eSports
Esports Entertainment Leader Joins Forces with Leading Esports Training and Development Pioneers To Take Teen Esports Events To A Global Audience
Two leaders in the flourishing, multi-faceted market of Esports are joining forces to provide unprecedented access and opportunities to high school esports competitors and enthusiasts.
EsportsTower LLC, the largest amateur training club in North America, has signed an exclusive partnership with ESTV EsportsTV to extend their wildly popular Esports Tower Rumble events to a global audience. First aired in February 2021, Rumble events were streamed on Twitch through a partnership with Boise State University. With the addition of ESTV, weekly events are expected to reach over 150,000 unique viewers weekly per game title. ESTV is the first worldwide 24-7 live, linear video channel dedicated to esports. Launched in May 2019, ESTV provides round-the-clock coverage of esports athletes and gaming franchises from an insider perspective.
Esports Tower branded Rumble events feature amateur high school club players who want to go pro and score college scholarships while playing against top-ranked high school teams. Adding to the excitement, college partners this year have helped build out the mental health and wellness-inspired Esports Tower ApproachTM curriculum and contributed nearly $2-million in scholarship awards. Pro-teams have also started scouting Esports Tower clubs for talent, with team Kungarna announcing a tryout event planned for mid-December as the company launches its newest game – Apex Legends. Esports Tower currently offers club members live training twice weekly, along with weekly events where players test out new skills in action and gain insights from insiders about working in the fast-growing industry of esports. Current games include Rocket League, Valorant, Overwatch, and Fortnite.
“Watching high-ranked players in solo-queue doesn’t tell us much. What we like about Esports Tower is we get to see players in the development phase. We watch their progress in Rumbles from week to week and ultimately their coachability.” said Dr. Chris “Doc” Haskel, Head Coach at Boise State University and 2020 College Esports Coach of the Year (NAECAD), 2020 Esports Director of the Year (NACE).
“What I loved about talking with Esports Tower players last month is they remind me of myself. They’re eager to learn, open to critique, and unafraid to ask questions. And some of their players are better than you’d expect – I watched as one took out top-ranked Tenz when they played at this summer’s BFC Smeag Cup hosted by FaZe BabyBay, it only happened once, but it was unexpected and made for great entertainment!” said Thomas “Trippy” Schappy, FaZe Trippy Head Coach For TheFaZe Valorant Team.
“We are thrilled to partner with Eric and the team at ESTV. Their global platform is found on family-friendly devices and viewable via Roku, Amazon Fire, Sling, and many other providers in over 45 countries,” said David Adams, CEO and founder of Esports Tower. “We strive to do more than any other amateur organization to get our players seen and considered for collegiate and pro-opportunities. Partnering with ESTV is a natural step in helping our Generation-Z athletes expand their personal brand while supporting our college partners seeking to recruit top talent for their varsity teams.”
“We experienced some of the highest tune-in rates when we piloted Esports TowerRumbles last month,” said, Geoff Kowalski, Chief Revenue Officer of ESTV. “Esports Tower’s gameplay is compelling, and their interviews and editorial content provides interesting and entertaining insights of what happens behind the scenes showing what players do to advance both their gameplay and goals to go pro. It will be a great addition to ESTV programming and sponsorships, given it’s appeal to elusive teen viewers and their families.”
ESTV was launched in 2019 to meet the demand for round-the-clock coverage of esports athletes and gaming franchises from an insider perspective. Today, it’s the first dedicated channel for esports and gaming personalities, with programming providing round-the-clock coverage of esports athletes and gaming franchises from an insider perspective.
“ESTV’s mission is to deliver the most innovative esports and gaming programming available everywhere,” said Eric Yoon, Founder and CEO of ESTV. “As ESTV distributes the world’s best esports content on a linear programming schedule, Esports Tower will be a foundational pillar in our mission to provide content for all esports fans, promote opportunities within esports and expand the presence of esports media in homes across the globe.”
