eSports
F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco returns remotely for fourth season with record prize fund
Formula 1® has announced the F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco will return for a fourth season, with one of the biggest cash prize funds in sports simulation esports on offer at $750,000. The action gets underway with the “Pro Draft Reveal Show” on 27 August 2020, where the official F1 teams will reveal their selected roster of talented drivers. A record breaking number of participants of over 237,000 attempted to qualify for this year’s competition as F1 Esports continues to enjoy its most exciting year yet.
As with other major sporting events, the F1 Esports Pro Series, which will take place this autumn, has adapted to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and will therefore be operating remotely in 2020, with competitors racing from their own homes and team factories to ensure the safety of all the teams and drivers involved.
The F1 Esports Series has been more anticipated than ever before following the success of the Virtual Grand Prix series, which featured a host of sports and music stars and achieved over 30m views globally across eight events between March and June this year. The 2019 F1 Esports Series saw Ferrari’s David Tonizza crowned drivers’ champion alongside Red Bull, who took home the constructor’s championship, with over 8.7m viewers across digital platforms and TV, and 169m social media impressions, making it the most successful season to date.
MAKING THE CUT AT THE “PRO DRAFT REVEAL SHOW”
This season’s “Pro Draft Reveal Show” will air on 27 August, where teams will announce their line-ups for the 2020 season for the first time, with each team required to add at least one qualifying draft member to their three-driver roster from a group of 45 qualifiers. The 2020 qualfication routes saw record participation of over 237,000 entrants, a growth of +118% from 109,000 in 2019, with players competing on traditional consoles and also mobile for the first time.
All Pro Draft qualifying drivers are available for selection, with no knockout racing qualification as the series adapts to a shorter process due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the online draft and team picks will take place online in advance.
For the first time, the two winners of the highly successful inaugural season of the F1 Esports Series China Championship (organised by licensed partner Juss Intellisports), Tang Tianyu and Yuan Yifan, will also be available for team selection after their success in last year’s regional campaign, where they came out on top as the fastest two drivers in the competition.
A BIGGER AND BETTER PRO SERIES
The Pro Series will run between October – December, following the same format as last season with a 12-round championship made up of four online events featuring three races, but races will now be run at an increased distance of 35%. There will also be a new full qualifying format for the 2020 season in line with real-life F1 World Championship.
F1 Esports Pro Series drivers will be racing on a bespoke version of the recently released F1 2020 official video game developed by Codemasters, with equipment provided by official supplier Fanatec, the world leader in professional simulator hardware, for a third season. Points scoring will once again follow real-life World Championship rules, with F1’s Official Logistics Partner DHL rewarding an extra point to the driver with the fastest lap.
MORE CONTENT THAN EVER BEFORE
This year’s Pro Series will provide fans with more content than ever before with eight live broadcasts, doubling last season’s offering. There will be live racing on Wednesday and Thursday across an event week, and this season will also see the introduction of supplementary livestreamed qualifying sessions on both days further adding to the content proposition for fans across the globe.
The F1 Esports Pro Series 2020 will be broadcast on F1’s social channels (Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Huya), as well as select TV broadcast partners, with two live shows per event from the Gfinity Arena.
Julian Tan, Head of Digital Business Initiatives and Esports said:
“F1 Esports has had a huge year with the massive success of the Virtual Grand Prix series that we ran through lockdown. This has set us up well for the launch of the 2020 F1 Esports Series which will be our biggest and most innovative season yet. With over 237,000 participants this year, up from 109,000 participants in 2019, we are seeing incredible growth. We also continue to push boundaries by offering our largest ever cash prize fund of $750,000 which is industry-leading as well as continue to innovate by adapting quickly in the current landscape and operating the series entirely remotely as we look to ensure an enjoyable, but safe, Pro Series this year – we can’t wait to get started!”
