04.24.23 - Esports Weekly Digest
?? Esports Weekly Digest - News Recap: 04.17.23 - 04.24.23
This past week saw a plethora of new brand partnerships with esports organizations and tournament organizers. See the full list of brands, teams, and tournament organizers mentioned in the newsletter below:
Brands: Monster Energy , aramco , Oakley , 新百伦 , Bonchon , Make-A-Wish America (Georgia), 联想 , PokerStars , Red Bull , Pay4Fun Institui??o de Pagamento S.A , Red Bull
Teams/Tournament Organizers: Edward Gaming (EDG), NRG , Dallas Cowboys , FURIA , G2 Esports , FaZe Clan , TALON , XSET , ESL FACEIT Group - EFG , Saudi Esports Federation , DreamHack Activision Blizzard , Riot Games
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?? Partnerships and Activations:
Monster Energy partnered with the Call of Duty League as the Official Energy Drink sponsor for the remainder of 2023 and the 2024 season ( Activision Blizzard ). Monster will ‘fuel’ all 12 pro teams in the league and present exclusive content for viewers, including: (Source)
Saudi Arabian energy company aramco partnered with the Saudi Esports Federation as a strategic partner. Aramco will sponsor two esports events in Saudi Arabia: Gamers Without Borders and Gamers8: The Land of Heroes. (ESI Source)
Oakley partners with China-based esports organization Edward Gaming (EDG) players Tian ‘Meiko’ Ye (LoL), Yuan ‘NingZhi’ Jun (Arena of Valor), and LPL caster Guan Zeyuan. The trio will endorse Oakley's line of eyewear, appear in a new Oakley esports eyewear series commercial, and participate in other brand activities according to SPORTFIVE who brokered the deal. (Source)
新百伦 teamed up with gaming platform Rival to grow the organization’s global gaming community. Through a series of online tournaments on the Rival platform, New Balance looks to give the gaming community special access to the brand through athletes, ambassadors, unique experiences, and exclusive products. (Source)
Korean fried chicken restaurant chain Bonchon partnered with Overwatch League franchise San Francisco Shock for the 2023 season ( NRG ). Bonchon will be the primary sponsor of San Francisco Shock’s watch parties as the brand enters its 1st-ever esports partnership. (Source)
Georgia Esports League, operated by Skillshot Media and Ghost Gaming , launched a partnership with Make-A-Wish Georgia. Skillshot aims to leverage gaming to grant wishes and raise significant funds required to support the mission of Make-A-Wish Georgia. (Source)
NFL franchise Dallas Cowboys , in collaboration with gaming and esports company GameSquare Holdings Inc. , announced the launch of ‘Dallas Cowboys Game Time‘, the official gaming competition platform and community powered by 联想 . Dallas Cowboys Game Time will feature always-on gaming programming, offering Dallas Cowboys fans and gamers nationwide an opportunity to connect, compete, and earn exclusive prizes in an effort to grow ‘multigenerational fandom.’ They will utilize these networks of relationships additionally with Complexity Gaming, to cross-promote fandom, drive new revenue streams and create unforgettable experiences. (Source)
Brazilian esports organization FURIA held an event deemed ‘Casa FURIA’ during the IEM Rio Major 2023 last weekend. The event aims to be a ‘celebration of Brazilian culture’, and will feature broadcasts of FURIA’s matches as well as performances and activations by FURIA partners: PokerStars , Red Bull , BetNacional, AGON by AOC, and their newest partner Pay4Fun Institui??o de Pagamento S.A . (Source)
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?? Org News:
Berlin-based esports organization G2 Esports turned a profit in 2021, according to a financial report released in German — posting a 1.37 million euro EBITDA. Alban Dechelotte , current CEO who replaced long-time CEO Carlos Rodriguez at the end of 2022, told Digiday that revenue is split among brand collaborations (60%), payment from game publishers (30%) and consumer products like team jerseys (10%). (Source)
To regain compliance with Nasdaq listing rules, FaZe Clan is seeking approval from its stockholders to consolidate the number of its existing shares. The 2023 annual shareholders meeting outlines 3 key agenda points that FaZe Clan’s stockholders will be asked to vote on: the re-election of two members of FaZe Clan’s board of directors, the appointment of an independent accounting firm for 2023, and the approval of a reverse stock split. (TEA Source)
Hong Kong-Based TALON Esports and esports media and marketing organization United Esports launch a collaborative music album for one of Thailand’s biggest content creators, Gamtoh. The album was co-produced by Gamtoh, American musician and songwriter Prince Fox, and musician-turned-executive Felix LaHaye. The album title ‘Game Time by Gamtoh,’ is a playful blend of house and EDM, with each track representing a specific moment in the gaming experience. The goal was to create copyright-free music for streamers. (Source)?
Boston-based esports organization XSET signed Web3 gaming creator and advocate Bryce “Brycent” Johnson to its roster (represented by VaynerSports ). The former software engineer turned content creator became prominent in the Axie Infinity community and being the founder of a Web3-powered social payments system designed to grow communities known as Loot Bolt. This partnership is XSET’s first effort to engage the Web3 community. (Source)
??? Tournament/League/Publisher News:
Riot Games is addressing the lack of revenue drivers to monetize team fandom by building a virtual ticket program that will both enhance the fan experience watching events online and also generate revenue. The primary goals of the “Virtual Pass” are to give fans: A rich online Worlds viewing experience, a bundle of products and services at a tremendous value, and more ways to express their fandom and excitement.?Although it’s great that Riot Games outlines steps to create more revenue within teams, it doesn't tell all parties involved how Riot plans to grow and create fans at a time where viewership is declining across LoL Leagues worldwide. (Source)
The U.S. Justice Department agreed to a settlement with Activision Blizzard to resolve the department's lawsuit filed on Monday over salary limits in professional esports leagues. Under the settlement, which still must be approved by a federal judge, Activision agreed to stop putting any caps or limits on salaries of esports players or teams within the Overwatch League and Call of Duty League. (Source)
ESL FACEIT Group - EFG FACEIT Group and technology company Intel have announced that the Intel Grand Slam will continue in Counter-Strike 2. The new Intel Grand Slam started with IEM Rio 2023 and will include events in both CS:GO and CS 2, meaning a team can win the Grand Slam with victories across both games. (Source)
Nintendo wins a court battle against sharehosting website operator DSTORAGE that used its site to pirate Nintendo-owned games. The Court of Appeals has now ordered Dstorage to pay $485,756.52 USD to Nintendo in compensation, as well as $27,428.38 to cover legal fees. (Source)
SEGA is acquiring Angry Birds maker Rovio Entertainment for $776 million, which would be for the entirety of Rovio’s outstanding shares and options. Sega wants to use Rovio to expand its presence in the mobile gaming market and use its live-operated mobile game development capabilities to boost development of mobile-based versions of pre-existing games. (Source)
DreamHack San Diego generated an estimated $4.7M USD in economic impact during the three-day gaming lifestyle festival that was held at the San Diego Convention Center from April 7-9. (Source)
?? Insight(s) of the week:
Esports Charts & Streams Charts provided a breakdown of total brands and sponsorships going on in Riot Games VCT: International Leagues by region (Americas, EMEA, and the Pacific). Some key takeaways from the study: (Source)