eSports
The Russian esports audience has grown to 15.4 million people in 2020
Nielsen Sports, a leading provider of analytical information and statistics in the sports industry, shared the results of a new Russian esports audience research in his speech at the ESforce Morning Show online conference. According to the company, the audience of esports fans in Russia for 2020 increased by 28% and amounted to 15.4 million people aged 13 and over.
According to a new research, among esports fans, 64% of men and 36% of women, the average audience income is 41,700 rubles per person. In 2020, Nielsen Sports analysts found a significant increase in fans: 25% of fans surveyed began to follow matches during the past year, of which 54% are girls and women.
Michael Heina, Head of esports International at Nielsen Sports: “Esports has a strong fanbase in Russia and as our research shows it is still growing. The growth even got a boost during the global pandemic, as many people turned to gaming as a good and entertaining way to spend their time. And as the growing number of esports fans in Russia shows many of these gamers also discovered how fun it is to follow esports. But, it will be crucial for the rights holders to keep the fans interested and offer them many and attractive ways to engage with their favorite topic so they don’t lose interest.
But not only young males love esports, as many people think, we also see more and more female fans. This is a global trend but the effect is outstandingly strong in Russia”.
Sergey Barkhudaryan, Commercial Director of ESforce Holding: “Such a significant increase in the audience was not a surprise for us, it is in line with our annual forecast for the development of the industry. The entire industry works every day to promote esports and fight for the attention of a wider audience. We try to be relevant to people of different ages, preferences, and interests. ESforce is constantly working on studying the esports audience, as it is critical for us to be transparent and effective for our partners. Of course, our partners also play an important role in the growth of the industry, as they focus their advertising campaigns not only on the target audience of esports, but also on a wider audience of their potential customers and consumers, thereby popularizing the industry. I am sure that in 2021 we will see even more new brands and interesting projects on the territory of esports”.
Nielsen Sports, the global division of Nielsen, is an independent provider of analytics and consulting in the areas of fan research, sports marketing, and sponsorship. Nielsen has previously launched a global online platform, Fan Insights, where copyright holders, brand sponsors and organizers of sports events will be able to get comprehensive information about the audience of various sports around the world: their interests, brand attitudes, media consumption and buying habits.
ESforce Holding is one of the biggest esports organizations in the world and the leader of the Russian esports. The holding company unites all esports business key areas: from its own professional esports club to organization of international tournaments, and from content creation and broadcasting to advertising and infrastructure projects.
ESforce Holding’s business include:
● Virtus.pro, the most renowned and popular esports club in Russia;
● RuHub Studio, the leading Russian-speaking esports broadcasting studio;
● Cybersport.ru, the main esports media in CIS;
● EPICENTER, the largest esports tournament series in CIS;
● Yota Arena, esports-entertainment venue.
ESforce’s resources cover more than 90% of the esports audience in Russia and CIS, as well as a significant segment of the international audience. A marketing agency — a member of the holding — ensures the synergy of the holding’s business units with the clients and partners in mind.
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Partnership to drive EWC’s expansion in China, leveraging Tencent E-sports’ networks and expertise to connect Chinese esports with EWC’s global ecosystem
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) announced a partnership with Tencent, making Tencent E-sports the EWCF’s strategic partner in China to drive the expansion of the Esports World Cup’s presence in the region. This partnership marks a significant milestone in the EWCF’s purpose to unite global esports fans under one competitive umbrella and underscores its commitment to integrating the world’s most important and rapidly growing esports market into the Esports World Cup platform. The agreement was formalized at the Empower Esports Worldwide Series – The Esports Operation and Technology Session in Shenzhen, China.
The collaboration will establish a dedicated Development Team to enhance EWC’s visibility, engagement, and industry collaboration in China, while leveraging EWC’s and Tencent E-sports’ networks and expertise to connect Chinese esports with EWC’s global ecosystem. Tencent E-sports will provide marketing expertise, strategic consulting, and operational support to deliver diverse content and experiences.
“The Esports World Cup has created a global stage for competitive gaming, demonstrating its influence not only in China but across the world,” said Mars Hou, Vice President of Tencent Games and General Manager of Tencent E-sports. “Through this partnership, we are committed to elevating EWC’s presence in China and integrating our esports industry with the world’s largest competitive gaming event. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with EWCF to push esports forward on a global scale.”