Frank Sagnier, Codemasters CEO said:
“The appetite for F1® content has never been greater. We saw tremendous success from the Virtual Grand Prix Series, and that momentum has carried through to the launch of F1® 2020. It’s now time for the esports professionals to rise to the challenge. The 2020 F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco promises to be the most exciting and competitive to date. We can’t wait for the virtual racing to begin.”
John Clarke, Gfinity Chief Executive Officer said:
“The F1 Esports Series goes from strength to strength. Formula 1 has benefited from being an early adopter in the gaming space, with millions of young fans now engaging with the series. It is hitting the right notes in terms of driver performance, competitive racing and all round entertaining content. This year is going to raise the bar even higher. Expect high octane racing with lots of tension. Gfinity is proud to be a long-term esports operator for F1 and be at the heart of the design and delivery of this industry-leading competition”.
2020 F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco:
| Teams | |
| Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN F1 Esports | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports Team |
| BWT Racing Point F1 Esports Team | Red Bull Racing Esports |
| FDA Hublot Esports Team | Renault Vitality |
| Haas F1 Team Esports | Scuderia AlphaTauri Esports Team |
| McLaren Shadow | Williams Esports |
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Asia
UniPin Accelerates Esports Growth Through Nationwide Campus Esports Championship in India, Expansion to 50+ Universities in 2026
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UniPin, the leading digital entertainment and esports enabler across Asia, had launched the UniPin Campus Championship India, a large-scale interuniversity esports tournament designed to unite and empower student gamers through competition, collaboration and community building.
Running from October to December 2025, the championship will bring offline esports tournaments to eight major cities: Mumbai, Pune, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Lucknow. Winners from each campus qualifier will advance to the Grand Finale in January 2026, where they will compete for national recognition and esports glory.
The championship officially kicked off in Pune (MIT Pune, Oct 30) and Mumbai (NMIMS Mumbai, Oct 31). Both campuses recorded overwhelming enthusiasm from students eager to represent their universities, demonstrating the growing momentum of esports within India’s student communities. Packed audiences, spirited support and competitive gameplay marked a strong opening for the multi-city series.
“The UniPin Campus Championship India underscores UniPin’s ongoing commitment to cultivating the next generation of esports talent while strengthening a culture of collaboration, discipline, and sportsmanship among young players. As India’s gaming ecosystem continues to grow, we are proud to provide a platform that empowers students to showcase their skills, connect with the community, and pursue their passion at a competitive level,” said Paras Gupta, Manager of Esports, Community & KOL at UniPin India.
Expansion Vision: 2026 and Beyond
Building on the momentum of this inaugural championship, UniPin India is preparing an even larger nationwide initiative for 2026, with plans to reach more than 50 universities across India. The expansion aims to elevate intercampus esports into a mainstream student activity by integrating workshops on esports careers, community networking and developer engagement — not only fostering competition, but also building pathways into the gaming and digital entertainment industry.
This upcoming expansion signals UniPin’s long-term investment in India’s esports ecosystem and strengthens its commitment to making esports accessible, structured and sustainable at the grassroots level.
“This expansion is not just about growing the tournament footprint. By 2026, we aim to reach every major campus so they can have a thriving esports community supported by the right infrastructure, education, and exposure,” Paras added.
Through the UniPin Campus Championship, UniPin reinforces its mission to accelerate the growth of esports and digital entertainment in Asia by creating inclusive opportunities for young players to connect, compete and thrive.
The post UniPin Accelerates Esports Growth Through Nationwide Campus Esports Championship in India, Expansion to 50+ Universities in 2026 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Globant and Riot Games announced a multi-year strategic partnership to support some of Riot’s most critical innovation initiatives and fan communities across League of Legends and VALORANT Esports. This collaboration brings together Riot’s world-class esports experiences with Globant’s global expertise in digital reinvention.
As its new digital transformation partner, Globant will support some of Riot Games’ most critical tech initiatives, including future explorations in artificial intelligence that augment esports viewing experiences and mobile integration capabilities. During the multi-year partnership, the two companies will push the boundaries of technology to unlock teams to deliver richer, more tailored experiences for millions of players and fans globally.
