BLAST, a global leader in competitive entertainment, has officially announced the appointment of Steve Rossi as Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships. Rossi joins the team at a pivotal moment, following a record-breaking 2025 that saw the company expand its footprint into New York City, Malta, and Mumbai.

With over 20 years of experience in strategic partnerships across sports, media, and gaming, Rossi is set to lead BLAST’s next phase of commercial evolution.

A Proven Leader in Global Commercial Strategy

Rossi’s career is defined by his ability to bridge the gap between iconic intellectual properties and Fortune 100 brands. His previous roles include senior leadership positions at:

• Activision Blizzard: Where he was instrumental in the commercialization and global expansion of Activision Blizzard Esports.

• National Football League (NFL): Driving integrated sponsorships across the NFL Network and digital platforms.

• Univision Communications: Designing and activating media partnerships across live and linear platforms.

• PlayVS: Focusing on the intersection of youth esports and brand engagement.

Based in the newly established New York office, Rossi will oversee BLAST’s global Sponsorship Sales and Partner Management & Activation.

Building on a Record-Breaking 2025

The appointment comes as BLAST continues to scale at an unprecedented rate. In 2025, the company delivered:

• 15 Arena Events staged across eight different countries.

• Broadcasts in 30+ Languages reaching fans in over 100 territories.

• Expanded Portfolio: Continued investment in top-tier titles including Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Rainbow Six, PUBG, Rocket League, Fortnite, and Brawl Stars.

“BLAST has built a truly premium proposition at the intersection of entertainment, gaming, sport and culture,” said Steve Rossi. “I’m excited to work with the team to build long-term, high-impact partnerships that deliver real value for brands, publishers and fans alike.”

A Strategic Vision for 2026

Leo Matlock, Chief Business Officer at BLAST, emphasized that Rossi’s leadership will be instrumental as the company evolves its partnership offerings. “Steve brings deep experience across esports, sport, media and entertainment. His ability to scale global commercial partnerships makes him the perfect fit for BLAST at this incredibly exciting time.”

As BLAST enters 2026, the focus remains on delivering fan-first experiences and commercially impactful collaborations that maintain BLAST’s position as a pioneer in the competitive gaming space.

Learn More

To stay updated on BLAST’s upcoming arena events and commercial ventures, visit the official BLAST website.

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Kansas Lottery has officially selected Instant Win Gaming (IWG) as its primary partner for eInstant game content, marking a major expansion of the state’s digital lottery program. The agreement, announced on January 8, 2026, will see IWG supply its full portfolio of digital “scratch” games to Kansas players, building on the lottery’s successful iLottery launch in February 2025.

Strategic Milestone for Kansas iLottery

Kansas becomes the 33rd NASPL/WLA member lottery and the 9th in the U.S. to adopt IWG’s digital content. The partnership focuses on “digital transformation”—taking the mechanics players love from physical retail scratchers and reimagining them for the mobile screen.

• Retail Synergy: IWG will develop games specifically inspired by Kansas’ top-performing retail tickets, ensuring familiarity for long-time players.

• Constant Refresh: Using IWG’s InstantRGS (Remote Game Server), the Kansas Lottery will maintain a consistent roadmap of new titles to keep the digital lobby fresh.

• Rapid Onboarding: IWG’s server is already integrated with the Pollard Catalyst platform, which powers the Kansas iLottery system, allowing for a seamless technical rollout.

The “Catalyst” for Growth

The Kansas Lottery’s iLottery program originally went live on February 13, 2025, achieving the record for the fastest full-featured implementation in U.S. history (just 10 months from scoping). By tapping IWG, the Lottery is shifting from its “Loyalty-First” phase into a high-growth “Content-First” phase.

“Their experience transforming retail scratch styles into successful digital formats made this partnership an easy decision,” said Stephen Durrell, Executive Director of the Kansas Lottery. “We’re excited for Kansas players to experience the depth and quality of IWG’s portfolio.”

Market Impact and Roadmap

Feature	Details
Partner	Instant Win Gaming (IWG)
Integration	Pollard Catalyst Cloud-Native Platform
Target Audience	235,000+ “PlayOn” Loyalty Members
Game Strategy	Retail-to-Digital “Scratcher” Mechanics
U.S. Context	9th U.S. State to deploy IWG eInstants

Jason Lisiecki, Executive Vice President at IWG, noted that the Kansas strategy aligns perfectly with IWG’s leadership in the North American space, focusing on scaling engagement through high-performing, proven mechanics.

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