“The Esports World Cup’s purpose is to create a global platform for esports and gaming fans worldwide, and investing in key growth markets for esports is a core pillar of our mission,” said Thamer Al Shuaibi, Chief of Staff at the Esports World Cup Foundation. “China plays a critical role in this vision, and Tencent’s leadership in gaming and esports positions it as an essential partner. By combining our expertise, we will continue to strengthen esports as an industry, providing new opportunities for Chinese players and Clubs, and bringing the best of the Esports World Cup to Chinese fans.”
Esports World Cup 2025 will once again unite gaming and esports communities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a global competition that will crown the next Esports World Cup Champion. The tournament’s unique cross-game format will reward Clubs and players competing for a life-changing prize pool in a mix of platforms and genres, bringing together esports’ best players, Clubs and games under one banner in the largest-ever celebration of esports.
The post Esports World Cup Foundation Announces Strategic Partnership with Tencent appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) implemented its comprehensive anti-doping testing program at IEM Katowice 2025, organised by ESL FACEIT Group (EFG). Conducted at EFG’s request, this initiative reinforced the commitment of both organisations to maintaining the highest standards of competitive integrity in esports.
ESIC’s anti-doping procedures, carried out in accordance with the ESIC Anti-Doping Code, ensured that all participating competitors at IEM Katowice adhered to globally recognised best practices. The programme featured advanced testing protocols, thorough monitoring and rigorous enforcement measures, all designed to uphold fair competition.
“At ESIC, our mission is to protect the integrity of the esports ecosystem. By deploying our anti-doping testing at IEM Katowice 2025, we reaffirmed our dedication to supporting event organizers like EFG in hosting competitions where athletes compete responsibly and ethically,” Stephen Hanna, Chief Executive Officer of ESIC, said.
Over the past few years, ESIC has administered more than 700 anti-doping tests at major esports events, including those hosted by EFG. This extensive experience further cements ESIC’s reputation for providing industry-leading services that prioritise player welfare, competitive fairness and a culture of transparency.
“Protecting integrity is paramount for esports, which is why EFG and ESIC are constantly working together to ensure fair competition. ESIC have proven themselves to have the experience, as well as an advanced system that provides the credibility and peace of mind needed at one of our biggest and most prestigious events, IEM Katowice,” Carsten Kramer, Director of Tournament Management at EFG, said.
The post ESIC Implemented its Anti-doping Testing Programme at IEM Katowice 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
New partnership will see Kambi’s Esports division deliver its full suite of esports products, including odds via Kambi’s Odds Feed+ API, to Kindred’s in-house sportsbook
Abios, a leading esports data and odds provider and part of Kambi Group, is pleased to announce a multi-year partnership with Kindred Group, one of the world’s leading online betting and gaming operators, to provide its full range of best-in-class esports betting solutions.
Abios will supply its complete esports package, including odds, data, widgets and always-on content, to Kindred’s Unibet and 32Red brands, providing the operator’s in-house sportsbook with unrivalled esports betting experiences.
Leveraging Kambi’s Odds Feed+ API, Abios will deliver its high-uptime odds feed which includes comprehensive esoccer and ebasketball coverage, as well as leading esports titles such as Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Dota 2 and VALORANT. Utilising automated modelling, Abios’ low latency odds feed utilises official tournament data to power leading features such as bet builder and player props.
The new agreement is in addition to the Esports odds service Abios currently provides to Kindred as part of Kambi’s Turnkey Sportsbook service.
Anton Janér, Managing Director and Co-founder of Abios, said: “We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Unibet and the wider Kindred Group, a leader in the global sports betting and gaming market. This agreement showcases the value of Abios’ full esports odds packages and our ability to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of operators and enables them to reach new audiences through the growth of esports.”
Ben Colley, Sportsbook Director of Kindred Group, added: “Esports continues to grow in popularity, and it’s essential that we offer our customers the best possible experience in this exciting category. Extending our partnership with Abios via Kambi’s Odds Feed+ API and leveraging their deep expertise and esports odds solutions ensures we remain at the forefront of esports betting, delivering unparalleled products and services to our players.”
The post Abios partners with Kindred Group to provide full esports betting solutions appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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