Activision Blizzard
Playing to WIN: CEO’s of DraftKings, FansUnite, ESE and Activision Blizzard Embracing Trillion Dollar Millennials Demand for E-Sports & I-Gaming
Wall Street Reporter, the trusted name in financial news since 1843, has published reports on the latest comments and insights from leaders at: DraftKings Inc., ESE Entertainment, FansUnite, and Activision Blizzard, Inc.
Millennials and GenZ now have $2.5 trillion in spending power, replacing Baby Boomers as the dominant consumer force. The global video gaming industry took in an estimated $180bn in 2020 – more than sports and movies worldwide. The new generation prefers interactive forms of entertainment such as video games and online betting on sports, and e-sports, and i-gaming. Wall Street Reporter highlights the latest comments from industry thought leaders:
DraftKings Inc., CEO Jason Robins: “E-Sports Betting Will Be One of Biggest Categories”
“…We significantly expanded our eSports offering and have seen exponential growth in this category. We added popular Madden simulated games and began to include streaming sports within our app, which has become a very popular feature. In fact, since the return of the NHL, the NBA, and Major League Baseball, users have continued to engage with eSports, which gives us confidence in that product’s future….We believe eSports is going to be a huge category – it’s when not if…we believe ultimately eSports betting will be if not the biggest, certainly one of the biggest categories of sports betting over the long-term.”
In their latest presentation at Wall Street Reporter’s NEXT SUPER STOCK livestream, FansUnite (OTC: FUNFF) (CSE: FANS) CEO Scott Burton, and President Darius Eghdami explained how FUNFF’s latest distribution deal with an online casino games aggregator, sets the stage for exponential revenue growth opportunities. In the next 12 months, FUNFF plans to expand its current line from three games to twelve – while adding multiple aggregators for each game – reaching millions of new online casino customers worldwide. With each game generating as much as $500,000 in revenue per month for FUNFF – per online casino – and the potential to be in hundreds of online casinos – these numbers can quickly add up.
January 11 – FUNFF closes an oversubscribed C$13.4 million private placement driven by strong investor demand. “The successful closing of this upsized financing provides further validation that the global gambling market is seeing a resurgence in demand from investors,” said Scott Burton, CEO of FansUnite. “Despite the headwinds caused by the global pandemic in 2020, we saw consumers adopt and embrace online betting for its ease of access and simplicity. With our seasoned team of gaming operators, global B2C brands, and our industry adopted B2B technology platform, we were able to execute on multiple milestones that delivered value to our customers and shareholders. As we now look to advance our operations globally, we believe this additional capital will allow us to explore strategic initiatives and execute on our vision of becoming a globally recognized iGaming leader.”
December 16 – FUNFF gains first-mover advantage into the U.S. esports betting market, as its long-term partner GameCo joins US Bookmaking and Sky Ute Casino to establish the first dedicated esports sportsbook in the United States. FUNFF wholly-owned subsidiary Askott Entertainment will supply its iGaming platform, Chameleon, as part of a fully integrated esports betting solution. Through GameCo’s partnership with Sky Ute Casino and US Bookmaking, FansUnite will be the first iGaming solutions provider to receive significant exposure in the U.S. esports betting market.
December 7 – FUNFF receives Malta Gaming Service License and Critical Gaming Supply, and will now be able to offer a full spectrum of online gambling services in Europe, covering Casino, Fixed Odds Betting, Pool Betting and Controlled Skilled Games. With MGA approval received, FansUnite will be joining other highly respected gambling companies such as PokerStars, Betfair and Unibet in operating their business within MGA regulations
ESE Entertainment CEO Konrad Wasiela: ”Building A Billion Dollar Global E-Sports Business”
ESE Entertainment CEO Konrad Wasiela, a featured presenter at Wall Street Reporter’s NEXT SUPER STOCK investors livestream conference, shares his vision for building ESE into the dominant player in the multi-billion dollar global E-Sports market. ESE is now rapidly expanding, with multiple revenue streams including, E-Sports infrastructure software powering global tournaments, exclusive digital media distribution, broadcast rights, and owning world-class leagues and teams, including its K1CK global E-Sports franchise.
