursday report from Bloomberg.

Source: http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/25975947/newzoo-estimates-esports-revenue-eclipse-1-billion-year

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Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL – In the Video: This Is How #eSports is also Changing the Sports Industry $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $TCEHF

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:10 PM on Monday, February 11th, 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

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In the Video: This Is How eSports is also Changing the Sports Industry

  • At ISPO Munich 2019 eSports was represented for the first time
  • Competitive gaming has long been more than a hype. And the sports industry can also benefit.

Insights by: ISPO Digitize

Even the big football clubs have long since created facts: Schalke 04, VfL Wolfsburg or FC Bayern have their own departments and employ professional players. Training, competition, ambition and title – just like in any sport. Physical and mental fitness are basic prerequisites.

  The annual event for the digitalization of the sports business! Be a part of it on July 3rd and 4th!  

Martin Müller, Vice President of the German Sports Federation: “The sporting goods industry should have an interest in eSport. We have a relatively large merchandising sector. The big teams go on stage with their jerseys. So as a fan I would like to own such a jersey. When we talk about four million eSportsmen, four million eSportsmen also have to be equipped a bit. And I think there’s great potential for the sporting goods industry.”

Source: https://www.ispo.com/en/markets/video-how-esports-also-changing-sports-industry

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#Esports Versus Traditional Sports, U.S. Versus China – Let the Games Begin $EGLX.ca $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $TCEHF

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:50 AM on Monday, February 11th, 2019
  • Total eSports revenues reached US $869 million in 2018 and are expected to surpass US$6 billion by 2028, according to Fact.MR.
  • NewZoo estimated the global eSports audience at 380 million for 2018, made up of 165 million Esports enthusiasts and 215 million occasional viewers.

POINT ROBERTS, Wash., Feb. 11, 2019 — Investorideas.com, a leading investor news resource covering gaming and eSports stocks issues a special edition of Play by Play looking at the explosive growth of the sector and how battles are playing out; eSports versus traditional sports and the U.S. versus China bid for leadership.

Total eSports revenues reached US $869 million in 2018 and are expected to surpass US$6 billion by 2028, according to Fact.MR.

NewZoo estimated the global eSports audience at 380 million for 2018, made up of 165 million Esports enthusiasts and 215 million occasional viewers. Meanwhile, Activate projects that by 2021 eSports will have more US viewers than all other professional sports leagues, with the exception of the NFL.

With all this money and viewership at stake, you can expect the big boys to enter the playing field; and yes they certainly have.  On July 2018, ESPN, Disney XD and Blizzard Entertainment, a division of Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI), announced an exclusive multiyear agreement for live television coverage of the Overwatch League™, the world’s first major global city-based eSports league.

Seeing the future shift in sports and eSports, Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots, Jeff Wilpon of the New York Mets and the LA Rams’ Stan Kroenke invested heavily into their own franchises within Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch eSports league.

Overwatch franchise valuations are $60 million to $80 million, depending on country and city according to a Forbes article. Adding to its value, news hit on Friday that Coca-Cola signed a deal with Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues to become the official non-alcoholic beverage of Overwatch League and all other Overwatch properties. 

With North America as the largest eSports market in 2018, Enthusiast Gaming (TSXV: EGLX.V) (OTCQB: EGHIF), a gaming company building the world’s largest community of authentic gamers.  strategically announced yesterday that it opened a US-based office and hired a sales team to drive advertising sales and increase annual revenue.

According to the news, “The US-based sales team is based in San Francisco and will be responsible for leading North American sales. This expands the company’s current reach with a sales team in San Francisco, London, UK, and the corporate head office in Toronto. The company kicked off the opening of the sales office with a West Coast advertising roadshow, meeting with top gaming publishers, global brands, and media agencies.”

Undaunted by the fact that they are a smaller company, Enthusiast Gaming is building their network and has positioned themselves at the forefront of the market, led by Menashe Kestenbaum, Founder and CEO. The numbers speak for themselves, with a platform of more than 80 owned and affiliated websites reaching 75 million monthly visitors and 900 YouTube channels with an additional 50 million monthly visitors.

