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Fosun Sports Group Announces New Entity to Deepen Global Sports Industry Footprint

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On October 19, Fosun Sports Group (hereinafter referred to as “Fosun Sports”), a global pan-sports industry operating group company and subsidiary of Fosun International’s happiness segment, announced the formal establishment of Fosun Sports as a holding entity, and the acquisition of core operating assets and management team of Foyo, in games, esports and sports. At the same time, Fosun Sports has received a minority strategic investment from the U.S. finance and technology firm, PEAK6 Investments, which will continue to deepen the global industrial layout around the core business of sports, esports and games in the future.

Since Fosun acquired Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club in 2016, Fosun Sports has relied on the group’s global resources and built a professional team to operate the club consistently and steadily, which has greatly enhanced Wolves’ brand value. In 2018, Wolves won the EFL Championship title and returned to the English Premier League, with 7th placed-finishes in the Premier League for two consecutive seasons and a last-eight finish in the UEFA Europa League. Wolves ranked 19th in the Brand Finance 2020 football club brand value rankings.

Meanwhile, Fosun Sports has built a sports-focused platform to offer its community of loyal football and esports fans a unique and innovative range of products (merchandising, sports fashion…) + content (music, mobile gaming, social media) + experience (matches, gaming portal…). Today, Fosun Sports has found its unique path to directly communicate with young audiences and connect with core users.

In 2019, Fosun Sports established the trendy sports brand WWFC based on the Wolves IP (Intellectual Property) and launched a collaboration series. Through “Wolves Fashion Night” and “Wolves Fan Night”, Fosun Sports harnessed the combined power of its projects, fully deploying the resources of fashion, trend, and partner brands. Wolves has now been successfully transformed from a traditional soccer brand to a diversified pan-sports lifestyle brand and is known as a practitioner of “sports + fashion” in the industry. Such IP operation capability also makes Fosun Sports the exclusive authorised partner of CFA (China Football Association) China Team to develop licensed products and create a new “content + trend + youth” lifestyle brand “My Home Field”.

In addition, Fosun Sport actively entered the esports industry. Since 2018, Wolves has been one of the most active Premier League clubs in esports, with three teams in the UK – FIFA 22, Rocket League and Le Mans/Formula Pro Series sim racing, as well as strong collaborations with other popular esports titles such as Fortnite. From 2019, Fosun Sports has entered the China esports market with the “Wolves Esports” brand, currently with five divisions including Honor of Kings, QQ Speed, Identity V, Call of Duty Mobile, FIFA Online 4, and has won multiple titles in international and domestic major competitions. Three out of the five squads have won championships in various national or global competitions.

The acquisition of Chongqing QGhappy (now renamed as Chongqing Wolves), the Honor of Kings professional league team with six championship titles, in September, was one of the most critical moves by Fosun Sports to connect with young audiences in the esports world, further expanding its esports footprint by entering KPL, the top league of mobile gaming with 100 million daily active users. The addition of a Wolves KPL squad has made the Wolves Esports brand one of the best in Asia.

The strategic investor in Fosun Sports, PEAK6, is the owner of North American esports powerhouse Evil Geniuses, a team with a long and decorated history since its foundation in 1999, and the winner of the fifth International DOTA2 Championships (Ti5). Fosun Sports then made a strategic investment into Evil Geniuses in July 2021, building deep cooperation between Wolves and Evil Geniuses, and thus entering the North American esports market.

From DOTA2, Honor of Kings, FIFA, Call of Duty Mobile, QQ Speed, Identity V and virtual 24 hours of Le Mans combined with traditional sports, Fosun Sports has advanced in the esports market in China, North America and Europe, achieving “full coverage” in esports both geographically and in terms of projects.

Fosun Sports has reached more than 30 million fans worldwide through its two core businesses of soccer and esports, which brings infinite possibilities for business development to form a global sports ecosystem.

Mr. Jeff Shi, Chairman of Fosun Sports, said he was delighted to have PEAK6 join the Fosun Sports family. “Our organisations have great synergy, from our mutual desire to challenge conformity, to our openness for collaboration, and of course our shared passion for sports, technology and achieving success through hard work, intelligence and innovation.”

“We are confident PEAK6 can help bring Fosun Sports and Wolves a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and learning, and support Fosun Sports to become a sports industry group with global influence and much success.”

Fosun Sports is also one of the key business units of Fosun’s happiness segment. After the restructuring, the company will have the opportunity of rapid development with empowerment from Fosun’s ecology, and to gain greater synergies through mutual empowerment with other member brands in the Fosun system.

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SA Gaming partners with EGT Digital to offer extraordinary gaming experiences

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SA Gaming is delighted to announce our new partner, EGT Digital, one of the largest gaming platforms in Europe. This agreement will see our games available on EGT Digital’s platform.

This collaboration marks an important milestone for both of us as it enhances our brand visibility and allows us to reach a broader audience. This alliance is also bringing elevated gaming experience to players on the platform of EGT Digital.

As one of the fastest-growing brands in Europe, EGT Digital has an extensive network and a comprehensive product portfolio that attract a diverse player base from numerous markets around the world. As players of EGT Digital now have access to our wide range of Live Games, which are certain to attract players – this new partnership certainly fulfills the business objectives of both EGT Digital and SA Gaming.

EGT Digital’s spokesperson commented, “For us at EGT Digital, the priority number 1 is always to give our customers the best gaming experience. That is why we are very pleased to have the opportunity to offer them SA Gaming’s titles, standing out with great thematic diversity, highly engaging mechanics and captivating bonuses. We believe that this partnership will both enrich our platform and enhance the game developer’s reach, while providing players with access to the high-quality gaming content they are looking for.”