January 29 – ESE is Presenting at Wall Street Reporter’s NEXT SUPER STOCK livestream. Click here to join: https://bit.ly/2PX0SpH
In his interview with Wall Street Reporter, ESE CEO Konrad Wasiela, says the company is now ready to scale – expanding its global footprint, with new partnerships with global brands like Porsche, driving revenue growth with aggressive focus on top line sales and margin expansion, and M&A opportunities.
January 8 – ESE announces Actina – a leading gaming hardware brand is sponsoring ESE’s K1CK esports team for the 2021 season. The League of Legends K1CK team Competes in Ultraliga, a Riot Games licensed league that is broadcasted on national TV in Poland on the Polsat Games Channel.
December 24 – ESE closes an oversubscribed private placement of C$3.6 million.
December 17 – ESE announces that Nuvei Corporation (NVEI) a leading global payment technology company will be the title sponsor for ESE’s K1CK e-sports team for all of its competitions for the 2021 season, across League of Legends, FIFA, Apex Legends and more.
January 29 – ESE is Presenting at Wall Street Reporter’s NEXT SUPER STOCK livestream. Click here to join: https://bit.ly/2PX0SpH
Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) CEO Bobby Kotick: “Billion Dollar Entertainment Franchises – With Momentum”
“…We now expect net bookings in 2020 to grow over 25% year-over-year with earnings per share growing even faster. Since refocusing our teams on our greatest opportunities, we’ve started to return to the execution excellence we’ve always been known for. We have significantly grown the number of creative and commercial employees working on our key franchises. …We’re in a position to deliver sustained and significant long-term expansion across our portfolio of fully owned franchises. As we execute against our content pipeline to extend our key franchises to mobile, introduce new free-to-play experiences and continue to optimize in-game operations we are positioned to continue converting our growing engagement into consistent and long-term revenue and earnings growth.”
“…Call of Duty is the first community to benefit from our pursuit of this franchise based strategy. With over 100 million monthly players, the Call of Duty community is larger than ever before. And with expansion across all platforms the franchise has transformed into a truly social experience that engages and connects our players in truly epic ways. By expanding to mobile, we’ve brought in tens of millions of new players in countries far beyond our traditional audiences. With the game now in final large-scale testing in China and over 50 million players already preregistered, we see a clear path to continue growing Call of Duty’s reach, engagement, and player investment on mobile in the largest mobile gaming market in the world.”
“…There are few entertainment franchises that generate over $1 billion in annual net bookings. And today we operate three of them: Call of Duty World of Warcraft and Candy Crush. And each has clear opportunity for sustained growth…For the balance of this year, we’re raising our outlook and we believe we will continue connecting and engaging more players than ever before in 2021.”
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Activision Blizzard
BLAST Appoints Industry Veteran Steve Rossi as Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships
BLAST, a global leader in competitive entertainment, has officially announced the appointment of Steve Rossi as Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships. Rossi joins the team at a pivotal moment, following a record-breaking 2025 that saw the company expand its footprint into New York City, Malta, and Mumbai.
With over 20 years of experience in strategic partnerships across sports, media, and gaming, Rossi is set to lead BLAST’s next phase of commercial evolution.
A Proven Leader in Global Commercial Strategy
Rossi’s career is defined by his ability to bridge the gap between iconic intellectual properties and Fortune 100 brands. His previous roles include senior leadership positions at:
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Activision Blizzard: Where he was instrumental in the commercialization and global expansion of Activision Blizzard Esports.
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National Football League (NFL): Driving integrated sponsorships across the NFL Network and digital platforms.
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Univision Communications: Designing and activating media partnerships across live and linear platforms.
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PlayVS: Focusing on the intersection of youth esports and brand engagement.
Based in the newly established New York office, Rossi will oversee BLAST’s global Sponsorship Sales and Partner Management & Activation.
Building on a Record-Breaking 2025
The appointment comes as BLAST continues to scale at an unprecedented rate. In 2025, the company delivered:
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15 Arena Events staged across eight different countries.
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Broadcasts in 30+ Languages reaching fans in over 100 territories.
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Expanded Portfolio: Continued investment in top-tier titles including Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Rainbow Six, PUBG, Rocket League, Fortnite, and Brawl Stars.
“BLAST has built a truly premium proposition at the intersection of entertainment, gaming, sport and culture,” said Steve Rossi. “I’m excited to work with the team to build long-term, high-impact partnerships that deliver real value for brands, publishers and fans alike.”
