eSports
Fnatic Announces the Appointment of New Chairman, Lucien Boyer
Continues Role as Pace-Setter for Global Esports Performance with The Addition of Top Talent from the Sports and Entertainment Industries
Fnatic, leading London-based esports organisation, today announced the appointment of its new Chairman, Lucien Boyer, who brings decades of success and experience from the sports and entertainment industry. Additionally, the brand has brought on two new hires to support the continued growth of its talent and partnerships division: Soraya Sobh, Head of Talent Management and George Mead, Interim Partnerships Director. These impressive additions bolster the growing Fnatic leadership team to secure its leadership position in the world of esports.
“At Fnatic, we are always on the search for top talent across industries, and we are excited to welcome Lucien to leverage his deep expertise and network within the media and sports landscape,” said Sam Mathews, Founder and CEO of Fnatic. “As a leader in esports performance, we are constantly working towards a more diverse and inclusive future, and we pride ourselves on being an equal opportunity employer as we continue to grow our business in 2020 and beyond. The team looks forward to working closely with both Soraya and George to ensure Fnatic continues to be at the top.”
As the Chairman, Lucien will help support the company’s next phase of growth, advance and develop the brand internationally and continue driving relationships with key stakeholders in the media and entertainment landscape. He is recognised as one of the leading experts in sports and entertainment marketing and is an industry pioneer in sponsorship activation, branded content, experiential marketing, fan engagement and social entertainment. Lucien is co-founder of Inspiring Sport Capital and Chairman of Global Sports Week, an annual international sports event that connects diverse leaders to shake, shape and share the future of the sport economy. Prior to that, Lucien was the Chief Marketing Officer at Vivendi, the leading integrated media, content and communications group and the Global President and CEO of Havas Sports and Entertainment. Lucien will succeed Nick Fry non-executive Chairman, who will remain as an advisor to Fnatic.
“I am humbled to join a highly successful organisation led by such a visionary founder and CEO,” says Lucien Boyer. “There is no doubt that esports represents the most promising new frontier for sports, bringing it closer to the entertainment world. I believe that my unique mix of experience and leadership in brand, sport, media and the entertainment business will help guide Fnatic through the next stage of its success story.”
Lucien’s appointment builds on other reinforcements Fnatic has made to its leadership and management teams this year, particularly in the talent and partnership verticals. Soraya joins Fnatic to continue building out the internal talent management function. Previously, she ran her own artist management agency where she worked with well-known creators such as Above & Beyond and Benny Benassi. This experience, coincided with her entrepreneurial spirit, provides the perfect blend to ensure Fnatic remains the destination of choice for all the best pro-gaming, creator and influencer talent in esports. Soraya is also a recent winner of the Women of the Future (Media) award sponsored by Aviva, and is a previous Music Week 30 Under 30 rising star.
George joins Fnatic following an extensive career with Beko, leading global brand management and partnerships where he spearheaded the Beko #EatLikeAPro campaign with FC Barcelona and UNICEF, which received a series of international industry awards. As Fnatic continues to secure notable, global brand partnerships, George’s prior experience of working with iconic brands and major sports teams brings a strong, knowledgeable perspective to the organisation. With the increased interest of non-endemic brands looking to partner with esports or gaming organisations, George offers an experienced outlook to the table.
“In a young industry and community such as gaming, there are many opportunities to differentiate,” continued Mathews. “At Fnatic, we’re utilising our talent to continue creating a competitive advantage among the biggest brand holders in esports, music and entertainment. Each new hire supports our brand’s larger mission of seeking out, leveling up and amplifying performance-led creators, players and brands for the years to come.”
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DATA.BET, a leading sportsbook solution supplier, has signed a content deal with Entain NCE, to strengthen the esports betting offer of their brands (Optibet and Klondaika) across the Baltics and Nordics – with Estonia as a key rollout market.