Other major deal flow in the US; Take-Two Interactive Software’s deal with the NBA and Electronic Arts Inc.’s partnerships with the NFL and ESPN. The massive streaming player growth on YouTube and Amazon is yet another indication this industry is not going away anytime soon. 

The China eSports market is second to the United States and according to Dragon Social: “Live streaming, combined with video games has become one of the most popular forms of entertainment for people in China.”

China-based Tencent Holdings Ltd (OTCMKTS: TCEHY) (HKG: 0700) is the biggest gaming company in the world, spending $150 million a year to maintain that dominance. Bloomberg noted, “Along with Activision Blizzard Inc., Tencent’s become one of the most aggressive promoters of pro-gaming. It’s hard to overstate the mania that’s gripped China in particular: at least 10,000 teams exist across the country despite just 12 spots in this year’s marquee King Pro League tournament.”

Streaming video player Huya (NYSE: HUYA) provides a live-streaming platform for gamers to share their experiences and has been dubbed, the ‘Twitch of China’ and says they are the largest in China. Reporting on its NYSE IPO, Forbes said, “HUYA is known for its sticky gaming community who engage in interactive social media features such as gifting and adding commentary during online streaming sessions.”

US company Twitch is a live streaming video platform bought by Amazon in 2014 for $970 million. Twitch viewers between Wednesday, 30th January and Tuesday, 5th February: lowest viewers 625,376 (Monday, 4th 09:00) and peak viewers 2,240,001 (Saturday, 2nd 19:00). 

It’s game on for the US versus China and eSports versus traditional sports. Let the games begin.

For investors following gaming & eSports stocks, Investor Ideas has created a directory of gaming stocks.

Read previous editions of Play by Play

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Posted in All Recent Posts, Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. | Comments Off on #Esports Versus Traditional Sports, U.S. Versus China – Let the Games Begin $EGLX.ca $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $TCEHF

Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX.ca – Esports Playing in the Big Leagues Now $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $TCEHF

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:21 AM on Friday, February 8th, 2019

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

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EGLX: TSX-V
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Esports Playing in the Big Leagues Now

  • In 2018, esports captured the attention of nearly 400 million viewers worldwide—and cable and OTT platforms took note, with media rights revenues topping $180 million.
  • Total esports revenues reached $869 million in 2018, and is forecast to more than triple by 2022, reaching $2.96 billion, according to an October 2018 report by Goldman Sachs.

By Lucy Koch

In 2018, esports captured the attention of nearly 400 million viewers worldwide—and cable and OTT platforms took note, with media rights revenues topping $180 million.

Total esports revenues reached $869 million in 2018, and is forecast to more than triple by 2022, reaching $2.96 billion, according to an October 2018 report by Goldman Sachs.

More modestly, a report from PwC (cited by the Goldman Sachs report) projected worldwide esports revenues of $1.58 billion by 2022—an 18.4% compounded annual growth rate.

Ad Revenue

According to PwC, esports revenues totaled $805 million in 2018, with the largest portion coming from sponsorships ($277 million), followed by media rights and streaming advertisements.

PwC estimated that over the next three to five years, media rights revenue would grow 11.5%—to roughly $449 million by 2022. That’s more than twice the growth rate of sponsorship and advertising, at 5.5%.

As audiences grow, so do expectations. Esports viewers want to be able to watch their favorite teams, players and tournaments on any screen, at any time—and this will push profitability.

Paul Verna, principal analyst at eMarketer, explains: “Marketers who try to reach esports fans through video ads will be able to tap into the sophisticated targeting and measurement capabilities that streaming services offer. In that sense, there’s more value to a marketer in attaching itself to game streams than sponsoring an event or team. It’s all about harnessing data.”

And there’s plenty of data to harness.

Esports Viewers

There were approximately 380 million esports viewers in 2018, and that’s expected to surge to roughly 557 million viewers by 2021, according to a report from Newzoo. Of those 557 million projected viewers, 307 million will identify as “occasional viewers” and 250 million will consider themselves “esports enthusiasts”.