A Strategic Vision for 2026
Leo Matlock, Chief Business Officer at BLAST, emphasized that Rossi’s leadership will be instrumental as the company evolves its partnership offerings. “Steve brings deep experience across esports, sport, media and entertainment. His ability to scale global commercial partnerships makes him the perfect fit for BLAST at this incredibly exciting time.”
As BLAST enters 2026, the focus remains on delivering fan-first experiences and commercially impactful collaborations that maintain BLAST’s position as a pioneer in the competitive gaming space.
Learn More
To stay updated on BLAST’s upcoming arena events and commercial ventures, visit the official BLAST website.
The post BLAST Appoints Industry Veteran Steve Rossi as Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Activision Blizzard
BLAST Appoints Steve Rossi as Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships
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Rossi joins BLAST following senior commercial leadership roles at Activision Blizzard, the National Football League (NFL) and Univision Communications
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He will drive BLAST’s next phase of commercial growth following a record-breaking 2025, which included global expansion and new offices in New York City, Malta and Mumbai
BLAST, one of the world’s leading esports and competitive entertainment companies, has appointed Steve Rossi as Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships, strengthening its commercial leadership team as the business continues to scale globally.
Rossi brings more than 20 years of experience building high-impact strategic partnerships across complex IP rights, sponsorship, and media portfolios. A commercially driven executive and recognised relationship builder, he has led strategic revenue growth initiatives for some of the world’s most iconic brands and IP holders across sport, gaming and entertainment.
In his new role, Rossi will lead BLAST’s global commercial brand partnerships strategy, overseeing Sponsorship Sales and Partner Management & Activation globally. He will be responsible for driving revenue growth and long-term value creation through strategic brand partnerships, as BLAST continues to expand its premium live events, broadcast content and competitive entertainment formats worldwide.
Throughout his career, Rossi has held senior leadership roles at Activision Blizzard, the National Football League (NFL), and Univision Communications, where he helped design, sell, and activate integrated sponsorship and media partnerships across digital, linear, and live platforms. Most recently, he served in a senior partnerships role at PlayVS, operating at the intersection of competitive gaming, youth esports, and brand engagement.
Most notably, at Activision Blizzard, Rossi played a key role in the global expansion of Activision Blizzard Esports, supporting commercialization efforts by working closely with global brand partners, agencies, and regional sales teams across North America, EMEA, and APAC. Earlier in his career, he helped drive integrated sponsorships for the NFL across NFL Network and digital platforms, collaborating with Fortune 100 marketers and leading media agencies.
Based in New York, Rossi will lead BLAST’s global brand partnerships group, supporting the company’s continued growth across key international markets and working closely with publishers, partners, and internal teams to deliver commercially impactful, fan-first experiences and partnerships.
Steve Rossi, Senior Vice President, Brand Partnerships at BLAST, said: “BLAST has built a truly premium proposition at the intersection of entertainment, gaming, sport and culture. The team has established real global momentum, and the opportunity to build on that foundation and lead the next phase of global partnerships strategy at a company with such creative ambition and international scale was incredibly compelling. I’m excited to work with the team to build long-term, high-impact partnerships that deliver real value for brands, publishers and fans alike.”
Leo Matlock, Chief Business Officer at BLAST, added: “Steve brings deep experience across esports, sport, media and entertainment, combined with a proven ability to scale global commercial partnerships. As BLAST continues to grow its international footprint and evolve its partnership offering, Steve’s leadership will be instrumental in driving sustainable revenue growth and long-term value creation. The last 12 months have seen us expand globally while delivering record output in the process, Steve is joining BLAST at an incredibly exciting time.”
The appointment follows a record-breaking year for BLAST in 2025, with increased broadcast hours and more world-class arena events. The company staged 15 arena events across eight countries, broadcast to millions of fans across more than 100 territories and 30 languages, while expanding its global footprint with new offices and studios in key gaming and media hubs including Mumbai, New York City and Malta. Alongside continued investment in core esports titles such as Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Rainbow Six, PUBG, Rocket League, Fortnite and Brawl Stars.
