eSports
ESPN delivers live coverage of Torque Esports’ online racing
Torque Esports’ virtual esports racing series was shown live on TV for the first time in a new broadcast partnership with the Disney-owned, ESPN.
Starting last Saturday (April 11), The Race All-Star Series – Fully Charged by ROKiT Phones reached millions of homes via the new airtime-for-content partnership with ESPN (NYSE: DIS). Saturday’s All-Star Cup and Legends Trophy races were shown live on ESPN2 from 12:00 noon US Eastern time and replayed Sunday on ESPN2 at 1 pm ET.
Created to fill the motorsport entertainment void caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Torque Esports was on “pole” as the first to create a live-streamed event to fill the racing void on March 15 when major events were canceled including the opening rounds of the Formula 1 and IndyCar championship.
Now known as The Race All-Star Series – Fully Charged by ROKiT Phones – the Torque Esports-created series has become the first broadcast esports racing event to reach more than 600 million homes around the world.
The Torque Esports events feature two separate competitions – the All-Star Cup, which pits the leading stars from Formula 1, Formula E, IndyCar, sportscars, and more against the world’s top sim racers; and the Legends Trophy.
The entry list for the Legends Trophy featured familiar names for ESPN viewers, including Formula 1 World Champions Emerson Fittipaldi, Jacques Villeneuve, and Jenson Button and Indy 500 winners Juan Pablo Montoya (also a F1 star), Dario Franchitti, Helio Castroneves, Gil de Ferran, and Tony Kanaan.
“For more than 40 years, ESPN has been the leader in sports with its groundbreaking coverage, and we’re immensely proud to have The Race All-Star Series – Fully Charged by ROKiT Phones now shown live on the network,” Torque Esports President and CEO, Darren Cox said.
“When we debuted our esports racing events, our live streaming numbers were off the charts, and now our agreement with ESPN along with our entire international broadcast package is taking virtual racing to an unprecedented global audience.
“This is an incredible opportunity for Torque Esports to introduce this genre of racing to new fans around the world. Many ESPN viewers have watched the likes of Fittipaldi, Villeneuve, Montoya, Franchitti, Castroneves, and more before but never all together in such an incredible field.
“We’re also introducing the stars of tomorrow to fans too. ESPN viewers saw the journey of World’s Fastest Gamer winner Rudy van Buren as he earned his title in 2017 – now they get to see him and the rest of the world’s top esports racers fight with top real-world racing stars as well.”
Along with the exciting ESPN live broadcast news, The Race All-Star Series – Fully Charged by ROKiT Phones last week revealed it would evolve into a full championship series from this weekend.
A three-race championship series will feature professional racers competing against the world’s top sim racers. Points will be awarded after each week, with the pro racing champion crowned at the end of three weeks being awarded a US$30,000 prize to be given to the charity of their choice.
The top-performing sim racer will receive a full day’s test in a Formula 1 team’s simulator including flights to the UK and accommodation (subject to the lifting of travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic)
Legends racers will also compete for their favorite charity with a weekly US$10,000 prize on offer for the winner of the opening race.
The Torque Esports group also includes the Barcelona, Spain-based data analytics experts Stream Hatchet; Lyon, France-based game studio, Eden Games; Maranello, Italy-based motorsport simulator company, Allinsports; Silverstone, esports tournament and streaming platform, UMG Games; UK-based content and esports tournament creators, IDEAS+CARS; plus London-UK-based motorsport and esports racing media platform, The Race.
About Torque Esports:
Torque focuses on three areas – esports data provision, esport tournament hosting and esports racing.
Torque aims to revolutionize esports racing and the racing gaming genre via its industry-leading gaming studio Eden Games which focuses on mobile racing games and its unique motorsport IP, including World’s Fastest Gamer (created and managed by wholly-owned subsidiary IDEAS+CARS, Silverstone UK). With the proposed acquisition of simulator company AiS – Torque offers gamers everything from Free to Play mobile games to the highest end simulators.
Building on the leading position of Stream Hatchet, a wholly-owned subsidiary, Torque also provides robust esports data and management information to brands, sponsors, and industry leaders. Its tournament organizing arm, UMG, has recently added a digital tournament platform to its portfolio of assets in its ever-growing ecosystem.
For more information, visit www.torqueesport.com.
SOURCE Torque Esports Corp.
Angela Bernhard Thomas
CAPCOM’S STREET FIGHTERTM 6 GOING TO COLLEGE THIS FALL
- CSMG will create and operate College Street FighterTM Tour in North America for the 2024-25 academic year
- College conference Street Fighter 6 champions will punch their ticket to the national Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup (CECC) & May Madness in 2025
eSports
R&D rethink needed for sportsbooks to harness esports’ power
Esports betting is still grappling with a perception problem amongst operators. Despite the leaps and bounds in product development made by suppliers – particularly in the last two years – esports hasn’t shaken off the image built in the late 2010s.
Our good friend, Oliver Niner, Head of Sales at PandaScore, has been kind to share the below article with us.
There’s scepticism around esports betting’s value, how well it can actually perform and what’s needed to make it appeal to bettors. A big part of that comes down to perception, which shapes the research and development (R&D) choices made by each operator.
Self-fulfilling prophecy?
Operators who have put the research and development (R&D) resources into esports are seeing excellent growth, while others are still treating it like part of a long tail. The lack of a uniform approach to esports often translates into hesitancy to be bullish and invest in esports.
Whereas in the United States, post-PASPA sports betting has exploded and operators are seeking to capture as much territory and market share as possible because in most cases, you switch the lights on and the money comes in. It’s, of course, good business sense to take opportunities like this – you can apply the same templates used elsewhere on an incredibly lucrative market.