As we continue to provide top-notch entertainment, this agreement creates new room for both of us to grow and flourish. We are eager to embark on this journey together and look forward to the infinite possibilities that would deliver exceptional value to all players.

The post SA Gaming partners with EGT Digital to offer extraordinary gaming experiences appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Max Level wins PR & Communications mandate for LVL Zero Gaming Incubator

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Max Level, a leading marketing and PR agency built by gamers, has been appointed as the official PR and communications partner for LVL Zero, a first-of-its-kind incubator program spearheaded by ChimeraVC in partnership with MIXI Global Investments and Nazara Technologies. The initiative aims to accelerate the growth of early-stage gaming startups in India through a 100-day structured program combining mentorship, product acceleration and capital access.

LVL Zero offers an equity-free grant pool worth USD 100,000, open to all startups across the gaming ecosystem. Each cohort will see 10 startups receive a USD 10,000 equity-free grant. The program is designed to help startups accelerate product development through targeted mentorship, access to funding opportunities, and connections with publishing networks. Over the next five years, LVL Zero aims to empower more than 100 promising startups to build sustainable businesses and compete globally.

Speaking on the partnership, Krish Anurag, Managing Partner at ChimeraVC and Founding Partner at LVL Zero said: “LVL Zero is our commitment to catalysing the next generation of gaming founders from India and Asia. We’re thrilled to have Max Level on board as our communications partner. Their deep understanding of the gaming ecosystem, narrative expertise, and proven network within the media landscape make them the ideal agency to help us amplify this initiative and the founders who will shape the future of gaming.”

As the PR and communications partner for LVL Zero, Max Level will lead the initiative’s storytelling and thought leadership strategy, spotlighting the success stories emerging from each cohort to highlight the program’s impact on the gaming startup ecosystem. With a proven track record as the communications partner for some of India’s leading gaming and esports brands, including NODWIN Gaming, S8UL Esports, Riot Games, and CyberPowerPC India, Max Level brings deep industry insight, strategic narrative expertise, and an authentic understanding of the gaming community to help LVL Zero achieve its vision and amplify its influence across the region.

Siddharth Nayyar, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Max Level, added: “LVL Zero is an incredible incubator program for gaming startups in India, and we’re excited to help tell its story. The program is perfectly aligned with our mission to support the growth of India’s gaming and creator economy, and we look forward to driving awareness around the founders, ideas, and innovations emerging from LVL Zero’s cohorts.”

In addition to PR and communications, Max Level provides gaming and esports brands with an array of services, including campaign management, brand building, production, video editing, social media marketing, influencer programs, and consultancy. The agency’s portfolio spans leading names such as NODWIN Gaming, S8UL, Riot Games India and South Asia, CyberPowerPC India, KRAFTON, the Saudi Esports Federation, ESL FACEIT Group, The Esports World Cup, ASUS ROG, Jio Games, TVS, and HyperX, among others.

This partnership marks another milestone in Max Level’s mission to power narratives that elevate India’s gaming, esports, and tech ecosystem globally.

The post Max Level wins PR & Communications mandate for LVL Zero Gaming Incubator appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Nazara’s Subsidiary Absolute Sports Enters Pickleball, Acquires Mumbai Franchise in Indian Pickleball League

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Absolute Sports Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Nazara Technologies Limited and the parent company of Sportskeeda and Pro Football Network, has announced its entry into the fast-growing global sport of pickleball through the acquisition of the Mumbai franchise in the inaugural Indian Pickleball League.

The franchise rights agreement has been executed with PWR Indian League and Tour Private Limited, organizers of the league and strategically backed by The Times Group, one of India’s largest media conglomerates.

Pickleball is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports. Globally, the market is projected to expand from USD 1.5 billion in 2023 to USD 4.4 billion by 2033. In India, participation has surged 159% between 2019 and 2022, driven by increased adoption across sport, fitness, and community recreation centers. The launch of the Indian Pickleball League is expected to propel the sport into mainstream fan culture and open meaningful commercial opportunities across media, merchandising, and grassroots engagement.

With exclusive rights to the Mumbai territory, Absolute Sports will build and operate the team, including its digital identity, brand, website, social channels, athlete marketing, and fan engagement programs. The franchise strengthens Absolute Sports’ mission of bridging digital fandom with on-ground sporting experiences and aligns with its expansion strategy into high-growth sports ecosystems.

Ajay Pratap Singh, Director & CEO of Absolute Sports, said: “Our mission at Absolute Sports is simple, be where the fans are. Pickleball is no longer an emerging trend. It’s a global movement and is rapidly becoming a lifestyle and competitive sport in India. Securing the Mumbai franchise allows us to deeply engage with this growing community and leverage our expertise in content, storytelling, and fandom to build a team that the city can rally behind. This investment is perfectly aligned with our strategy of targeting high-engagement sports assets.”

Vineet Jain, Managing Director, The Times Group, said: “We are delighted to welcome Nazara as the owners of the Mumbai franchise in the Indian Pickleball League. Nazara has been a pioneer in gaming and digital sports entertainment, and their entry into IPBL is yet another signal of the exciting future of this sport. With their innovation-driven mindset and deep understanding of young India, we believe they will play a transformative role in shaping the league, inspiring fans, and building a strong and passionate pickleball community in Mumbai. Together, we look forward to taking the sport to new heights and creating a league that India will be proud of.”

With the Asia-Pacific region projected to be the fastest-growing pickleball market through 2029, this move positions Absolute Sports and by extension, Nazara Technologies — at the forefront of a new and rapidly scaling sports category.

The post Nazara’s Subsidiary Absolute Sports Enters Pickleball, Acquires Mumbai Franchise in Indian Pickleball League appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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