Breaking Down Key Players

Occasional Viewers: People who watch professional esports content less than once a month.

Esports Enthusiasts: People who watch professional esports content more than once a month.

What’s more, Asia-Pacific leads the global esports market and is projected to capture the largest market share, with $1.5 billion by 2022, according to a study from Activate. Close behind, Europe and the US tie for second at $1.2 billion.

“The US is a natural growth opportunity for esports because of the strong gaming culture here, the ties between gaming and sports, and the country’s natural inclination toward competitive endeavors. The same is true of Western European markets, particularly the UK, Germany, and France,” Verna said.

Somewhat behind the curve due to the lack of fixed broadband, Latin America will account for just $100 million of esports market share by 2022. However, growth is expected in Brazil and Mexico, where esports is officially recognized as a sport.

What This Means for Marketers

With such expansive reach, it’s no surprise that marketers have taken note. According to Newzoo, global “brand investment revenues”—including advertising and scholarships—will nearly double from $694 million in 2018 to $1.39 billion by 2021.

But in today’s fast-paced society, it’s necessary to mirror esports’ form when it comes to implementing advertisements in that space.

Joshua Dyck, associate professor and co-director of the Center for Public Opinion at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, says that people—teens specifically—can be receptive to esports marketing depending on execution. Dyck explains that “the important thing to look at is whether the ad slows down play performance. If the ad forces people to watch a 30-second spot, it will probably make them angry. Part of the enjoyment comes from the continuous play.”

Verna adds that the majority of the esports market is young and is “therefore less likely to be reached through traditional ad channels than an older TV audience,” saying that “sponsorships and endorsements are equally viable for marketers whose brands align with the target audience.”

Source: https://www.emarketer.com/content/esports-disrupts-digital-sports-streaming

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Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL – China recognizes #esports as a profession $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $TCEHF

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:03 PM on Wednesday, February 6th, 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

China recognizes esports as a profession

  • China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (CMHRSS) announced 15 new professions on Jan. 25, including “esports professional” and “esports operator.”
  • The world’s most populous nation has finally recognized esports as a legitimate profession, and the ministry has officially identified it in the courts.

Jerome Heath

China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (CMHRSS) announced 15 new professions on Jan. 25, including “esports professional” and “esports operator.”

The world’s most populous nation has finally recognized esports as a legitimate profession, and the ministry has officially identified it in the courts. It comes as news following last year, when the Chinese government issued its support and interest in the esports industry.

The term “esports professional” is defined as players who compete in esports tournaments, perform at esports events, or train with other professional players, according to the CMHRSS. While “esports operator” is explicitly classified as those who organize or develop content for esports tournaments.

Additionally, the CMHRSS noted that “account boosting” is one of the main jobs accompanying the esports profession. Account boosting and cheating are punishable offenses in League of Legends, Overwatch, and a number of other esports titles, and have caused controversy in the past. A lack of communication between the Chinese government and the esports industry could be the reason for the term account boosting being used, or it could just be a misunderstanding.

The term account boosting could have been used by the CMHRSS to reference players using their teammates’ account during professional play, but generally “account boosting” is defined as the act of one player logging into another player’s account with the intent of boosting their rank.

Former LMQ League of Legends player Yu “XiaoWeiXiao” Xian received a one-year ban for account boosting in Aug. 2015, Philadelphia Fusion player Su-min “SADO” Kim was suspended from the Overwatch League after accusations of taking part in a boosting scheme in Nov. 2017, and 1,400 Overwatch accounts were banned for boosting in Aug. 2018.

It is not clear yet if the ministry’s use of the word account boosting will be revised. However, the announcement of the inclusion of esports professional and esports operator as official jobs is a positive step for the growth of esports in China. It means that Chinese players will have extended working rights, giving them easier access to working visas, and allow them more freedom of movement.

Source: https://dotesports.com/business/news/china-recognizes-esports-as-profession

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