“Globant shares our commitment to deliver the most resonate and engaging experiences for players and fans around the world. Their deep expertise in technology will help us accelerate areas of the business so Rioters can focus on pushing creative boundaries of what’s possible in esports and live events,” said David Mulhall, Global Head of Esports Partnerships and Business Development at Riot Games.
“We are thrilled to join forces with Riot Games to expand the future of gaming and esports. This partnership reflects our shared belief that technology and creativity can reshape how communities connect, play, and experience entertainment,” said Martin Migoya, Co-founder and CEO of Globant.
Globant brings extensive experience across media, entertainment, and gaming that reinforces its role as a transformative technology partner. Through its Media & Entertainment and Games Studios, the company supports global organizations in areas such as content creation and management, streaming platforms, game development, art services, quality assurance, product management, and ongoing live operations. Globant is also a trusted partner to leading sports and entertainment brands, including FIFA and Formula 1. By combining deep industry expertise with advanced technologies like AI, Globant has established itself as a key enabler of innovation and fan engagement for some of the world’s most influential organizations in sports, media, and gaming.
The post Globant and Riot Games Announce Partnership appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Association of National Olympic Committees
Spectatr.ai Partners with ANOC, ISSA to Power Real-Time Highlights for Islamic Solidarity Games
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Spectatr.ai, a Sequoia-backed innovator in AI-powered sports technology, is partnering with the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association (ISSA) to deliver real-time highlight clips during the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
This collaboration aligns with the wider digital content partnership between ANOC and ISSA and will transform how the Games are experienced globally — bringing high-quality, real-time match, moment and daily highlights from more than 20 sports over 15 days to fans worldwide. This announcement follows news of the strategic partnership between Spectatr.ai and Triple B Media to empower sports organisations around the globe to improve the sports fan experience through the power of artificial intelligence.
Earlier this year, ANOC and ISSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance the global visibility of the Islamic Solidarity Games, which will bring together more than 3500 athletes from 57 National Olympic Committees. Under the MoU, ANOC will broadcast the Games live via ANOC.tv, produce digital content through the ANOC.tv studio, and distribute highlights worldwide through the ANOC Digital Content Hub. Spectatr.ai’s technology will serve as the AI backbone of this initiative, ensuring every defining moment from decisive goals to emotional victories is captured and shared within seconds.
“Our collaboration with ANOC brings AI-powered storytelling to one of the world’s most unifying sporting events. We are honored to support Riyadh 2025 by showcasing every story, emotion and achievement as it happens — reaching fans everywhere in real time,” said Richa Singh, Co-Founder of Spectatr.ai.
Spectatr.ai will deploy its proprietary PULSE engine, an on-cloud, low-latency highlights system that identifies key moments such as goals, finishes, podiums and record-breaking performances. These clips will be enriched with metadata and instantly distributed to ANOC, ISSA and global partners. The system will generate both broadcast-ready and social-media-optimized formats, including vertical 9:16 videos for platforms such as Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
“This collaboration reflects ANOC’s ongoing commitment to innovation and the digital amplification of sport. By integrating real-time AI technology into the Islamic Solidarity Games, we are ensuring that every inspiring performance and emotional moment reaches fans around the world instantly,” said Gunilla Lindberg, secretary general of ANOC.
Through this partnership, each of the 57 participating NOCs will receive customised daily highlight packages, enabling equitable visibility for athletes and federations of all sizes. The system’s automated tagging and search functionality will make all footage easily discoverable, reusable and ready for archival and storytelling use.
The Games will feature traditional and emerging disciplines, including camel racing, duathlon and esports. The collaboration between Spectatr.ai, ANOC and ISSA aims to serve as a model for future multi-sport events — demonstrating how AI can drive real-time global engagement, operational efficiency and commercial value.
The post Spectatr.ai Partners with ANOC, ISSA to Power Real-Time Highlights for Islamic Solidarity Games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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