eSports
Vindex And IMAX Launch Exclusive Esports Partnership
Vindex, the leading esports infrastructure platform, and entertainment technology leader IMAX announced a partnership to create esports events and experiences exclusively for IMAX® theatres worldwide.
Vindex and IMAX will work together to establish the world’s leading theatrical distribution platform and an unparalleled premium viewing experience for esports fans — delivering the world’s fastest-growing sport to global audiences in the stunning clarity and immersive sound of The IMAX Experience®. Vindex will broadcast cutting-edge esports content and events across the network, connecting global and local fan communities.
The partnership will be powered by Vindex Studios, a newly launched division of Vindex focused on developing, distributing and monetizing esports content for global audiences.
“The Esports industry has never before had access to the massive reach and unmatched technology of the IMAX platform. Partnering with IMAX enables us to provide esports fans a remarkable experience – live esports on the largest, highest-quality screens in the world for the first time,” said Vindex CEO Mike Sepso. “We will focus on creating incredible experiences for fans by combining our deep relationships with esports leagues and game-publisher partners with our track record of producing some of the most watched events in esports history.”
“Coming off our biggest year ever at the box office, it’s clear that audiences around the world see IMAX as a go-to destination for fandom, community and the most immersive entertainment experiences,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. “We’ve long seen the opportunity to bring the explosive world of esports to our platform and we’re excited to work with proven innovators like Mike, Sundance and the Vindex team to create entirely new experiences for fans worldwide.”
About Vindex
Vindex is the preeminent esports infrastructure platform and the world’s largest independent producer of esports content and events. The company was launched in October 2019 by esports pioneers and Major League Gaming (MLG) co-founders Mike Sepso and Sundance DiGiovanni with fintech entrepreneurs Bryan Binder and Jason Garmise. Vindex is the largest pure-play esports infrastructure provider, offering services and technology that help esports publishers and leagues connect with and grow global audiences.
About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you’ve never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX’s network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.
IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with additional offices in London, Dublin, Tokyo, and Shanghai. As of June 30, 2019, there were 1,541 IMAX theatre systems (1,445 commercial multiplexes, 15 commercial destinations, 81 institutional) operating in 81 countries. On October 8, 2015, shares of IMAX China Holding, Inc., a subsidiary of IMAX Corporation, began trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code “HK.1970.”
IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience®, IMAX Is Believing® and IMAX nXos® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).
SOURCE Vindex
BETBY, the premium sportsbook supplier, has expanded its proprietary esports feed, BETBY Games, with the launch of two new e-sims inspired by some of the most popular titles in global gaming: FIFA’s Penalty Shootout and Mortal Kombat 11. With these additions, the BETBY Games portfolio now includes 16 titles, offering expanded betting opportunities for operators and players.
The latest releases further reinforce BETBY’s two core esports verticals — eSoccer and eFighting — and reflect the company’s ongoing commitment to delivering diverse and engaging betting content. The football-themed title introduces fast-paced gameplay, with each match lasting less than 3 minutes, and includes three leagues based on the World Cup, Spanish La Liga, and Brazilian Série A. Featuring over 15 betting markets in a classic format of 5 shots for each team, this addition brings 30,000 matches per month to the BETBY Games feed, all designed to run with low margins and high engagement.
The second release draws from the iconic world of arcade-style fighting games, offering dynamic player-versus-player action in a Best-of-3 (BO3) format with each match also taking less than 3 minutes. Featuring more than 15 markets and three ongoing tournaments — Elements and Forces, Power and Royalty, and Technology and Chaos — this title equals the football counterpart delivering another 30,000 monthly matches to the platform.
With these new launches, BETBY Games now boasts 70+ tournaments, 350+ betting markets, and supports over 300,000 live matches every month, cementing its position as one of the most comprehensive and high-frequency esports betting solutions in the industry.
Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Sportsbook Product at BETBY, commented: “The launch of these new titles showcases our commitment to evolving the BETBY Games offering and delivering esports content that resonates with players worldwide. By drawing inspiration from globally recognized franchises, we create products that are both familiar and optimized for high-frequency betting environments. This approach enables operators to expand their portfolios and gives players even more excitement and engagement.”
This launch follows the recent success of BETBY Games, which was awarded Best Esports Product 2025 at the SiGMA Americas Awards. This achievement underscores BETBY’s strategic focus on redefining the esports betting experience through unmatched flexibility, deep customization, and exceptional engagement for both operators and players.
The post BETBY EXPANDS E-SIM GAME PORTFOLIO WITH NEW eSOCCER AND eFIGHTING TITLES appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Global esports organisation GIANTX has come away from Madrid with a landmark victory, outstanding performances, and the affection of thousands of fans, after the Spanish capital turned into the European hub for esports over the weekend. The LEC Roadtrip, hosted by Movistar KOI — the organisation led by Ibai Llanos — proved to be a resounding success in terms of attendance and organisation. GIANTX, with roots in London and Málaga, played a starring role. Only a narrow defeat against the hosts prevented a perfect weekend. Now, the focus shifts back to Berlin, where GIANTX will fight for a place in the playoffs of the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), the continent’s premier esports league.
For the first time, the LEC temporarily moved its competition from Berlin to Madrid. The Spanish capital once again demonstrated the strength and passion of its esports community, particularly in League of Legends. Around 10,000 spectators filled the Madrid Arena over two days, witnessing four thrilling matches — all decided on the final map — alongside fan activities and community events. The success of the Roadtrip has reignited calls for more international esports events to be hosted in Spain.
GIANTX approached the weekend with two objectives: to improve their standings by securing key victories and to reaffirm their status as one of Europe’s most historic esports organisations, with more than 15 years of tradition and success. The support for GIANTX was immense, with fans travelling from across the country to gather in Madrid. While the team fell just short of a perfect weekend, they earned the respect and affection of the entire arena.