The alliance follows new original programming and expanded Rumble titles offered at Esports Tower.
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The Indian esports landscape is transitioning from a period of rapid “spectacle” growth to a phase defined by lasting institutional structure. Following the implementation of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA), 2026 is set to be the year where regulatory clarity, international competition, and domestic grassroots development converge.
The Impact of PROGA: Policy into Practice
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA), signed into law in August 2025, has officially moved from policy to practice. Its primary contribution to 2026 is the explicit separation of esports from money-based gaming.
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Legitimacy: By categorizing esports as a legitimate competitive pursuit, PROGA has unlocked state-level adoption and cleared the way for schools and colleges to integrate gaming into their sports frameworks.
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Commercial Confidence: With a clear regulatory environment, brands in sectors like FMCG, automotive, and BFSI are now viewing esports as a stable, long-term youth engagement platform rather than a risky experiment.
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Athlete Pathways: PROGA facilitates the creation of standardized national registries for athletes, ensuring that competitive integrity is maintained across grassroots and professional tiers.
The Asian Games 2026: A Global Stage
The Asian Games 2026 in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, serves as the most critical milestone for the ecosystem this year.
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Medal Status: Esports will feature as a full medal event with 11 confirmed titles, including League of Legends, PUBG Mobile (Asian Games Version), and Pokémon UNITE.
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Indian Prospects: India’s best historical result (quarter-finals in League of Legends at Hangzhou) has set a high bar. For 2026, the focus has shifted toward high-performance training camps and long-term athlete mentorship to secure a podium finish.
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Multi-Sport Integration: Participation alongside traditional athletes reinforces the narrative that esports is a viable professional career, further encouraging government investment through schemes like Khelo India.
Market Evolution and Key Trends
The Indian gaming market is projected to reach approximately $5.02 billion in 2026, driven by a massive player base exceeding 500 million gamers.
| Trend | Impact in 2026 |
| Mobile Dominance | Over 95% of the market remains mobile-first, fueled by 5G expansion and affordable hardware. |
| Beyond BGMI | 2026 is seeing a push to diversify the market into fighting games, sports simulations, and PC titles to avoid “one-title dependency.” |
| Monetization Shift | Revenue is shifting from pure advertising toward battle passes, subscription models, and in-game progression. |
| Tier II & III Growth | Most new user acquisition is coming from smaller cities, demanding more vernacular and localized content. |
The post Indian Esports 2026: Strategic Growth and the Asian Games Milestone appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Editor’s Take
Why this matters: India has long been a mobile-first gaming market (thanks to PUBG Mobile/BGMI). But 2025 proved that PC esports is not dead; in fact, it’s thriving culturally. Riot’s ability to integrate VALORANT into mainstream Indian youth culture—from “topper” billboards on exam result day to hip-hop festivals—is a masterclass in localized marketing. The success of S8UL Esports in League of Legends also signals that South Asia is finally ready to compete in global Tier 1 events.
The Full Story
Riot Games has released a retrospective on 2025, describing it as the year gaming in South Asia “didn’t feel tucked away anymore,” but rather became an unmistakable part of mainstream culture.
From filled cafés during watch parties to billboards featuring “inside jokes” from voice comms, the publisher’s year was defined by a massive surge in engagement across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan.
The Competitive Surge: LoL and VALORANT The year began with the launch of Legends Ascend South Asia, a structured pathway for League of Legends talent that the region had been demanding. Ninety-five teams competed, culminating in S8UL Esports lifting the trophy and qualifying for the LCP Wild Card Playoffs—placing South Asian talent directly into the global conversation.
Simultaneously, PC esports found its footing in India through VALORANT Challengers South Asia.
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The Numbers: The circuit recorded over 103 million live and non-live views throughout the season.
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The Finals: The LAN event peaked at 50,000 concurrent viewers, proving that the appetite for PC tactical shooters remains fierce in a mobile-dominated region.
