eSports
Expansion of broadcast rights with Activision Blizzard: SPORT1 acquires extensive rights to leading esports titles for the German-speaking and pan-European regions
Overwatch League, Hearthstone Masters Tour and Grandmasters as well as World of Warcraft with Arena World Championship and Mythic Dungeon International live and in highlights on both channels eSPORTS1 and eSportsONE
Activision Blizzard is expanding its distribution rights with SPORT1‘s pan-European channel project, following the conclusion of their initial two-year deal signed with the launch of eSPORTS1 in 2019. The multi-year agreement renews the TV-exclusive rights to the Overwatch League from the start of the season on April 16 across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The deal also extends the rights to the Hearthstone Masters Tour and Grandmasters for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, along with eSportsONE in the European region. New in the program portfolio is World of Warcraft with the events Arena World Championship and Mythic Dungeon International, with their respective Season 1 finals taking place April 23-25 and May 1-2.
Brandon Snow, Chief Revenue Officer – Leagues: “SPORT1 has been key in introducing new fans to Overwatch League and Hearthstone throughout Europe and the German speaking region. We are thrilled to continue bringing these epic competitions to all of our fans in the region, while expanding this deal with World of Warcraft’s premier programs.“
Daniel von Busse, COO TV and Member of the Management of Sport1 GmbH: “By extending our partnership with Activision Blizzard to the pan-European region, we gain another central content partner for our first international channel project. The extension of our cooperation with one of the most important global players strengthens the portfolio of our two pay channels for the coming years and, together with our other partners, forms a strong basis for further growth in the esports area.“
Overwatch League has started new season on April 16
The Overwatch League is the first global esports league with teams from numerous world cities in Asia, Europe and North America. On April 16, 2021, the Overwatch League started its fourth season – divided into an East Region with eight teams and a West Region with twelve teams. The four tournament series are spread throughout the year and end with the competitions “May Melee“, “June Joust“, “Summer Showdown“ and “Countdown Cup“. The top four teams in the East and the top six in the West then compete against each other in a knockout format, with the crowning glory being the top two teams from each region playing each other in the grand tournament final. The prize money totals 4.25 million USD.
Hearthstone Masters Tour and Grandmasters are in full-swing
Hearthstone is the world‘s most popular digital competitive card game. In 2021, six Masters Tour events will take place, all of which will be played online. The season kicked off last month with the Masters Tour Eisenschmiede. Masters Tour tournaments award points toward qualifying for the Hearthstone Grandmasters. Each Masters Tour event has a prize pool of 250,000 USD. In the Hearthstone Grandmasters, which began April 9, players compete in weekly tournaments for the first seven weeks of the season. After the seventh week, playoff participation will be decided based on total points. The champions from all three regions will be up for a spot in the 2021 World Championship later this year.
World of Warcraft (WoW) new in the portfolio of eSPORTS1 and eSportsONE
Starting this year, the two channels will also show World of Warcraft (WoW) for the first time: The Arena World Championship (AWC) has been divided into two different seasons for its 14th edition. In the Circuit, the top 8 teams compete for a prize pool of 160,000 USD in March and April. The top four teams will play in the finals of Season 1 for 200,000 USD on May 1-2. Season 2 will then start directly at the Circuit in July and August – with the fight for the four slots in the Grand Finals and the championship title of the AWC: Shadowlands Champions 2021. The Mythic Dungeon International (MDI) also includes two Seasons in 2021 – with a total prize pool of 750,000 USD. There will be four cups per season – the first season Global Finals took place April 23-25.
24/7 program for the esports community: What eSPORTS1 and eSportsONE offer
eSPORTS1 started in January 2019 as the first linear TV channel for esports in the German-speaking region. The program includes at least 1,200 live hours of top-class international and national esports events as well as highlight shows and in-house produced magazines. eSPORTS1 is currently distributed in Germany, Austria and Switzerland via the pay-TV platforms of Vodafone, Unitymedia, Deutsche Telekom, 1&1, T-Mobile Austria, A1 Telekom, UPC Switzerland, Swisscom blue TV, Amazon Channels, Zattoo and Waipu.tv. On each of these platforms, the channel is offered in selected program packages. In addition, eSPORTS1 can also be booked as a live stream in the eSPORTS1 app.
After the successful launch of eSPORTS1, Sport1 GmbH implemented a pan-European channel project for the first time with the start of eSportsONE. The 24/7 program of eSportsONE comprises over 1,000 live hours per year of top-class international esports events as well as exclusive, self-produced analysis formats. eSportsONE is currently offered in Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as in Norway and Sweden via M7’s pay-TV platforms – TV Vlaanderen, CanalDigitaal and Skylink – and Telenor.
Central content partners of Sport1 GmbH besides Activision Blizzard are ESL, NBA 2K League and Psyonix with the esports titles Dota 2, Starcraft 2, Warcraft 3, NBA 2K and Rocket League.
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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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