This kind of approach has been attempted for esports and hasn’t found the same success. Granted, the legislation for betting on esports has been somewhat slower than that of sports betting and iGaming.
However, bullish operators have acknowledged the fact that esports hasn’t found the same success in regulated states and asked what can be done differently, while for others, esports has been thrown into the too-hard basket or relegated to the bargain bucket.
For the latter, the fate of the esports vertical becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy – especially if an operator already using a budget esports product that throttles its very growth.
It takes two to tango
When esports is discussed in broader betting circles, you’ll often hear different versions of the same talking point: the problem with esports is no one is doing it well, it doesn’t innovate.
This argument is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Esports is a driver of innovation, and it is sportsbook R&D that is holding it back.
Multiple suppliers on the market are investing significant resources into R&D, and bullish operators are leveraging these product innovations to acquire new customers and create engagements made for the internet age.
There are understandable reasons why sports betting doesn’t innovate. It’s largely because operators focus on acquisition, entering new territories and spending money on data rights. But the actual R&D on sportsbook products is left lacking, with ever-increasing cost-per-acquisition (CPA) numbers a clear symptom of this.
It means that if an operator does decide to use or acquire an esports specialist supplier but does little to cater its product and attempts to just lay the sports betting template over the top, of course performance will be throttled.
It’s like putting a Ferrari engine in a Prius – no offence to Toyota or Prius owners.
The same problem exists on the platform supplier front. Platforms are understandably focused on compliance and getting customers live, not necessarily improving models or their products.
Even the idea that if you just acquire an innovative company the problem is solved or you have found the solution, doesn’t hold water. In many cases, the company is acquired and plenty of noise is made about it, but there’s little organisational investment in R&D afterwards.
It’s not just in esports
These problems extend to customer acquisition and marketing for most emerging markets, not just esports. There’s a rush to use the same old playbook in newer sectors because it’s easy.
The fantasy vs. house sector in the US is already experiencing an acquisition arms race. As analyst Dustin Gouker points out, deposit match bonuses for new users on fantasy vs house products have jumped from $100 to as high as $500 in some places.
This is the same race that played out in sports betting and despite the costs, there’s little effort from most operators to try something different. There’s less work when you just put the same acquisition template on an emerging sector and call it a day. This seems to be an accepted practice in the industry, for better or for worse.
Esports betting success requires ongoing dialogue
Rather than attempting to wedge esports into hegemonic sportsbook approaches, sportsbooks need to take a completely unique approach.
The fact is the betting sector has barely scratched the surface – communities of esports fans are still dormant. Canadian operator Rivalry has built a successful, esports-first business by embracing the ever-changing internet culture that esports inhabits. French esports organisation Karmine Corp recently sold out a 30,000-person stadium for an event with no prize money up for grabs.
Innovative products developed on the supplier side like microbetting and betbuilders are only half of the equation.
Maximising esports revenues requires institutional investment, ongoing R&D and collaboration between suppliers and operators to create products and experiences. This includes having staff on the operator side that can drive and push the product further, and crucially, rethinking current sportsbook strategies and practices.
Building experiences for betting’s greatest emerging market – one that caters to your future core audience – takes investment, innovation and a willingness to experiment. If the industry wants to make the most of the Millennial and Gen Z audience that will become its primary customers, investment into R&D and close collaboration between suppliers and operators is needed. Many hands makes light work.
eSports
ESIC Announces Establishment of Global Esports Industry Advisory Board
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) is pleased to announce the establishment of its Global Esports Industry Advisory Board, designed to enhance integrity and ethical practices across the esports landscape. The Advisory Board will serve a pivotal role by providing expert advice to ESIC’s Chief Executive Officer on a range of critical industry issues.
The primary function of the Advisory Board is to create a robust framework for integrity and fairness, setting a global benchmark for ethical conduct and fair competition in esports. The board will offer strategic insights, help shape policies governing fair play, liaise with key industry stakeholders, and act as ambassadors advocating for ethical practices.
ESIC has appointed two highly esteemed members to inaugurate this board:
- David Neichel, Senior Vice President of Public & International Affairs at ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), joins the Advisory Board with over fifteen years of experience in the video games industry, including significant roles at Activision-Blizzard and Electronic Arts. David’s profound impact on international and public affairs initiatives makes him an invaluable addition to the board.
- Robbie Douek, CEO of BLAST, also joins the Advisory Board, bringing a wealth of experience from his roles at Google and Disney, along with his leadership through major acquisitions. Robbie is celebrated for his strategic leadership and his instrumental role in elevating esports to a significant global entertainment platform.
The formation of the Advisory Board is an engagement that underscores the commitment of its members to upholding and promoting the highest standards of integrity within the esports industry. The board will meet as required to address strategic challenges and ensure that ESIC’s initiatives effectively meet current and future industry needs.
“Both David and Robbie bring a remarkable depth of knowledge and a passion for advancing the integrity of esports,” said Stephen Hanna, CEO of ESIC. “Their expertise will be crucial as we navigate the evolving landscape of esports and strive to maintain the integrity that our community expects and deserves.”
Robbie Douek, CEO at BLAST, said: “I’m honoured to be given the opportunity to support the Global Esports Industry Advisory Board and ESIC in their ambition to create the best and fairest environment possible for players, teams and fans.”
David Neichel, Senior Vice President of Public & International Affairs at ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) also commented: “It is a true honour to join the Global Esports Industry Advisory Board and support ESIC’s successful journey. Fairplay and integrity are at the core of esports. We owe it to the players and to the fans and for a better endemic industry governance”
The post ESIC Announces Establishment of Global Esports Industry Advisory Board appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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