Latest News

Equativ Levels-up its Gaming Marketplace to Help Advertisers and Publishers Thrive in Fast-growing Gaming Sector

Published

3 years ago

July 12, 2023

equativ-levels-up-its-gaming-marketplace-to-help-advertisers-and-publishers-thrive-in-fast-growing-gaming-sector

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Equativ, the leading independent ad tech platform, is growing its gaming advertising services. Offering access to quality inventory across premium apps, the company will soon release refined category targeting options and auction packages, alongside a greater range of formats.

This expansion of capabilities will better-equip advertisers and publishers to harness the continuing growth of the gaming sector. Generating $396.20 billion in global revenue, overall market value is due to reach $533 billion by 2027, climbing at a 7% annual compound growth rate (CAGR). Mobile gaming is experiencing especially rapid gains; seeing an increase of 17% CAGR over the last year, with revenues rising from $118.43 billion to $138.63 billion.

The thriving sector is also proving a particularly effective environment for driving advertising engagement. Following an extensive two-year study by in-game advertising platform Anzu and attention tech company Lumen Research, it was revealed that intrinsic in-game ads achieve up to 97% prompted recall and viewing times of 3.1 seconds – compared to the 2.9 second digital ad norm. This is in addition to fuelling high purchase intent for six in ten gamers. Gadsme, “the most sophisticated in-game advertising platform”, a company based in Paris and London, is able to measure clicks and has observed rates of 0.4% to 6% depending on the game and the quality of the creative. This click rate, much higher than the average rate of 0.5% observed in a “classic” environment, is thought to be linked to a friendly and safe perception of the gaming ecosystem on the part of players.

Equativ’s existing solutions enable gaming app publishers to create custom auction packages covering display, standard digital video and highly interactive rewarded video formats. Using its efficient curation abilities, sell-side partners — such Anzu, AdInMo and Gadsme — can securely activate first-party player data and build valuable, bespoke audiences, in addition to making ad space directly available to media buyers manually via integrated technology.

With availability spanning more than 41,000 apps, the platform also provides significant scale for advertisers. Buy-side partners can reach qualified mobile gamers across multiple popular apps — including Candy Crush Saga, Wordscapes and Woodoku — while further enriching audiences and ad space by harnessing smart curation features to onboard owned insights.

Over 2023, Equativ plans to enhance its range of formats by adding curation support for engaging and immersive in-game ads. This will be followed by further developments aimed at improving the precision of ad delivery: including allowing targeting for specific gaming app categories and creating a broader selection of pre-configured auction packages, segmented by player and game type.

“Despite gaming’s powerful grip on mainstream consumer attention, its share of advertising spend has been unrealized by the buy-side. By facilitating simplified, secure, and customizable trading, we aim to change that,” said Emir Teffaha, Senior Vice President, Agency and Enterprise, at Equativ.

“As leading industry forces, like the IAB, help to push standards and measurement around gaming for both performance and branding campaigns, wider industry adoption will inevitably gain traction. This means those who get ahead of the curve stand to reap the greatest benefits. By providing privacy-safe mechanisms for building data-enriched deals, our offering will enable granular targeting and efficient monetization that allows all players to start driving mutually rewarding and high-value outcomes.”

eSports

Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028

Published

10 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-foundation-names-faker-game-ambassador-for-ewc-and-enc-through-2028

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen in the Esports Foundation’s Ambassador Program.

The Esports Foundation (EF) has appointed Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok as a Game Ambassador for the Esports World Cup (EWC) and Esports Nations Cup (ENC) through 2028, the organization said on July 15, 2026 in a statement issued from Riyadh and Paris.

EF said Faker joins Cristiano Ronaldo, listed as the Foundation’s Global Ambassador, and Magnus Carlsen as part of the Esports Foundation Ambassador Program. The Foundation said Faker will represent “the perspective of esports players” across its international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums.

“You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker. He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming: a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation,” said Ralf Reichert, Chief Executive Officer of the Esports Foundation. “As our Game Ambassador, Faker represents something fundamental to the Ambassador Program: esports creates its own global sporting icons. Across EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a voice in shaping where it goes next.”

Faker said: “Competition has shaped my life, and I am proud to join the Esports Foundation as Game Ambassador. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles with T1 while representing the players and fans who have helped esports grow worldwide. Through the Esports World Cup, Esports Nations Cup and the Foundation’s wider platforms, I hope to inspire the next generation to pursue excellence, remain resilient and believe in how far competitive gaming can take them. There is still much more to achieve.”

EF highlighted Faker’s competitive record, describing him as a six-time League of Legends World Champion, EWC 2024 winner, two-time MSI champion and ten-time domestic champion with T1. The Foundation also said Faker became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal in 2026, describing it as the Republic of Korea’s highest sporting honor awarded by President Lee Jae-myung.

The post Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brand Partnerships

Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season

Published

17 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

midnite-signs-as-middlesbrough-fc-principal-partner-for-2026/27-season

Midnite has agreed a partnership with Middlesbrough FC that will see the UK bookmaker become the club’s principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 campaign, which Middlesbrough describes as its landmark 150th season.

The companies announced the deal alongside a fan activation at Riverside Stadium on Thursday, July 9, branded “This Season’s On Us”. The initiative offered supporters prizes including 2026/27 season tickets, 2026/27 shirts, match tickets, or a £25 club shop voucher, with fans required to answer Middlesbrough trivia and complete a football challenge.

Middlesbrough former players Craig Hignett and David Wheater attended the event, and, according to the company, took bonus attempts on behalf of participants who missed out.

Andrew Mook, Midnite’s Head of Brand Marketing, said:

“Middlesbrough have a storied history and we’re delighted to announce this partnership during such a monumental year with the club celebrating their 150th anniversary.

“It was great to see so many Middlesbrough fans at the “This Season’s On Us” activation, we hope they enjoyed taking part and meeting club legends, with David Wheater hitting top bins on several occasions and allowing fans to win big with season tickets.

“We can’t wait to get to Riverside Stadium in August to kick-off a new season and we’re excited to say that we have plenty of new and captivating campaigns planned.”

Lee Fryett, Middlesbrough FC Chief Commercial Officer, added:

“We’re delighted to welcome Midnite as our new Principal Partner.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with Midnite to develop engaging campaigns, content and unique experiences that bring our fans even closer to the club.

“We’re confident this partnership will provide real value for our supporters while supporting our ambitions both on and off the pitch.”

The post Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AGCO

ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch

Published

17 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

thrilltech-secures-agco-supplier-licence-for-ontario-launch

ThrillTech has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to launch in Ontario’s regulated market.

The licence allows ThrillTech to deploy its opt-in side bet jackpots technology with regulated online casino, sports betting and lottery operators across the province.

Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”

The company said its “ThrillPots” mechanics sit as an independent, player-funded side bet and do not alter the underlying game’s return-to-player mathematics.

ThrillTech said the Ontario approval enables its existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to launch its side bet jackpots locally, while it also holds talks with potential new operator partners. The company lists its regulated footprint as including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil and Peru.

The post ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.