The post BLAST Appoints Steve Rossi as Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Activision Blizzard
Mobile Gaming Market to Hit $165.54 Billion by 2026. M&A and Partnerships to Drive Innovation in Technology and Gaming Experience in the Market
According to the latest research report by Arizton, in the mobile gaming market there are more than 300 app stores available in the Chinese market, which is offering significant growth opportunities to mobile game vendors.
Mobile Gaming Market Report Scope
| Report Coverage | Details |
| Market Size in 2021 | $87.56 Billion |
| Market Size in 2027 | $165.54 Billion |
| Base Year | 2020 |
| Forecast | 2021-2026 |
| Largest Market | APAC |
| Forecast Period | Latin America |
| Segments Covered | Platform, Business Model, Category, Age group, Category and Geograpy |
| Region Covered | APAC, North America, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa |
| Countries Covered | China, Japan, South Korea, India, Rest of APAC, US, Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Rest of Europe, Brazil, Mexico, Rest of Latin America, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, and Rest of MEA |
Key Highlights:
- The Global Mobile Games Market is expected to grow significantly at a CAGR of 11.20% during the forecast period. The market is expected to witness the highest demand from APAC and North America region.
- The emerging trends such as cloud gaming, AR & VR enabled games and increasing popularity of e-sports is projected to support the market growth.
- App Store holds the highest revenue share in the market. However, Google Play is expected to witness the highest growth rate at a CAGR of 11.85% owing to the growing penetration of android smartphones, especially in developing countries worldwide.
- Freemium business model is the major revenue generator for the vendors in the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.48% from 2021-2026.
- Majority of the gamers in the market belong to the age group of 24-44 years and are the major revenue generators for the market.
- The market consists of various vendors including Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive, Tencent Holdings, Zynga, and others. There is intense competition among vendors for market share. As a result, a lot of merger & acquisitions are taking place to expand and improve the offerings to survive in the market.
- COVID-19 has positively impacted the global mobile games market. Due to the lockdown measures worldwide, the individuals were able to secure ample leisure time, thereby leading to an increase in the amount of time spent on mobile phones which, in turn, led to a rise in demand for various sources of entertainment including mobile games. Mobile game downloads increased from nearly 1.7 billion in Q1 2020 to nearly 2.8 billion in Q3 2020, thereby witnessing a growth of more than 60%.
Key Offerings:
- Market Size & Forecast by Revenue | 2021−2027
- Market Dynamics – Leading trends, growth drivers, restraints, and investment opportunities
- Market Segmentation – A detailed analysis by platform, age group, business model, category and geography
- Competitive Landscape – 6 key vendors and 18 other prominent vendors
By Platform
- App Store
- Google Play
- Others
By Age Group
- 24-44 Years
- Above 44 Years
- Below 24 Years
By Business Model
- Freemium
- Paid
- Free
- Paymium
By Category
- Casual Games
- Hardcore & Midcore Games
- Social Casino Games
By Geography
- APAC
- China
- Japan
- South Korea
- India
- Rest of APAC
- North America
- US
- Canada
- Europe
- Germany
- UK
- France
- Italy
- Rest of Europe
- Latin America
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Rest of Latin America
- Middle East & Africa
- Saudi Arabia
- Turkey
- UAE
- Rest of MEA
Mobile Gaming Market – Vendor Landscape
The rising competition is pressuring various vendors to continuously innovate their offerings with a unique value proposition to survive in the mobile gaming market. the governments of various countries are launching several policies to support the local mobile games market, which is expected to raise the competition in the market. Hence, vendors with strong research & development capabilities are likely to enjoy an advantage with respect to the development of sophisticated games, thereby allowing mobile game developers to enjoy a competitive edge over other game developers in the market. Moreover, companies with huge financial resources enjoying in developing more competitive games and expanding their reach through mergers & acquisition. Thereby, gaining competitive advantage over local players with less financial resources.
Key Vendors
- Activision Blizzard
- Electronic Arts
- Take-Two Interactive
- Tencent Holdings Ltd
- Ubisoft
- Zynga
Other Prominent Vendors
- Behold Studios
- CyberAgent
- Hothead Games
- IGG
- Innersloth
- Larva Game Studios
- Lilith Games
- NetEase Games
- Netmarble
- NEXON
- Niantic
- Onemt
- Rovio Entertainment Corporation
- Sea (Garena)
- SEGA
- SCOPELY
- Zeptolab
- 37 Interactive Entertainment
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