Latest News

ESL Gaming and Maincast extend media rights agreement for four years

Published

4 years ago

December 23, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

ESL Gaming, the world’s leading esports company, has today announced that it will extend its exclusive collaboration with Maincast for a further four years. With the current agreement running until 2023, the addition of multiple years ensures fans in Russia and the rest of the CIS region can keep enjoying ESL Gaming’s full premium product portfolio in their local language until Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice 2027.

As part of the extension, Maincast keeps the exclusive rights to broadcast ESL Gaming’s tournaments on its Twitch channels in Russian and other CIS languages. Moreover, the agreement covers the complete product portfolio consisting of ESL Pro Tour Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), ESL Pro Tour StarCraft® II, and ESL Mobile, as well as ESL Gaming’s competitions for Dota 2.

ESL Gaming and Maincast joined forces in 2020, and their partnership has already seen ESL Gaming’s audience in the CIS region grow vastly, and the total amount of views doubled since then. Hitting a peak of 382,000 concurrent viewers during IEM Katowice 2020, Maincast delivered some of the best numbers for CS:GO globally. Additionally, ESL One Los Angeles 2020 became the most-watched online tournament in Dota 2 on Maincast’s Twitch channels with over 13 million views. These are but a couple of the success stories that show how Maincast excels in Russian-language broadcasts.

“Maincast is one of our biggest media partners and expertly localizes our competitions to fans all over the CIS region,” said Frank Uddo, Senior Vice President Global Media at ESL Gaming. “They are great to work with and we are particularly excited to see, through this seven-year partnership, how committed they are to significantly invest in esports long-term. It is a testament to how integral esports has become within the region and we look forward to building even more success in the future with them.”

“In 2020 Maincast signed a multi-year partnership agreement with ESL Gaming to broadcast their tournaments in Eastern Europe. In this period we’ve created an industry-defining product, finished numerous projects in close collaboration and provided on-site coverage of dozens of events,” said Andrii Grygoriev, CEO and co-founder of Maincast. “We are excited to announce that our partnership with ESL Gaming is extended up till Q2 2027. We’ve already begun working on long-term projects and looking for new ways of refining and improving our product. We will do our best to give our viewers even more high-quality broadcasts and on-site content, which you’ll always be able to find on our channels.”

1X2 Network

1X2 Network launches in Finland via Veikkaus deal

Published

40 minutes ago

May 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

1x2-network-launches-in-finland-via-veikkaus-deal

Initial rollout brings 10 slots from Iron Dog Studio and Prospect Gaming to the state-owned operator, via Light & Wonder.

1X2 Network has entered the Finnish market after signing a content partnership with Veikkaus, Finland’s state-owned gaming operator.

Under the agreement, a selection of titles from 1X2 Network studios Iron Dog Studio and Prospect Gaming will go live for Finnish players for the first time. The initial rollout includes 10 games, with named titles including 3 HOT CHILLI PEPPERS, 3 PORKY BANKS HOLD and WIN EXTRA, BURN IN HELL, and PIÑATA GO GO.

1X2 Network said the integration was enabled through its collaboration with Light & Wonder, which is supplying the route to market for the content.

Kevin Reid, Chief Executive Officer at 1X2 Network said: “We are delighted to partner with Veikkaus and bring our games to players in Finland. Veikkaus has built a strong reputation as a trusted and responsible operator, and this launch represents an exciting opportunity for us to introduce titles from our flagship studios, Iron Dog Studio and Prospect Gaming to a brand-new audience.”

Riikka Seppänen, VP, iCasino at Veikkaus said: “We are pleased to welcome content from 1X2 Network to our platform. Their games offer engaging gameplay and popular features that we believe will resonate well with our players while supporting our commitment to delivering high quality and responsible entertainment.”

The post 1X2 Network launches in Finland via Veikkaus deal appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Digital Wallets

Neosurf reorganises operations as it targets Europe and the Americas expansion

Published

40 minutes ago

May 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

neosurf-reorganises-operations-as-it-targets-europe-and-the-americas-expansion

Neosurf has reorganised its operations as it prepares to scale products and expand across Europe and the Americas, the cash-to-digital payments provider said.

The company said the updated structure is intended to better support the rollout of “new market-ready products” and help it deliver its payment solutions “on a wider scale.” Neosurf did not disclose what specific organisational changes were made or whether the move affects headcount.

Neosurf also positioned the reorganisation as a way to improve agility in response to future regulatory changes, saying the company aims to remain flexible operationally and technologically as it moves into its “next major phase of its evolution.”

Andrea McGeachin, Global CEO at Neosurf, said: “As we continue to grow our new digital wallet products across Europe and the Americas, it’s important that our organisation evolves alongside our ambitions. Our new structure ensures that we’re built for agility, resilience, and long-term success, and we remain committed to our mission of bridging the gap between cash and digital payments with an optimised foundation that’s built to proactively anticipate and adapt to future regulatory change.”

Neosurf said it will share further updates on its plans “shortly.”

The post Neosurf reorganises operations as it targets Europe and the Americas expansion appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

appointments

GameOn appoints Fana Colette as Senior Social Media Manager

Published

40 minutes ago

May 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

gameon-appoints-fana-colette-as-senior-social-media-manager

GameOn has appointed Fana Colette as Senior Social Media Manager, as the B2B marketing agency expands its social media service capabilities.

Colette joins from Gambling.com Group, where GameOn said she helped grow social pages to “tens of thousands of followers,” combining creative storytelling with commercial objectives.

GameOn positioned the hire as a response to increasing demand for social media strategy across iGaming operators, suppliers and affiliates looking to differentiate in a crowded market. The company said Colette will add senior oversight to structured, audience-focused content planning.

In the role, Colette will work with GameOn’s existing clients and lead social media strategy for new accounts, according to the company.

Lizzie Thomas, Head of Social Media at GameOn, said: “Bringing Fana on board allows us to support the growing demand for sophisticated, senior-led social strategies.

“Her experience in building social profiles from the ground up and developing content that resonates with audiences aligns perfectly with how we approach social at GameOn.”

Fana Colette, Senior Social Media Manager at GameOn, added: “I’m excited to be joining GameOn at such a dynamic time for the business.

“Social media is such an important part of how brands build visibility, trust and engagement, and I’m looking forward to helping clients create content that is both strategically grounded and creatively strong.

“GameOn has a clear understanding of the iGaming space, and I’m excited to contribute to that with thoughtful, audience-focused social work.”

The post GameOn appoints Fana Colette as Senior Social Media Manager appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.