On the competitive front, GIANTX made a strong start by defeating G2 Esports, the historic powerhouse of European League of Legends. It was GIANTX’s first-ever victory over G2, following a tense three-map series that also played out heavily on social media. In the first game, Lot and Jackies led the charge with standout performances on Jax and Yone. Although GIANTX faltered in the second map after a promising early game, they pulled off an unforgettable comeback in the decisive third map, overcoming a formidable performance from G2’s superstar Caps.
Later on Sunday, GIANTX faced KOI in another fiercely contested series. After a standout performance with Tristana in the second game, GIANTX forced a third map but could not maintain their momentum. KOI, who had defeated Fnatic the day before, emerged victorious and closed out the weekend as Roadtrip champions. Fnatic, meanwhile, secured a win over G2 to salvage their weekend.
GIANTX proved itself a top-level contender at the Madrid Arena, but earlier inconsistencies during the Spring Split now weigh heavily in the standings. To qualify for the LEC playoffs, GIANTX must defeat Team BDS next weekend and Team Heretics the following one. The team currently holds a 2-5 record — results that do not fully reflect the positive performances seen in Madrid.
The post GIANTX wins Madrid’s heart during a historic weekend for European esports appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Oliver Niner, Head of B2B says that DFS remains a compelling vertical with huge growth potential especially if operators expand their offering into esports
The roll out of legal online and mobile sports betting across US states has presented a significant opportunity for operators, but the market has proved harder to crack than many anticipated.
The cost of customer acquisition is skyrocketing, building brand equity is taking much longer than expected, and there’s been a slowdown in new states embracing regulation and licensing.
This has led to a run of operators exiting the market as the numbers simply don’t add up.
But while this is happening, the daily fantasy sports space continues to thrive and remains a compelling opportunity for operators.
DFS has a unique legal standing in many states where sports betting is still restricted, allowing operators to reach audiences they otherwise couldn’t.
It also fosters deeper engagement with those who play – players aren’t just betting on outcomes; they’re actively managing lineups and pitting their knowledge and skills against others.
This is the perfect combination for retention and loyalty – something sportsbooks struggle to achieve with players easily swayed to join another brand simply because of a generous free bets offer.
There’s also an untapped opportunity in bringing the worlds of esports and daily fantasy sports together, allowing operators to connect with an entirely new audience.
Until now, traditional DFS brands have focused on the major sports, but the younger, digital-native audiences are more interested in esports such as CS2 and LoL than the NFL.
Why the DFS model works:
Before discussing how operators can get in on the esports DFS action, it’s important to understand why the DFS model works so well in the US, especially for those looking to diversify their offering.
The first is regulatory accessibility. DFS is legal in more states than traditional sports betting, allowing operators to enter markets where sportsbook licensing is unavailable or complex.
DFS has much lower acquisition costs while serving as a gateway to paid gaming. It often attracts a younger, more engaged audience at a lower CPA compared to traditional sports betting.
Strong user retention is another upside. Unlike one-off bets, DFS players return regularly to manage lineups, track stats and compete in contests, driving retention rates way beyond sports betting.
It’s also esports ready. Esports fans are highly engaged with player performance stats, making DFS a natural fit. It can then serve as an introduction to real-money esports betting when regulations allow.
The esports DFS opportunity to be explored:
DFS is an established and thriving vertical and while some operators offer esports within their proposition, it often lacks depth, innovation and mainstream adoption.
Esports fans are naturally engaged with stats, player performance metrics and in-game analytics, so easily segue into the DFS format.
Titles like LoL, CS2, Dota 2 and Valorant offer rich data sets that allow for creative and competitive fantasy formats, but most operators are yet to really get into it.
This leaves a major gap in the market and a huge opportunity for those who put together a compelling esports DFS product, especially as the popularity of esports betting grows.
What a compelling esports DFS product looks like:
The foundation of any esports DFS product is reliable, real-time data and the ability to provide a range of engaging contest formats.
This is where companies such as PandaScore come in. We provide operators with comprehensive esports data including player and team stats across all the major disciplines.
We supplement this with accurate odds and DFS pricing models, helping operators to set accurate and competitive odds – both our data and odds feeds are integrated seamlessly via API.
We also provide unrivalled market expertise; the team has years of experience powering esports betting which we leverage to ensure our partners can succeed with esports DFS.
In addition to markets and odds, players need to be able to access deep performance metrics so they can make informed decisions.
It’s also important for the operator to provide a smooth and intuitive experience via a seamless UX and mobile first approach to site and app navigation.
The diversity of the contests offered needs to be considered, too. This includes classic salary cap formats as well as pick’em games and more.
It goes without saying that social interaction needs to be baked into the experience through features such as leaderboards, private leagues and head-to-head challenges.
Operators need to get ahead in a rapidly evolving market:
The US sports betting and iCasino market is fast moving with the landscape constantly changing – just look at the conversation around sweepstakes casinos.
For me, DFS and especially esports DFS remain an underutilised growth channel that operators need to take advantage of.
As esports betting gains traction – PandaScore recently surpassed €1bn in bets through its platform – DFS serves as a vital entry point through which operators can build brand recognition and engage a digital-first audience primed and ready to play.
This audience might not be familiar with real-money betting today, but by providing them with an experience they are familiar and comfortable with, they can become the bettors of tomorrow.
At PandaScore, we are here to help operators capitalise on this opportunity with best-in-class data, pricing models and strategic support.
For operators, this means the numbers will always add up when it comes to esports daily fantasy sports.
The post Assessing the esports DFS opportunity in the US appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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