Cultural Crossovers: V5 and Rolling Loud Midway through the year, VALORANT celebrated its fifth anniversary (V5) with a campaign deeply rooted in Indian student culture.
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“VAL Toppers”: On JEE results day (a major academic milestone in India), Riot reimagined the traditional “exam topper” billboards to celebrate Radiant-ranked players, sparking a viral conversation.
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Rolling Loud India: In November, gaming met hip-hop. Riot integrated VALORANT into one of the world’s largest hip-hop festivals, with karaoke pods and gaming zones operating alongside performances by Wiz Khalifa and Central Cee.
Management Commentary Anushka Bhatnagar, Publishing Lead for Riot Games India & South Asia, reflected on the shift:
“2025 felt like a year when India’s gaming and esports landscape stepped into the centre of cultural conversation. VALORANT turning five reminded us how deeply the community here has shaped the game. From grassroots watch parties to moments like Rolling Loud, the ecosystem grew with a confidence that felt distinctly homegrown.”
Grassroots Momentum Beyond the flash of festivals, the year was sustained by community energy. College events introduced first-time players to the ecosystem, while local watch parties turned malls into pop-up arenas, ensuring that the growth of South Asian gaming was built “together” rather than just broadcast from above.
The post From Rolling Loud to Riot Games: How 2025 Became the Year of Indian Gaming appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
Editor’s Take
Why this matters: While many operators treat sports and esports as separate silos, GG.BET spent 2025 actively dismantling that wall. Their strategy isn’t just about slapping logos on jerseys; it’s about content crossovers. Events like the “Match of LeGGends”—where pro footballers played Counter-Strike against NAVI—demonstrate a sophisticated understanding that the modern bettor is often a hybrid fan. This cross-pollination strategy is likely the future of betting marketing.
The Full Story
GG.BET, the international betting brand, has released a comprehensive video recap of its 2025 activity, showcasing a year defined by major traditional sports sponsorships and innovative projects that blurred the lines between the pitch and the server.
The recap, which details the operator’s expansion in both the sports and esports verticals, highlights a strategy built on immersive content rather than passive branding.
Traditional Sports: Boxing and Football In the world of traditional sports, GG.BET secured high-visibility partnerships. The brand served as the official partner for the heavyweight clash between Usyk and Dubois II, executing a global media campaign at Wembley Stadium.
In Ukraine, a key licensed market for the brand, GG.BET solidified its football presence by signing a three-year contract with the legendary FC Dynamo Kyiv, alongside sponsorships of FC Polissya and FC Zorya.
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The “Dynamo 3.0” Campaign: To celebrate Dynamo Kyiv’s 30th championship, GG.BET hosted a “star-studded” press event featuring a short film on the team’s history, custom jerseys, and fan-centric activations, moving beyond standard sponsorship duties.
Esports Innovation: Mapping the Industry GG.BET continued to lead in its native esports territory. A standout project was the launch of the Interactive Esports Map in collaboration with Esports Charts. This tool provides users with retrospective data on global esports trends, including regional top disciplines and prize fund statistics.
The brand also focused on industry education, organizing the “Ukraine in Esports: Myth vs Fact” panel at the SBC Summit Ukraine and curating a unique “Esports Museum” to display legendary trophies and history.
Blurring the Lines: The “Match of LeGGends” Perhaps the most distinct initiative of 2025 was the “Match of LeGGends: Server Derby.” This crossover show match saw the current NAVI Counter-Strike 2 roster face off against footballers from Dynamo Kyiv inside the game server.
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The Format: GG.BET designed unique game modes and special rules for the event, which was streamed with commentary from major figures in sports and entertainment. The project successfully introduced traditional sports fans to esports mechanics and vice versa.
Industry Recognition The efficacy of this hybrid communication strategy was acknowledged by the wider industry, with GG.BET securing the Operator of the Year in CEE title at the EGR Global Europe Awards 2025.
The post GG.RECAP 2025: How GG.BET Bridged the Gap Between Football and CS2 appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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