Through the collaboration, Entain and its portfolio of brands will receive DATA.BET’s premium esports coverage. The package includes a comprehensive Odds Feed, Risk Management, Bet Builder and a suite of engagement Widgets – Pitch Tracker (interactive 2D map), Scoreboards (visual representation of player statistics), live Video Streaming, Statistical Widgets (team history and game stats) and a Multi Widget that unites all these tools within one screen. The partnership is designed to help Entain brands and their clients increase profitability in esports by combining precise pricing and risk controls with engagement tools that lift turnover and margin.
With the deal, Entain’s customers get access to DATA.BET’s 30+ disciplines and over 10,000 monthly events, delivered with a down-to-the-second bet delay across leading titles such as Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Valorant, League of Legends and others. A phased expansion of additional disciplines and features will follow to meet Entain’s demand.
“This partnership sets a high bar for product excellence. Our role is to power that ambition with an esports layer that’s rich in content and strong on risk, enabling consistent margins and a best-in-class customer experience. We’ve aligned on a clear roadmap to scale, with more Entain brands scheduled to join the rollout next,” said Otto Bonning, Head of Sales at DATA.BET.
“We are thrilled to partner with DATA.BET who are renown for being the leading Esports provider and who share the same passion and commitment for Esports as we do. DATA.BET’s deep understanding of the esports ecosystem and its growing influence among modern audiences makes the collaboration a perfect fit. Together, we aim to elevate esports and deliver the best experience and entertainment to the fans across Baltics and Nordics regions,” said Hendrik Ahuna, Director of Sportsbook at Entain NCE.
The post DATA.BET Now Powers Esports for Entain NCE Across Baltics & Nordics appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Thunderpick, the leading esports betting platform delivering fans cutting-edge tools and experiences, announced that FURIA has emerged victorious at the Thunderpick World Championship 2025 — one of the tournament’s most competitive editions yet, featuring four of the world’s top 10 ranked teams. FURIA takes home the $500,000 first-place prize, with KSCERATO earning his first Grand Final MVP.
FURIA’s steady performance and relentless focus were on full display throughout the tournament, culminating in a Finals victory over Natus Vincere. After NAVI went up two maps to zero, FURIA did what many thought was impossible and completed a dominant reverse sweep with a 13:1 on the decisive map.
Natus Vincere finished second place, earning $150,000. The MongolZ, who won the Thunderpick World Championship last year, finished third after defeating Aurora earlier in the day, receiving $70,000 and $50,000, respectively. Venom, 9z, Imperial and OG all placed fifth through eighth, taking home $20,000 each.
“It is a privilege to congratulate FURIA as the Thunderpick World Champions! This tournament was thrilling, featuring exceptional gameplay. The success of our World Championship is thanks to the incredible teams, streamers, partners, staff, and everyone behind the scenes who made it possible, as well as the passionate fans who make this event so special,” said Kelly Sanders, Head of Strategy at Thunderpick.
This year marks the third consecutive Thunderpick World Championship. Last year, The MongolZ stunned HEROIC to claim their third international title of the season, cementing their status on the global CS2 stage. In 2023, FaZe Clan took the crown after defeating Virtus.pro, with Robin “ropz” Kool earning the MVP title. The TWC 2025 Finals are presented in collaboration with Hotspawn, a leading hub for esports news and analysis.
The post FURIA Pulls Off the Reverse Sweep to Win Thunderpick World Championship 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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LEON Esports is excited to announce a new partnership with GamerLegion’s Counter-Strike 2 team — a leading German esports organization ranked among the top 15 teams in the world, renowned for its consistent top-tier performances.
This collaboration marks a new chapter for LEON Esports, as the brand continues to expand its presence in competitive gaming. Over the years, LEON has become an active force in esports — supporting professional teams and hosting its own tournaments across titles like CS2, Dota, Free Fire and Deadlock.
Together with GamerLegion, LEON Esports aims to bring even more action and engagement to fans — with exclusive offers, special markets, social media giveaways, and more challenges made for true esports and betting enthusiasts.
This partnership follows LEON’s successful collaborations with other major esports organizations such as SAW (Portugal), FlyQuest (Australia), and NFA (Brazil) — strengthening its position as one of the key players in the global esports scene.
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The post LEON Esports announces partnership with GamerLegion’s CS2 team appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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