eSports
Interactive Gaming Group enters Formula 1 eSports racing with several streamer partnerships
Interactive Gaming Group (“IGG”) announced its continued growth within the virtual racing market, adding four new Twitch streamers to its portfolio; Dickens Junior Ngoma (‘durkchocolate’), Darren Johnson (‘eye’_dj), Michael Vince (‘datguyvince’), Samuel González (‘unponymagico’) and Frederik Vesti (‘FrederikVesti1’).
Dickens Junior Ngoma is an established member of the Twitch Formula 1 community and regularly streams educational videos that focus on the history of famous Formula 1 circuits. He is partnered with established development houses EA and Codemasters, and broadcasts to a community of 17,000 followers.
Darren Johnson is both a DJ and content creator who regularly explores his passion for the racing world with broadcasts to his 13,800 followers on Twitch.
Michael Vince, AKA ‘DatGuyVince’ has grown his community of 6,100 followers through his love of competitive racing and, as a self-confessed petrolhead, he is extremely serious in his passion for the sport.
Samual González a 26 year old streamer has been playing racing games his whole life but only began streaming in April 2020. He values his audience’s feedback and their objectivity.
Frederik Vesti completes the new roster, and is a Danish Mercedes F1 AMG Junior driver racing in FIA Formula 3. His interest in racing uniquely transcends both the physical and virtual spaces, giving him a unique insight that he broadcasts to his 5,500 followers.
Commenting on his new partnership with IGG, Dickens said: “It is fantastic that IGG have chosen to support me and, as the channel continues to grow, I hope I can keep on sharing my love of motorsport, the community can continue to grow and I can aim on improving my skills as a streamer and content creator.”
With over 1,000 creators and 250 brands worldwide, IGG, whose vision is to inspire the world to play, has made it the company’s focus to support up and coming creators to help them monetise their talent. IGG’s experience in building some of the most successful gaming-focused Twitch channels in the world is now being turned to connecting growing gaming and eSports creators with brands via the company’s platform.
Commenting on the partnership, CEO of Interactive Gaming group Cristina Niculae commented: “Formula1 is a relatively recent eSport launched in 2017. Over 60,000 gamers participated in the inaugural series, watched by 123 countries around the world and generating over 20 million impressions on social media. F1 has always been an eSport that interested us at IGG and it is amazing to see talented creators in this space, turning what used to be a mainly TV or “at race track” experience into a virtual thrilling race and into growing virtual engaged communities.We are thrilled to partner with these F1 eSports creators, a major milestone on our mission of connecting talented upcoming creators with viewers and brands through our interactive platform”.
Interactive Gaming Group is a leading digital entertainment and media technology company, connecting creators, viewers and brands on a global scale. Founded in 2017 and operating out of Malta and Spain, Interactive Gaming Group vision is ‘To inspire the world to play’ and to bring great streaming entertainment to people around the world.
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data providers
DATA.BET reports 168% turnover growth from virtual content in Q1 2025–Q1 2026
DATA.BET says turnover from its virtual content grew 168% between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026, with the supplier reporting the product accounted for 39% of total virtual sports turnover and 45% of profits over the period.
The company said the content is developed fully in-house and delivered through automated bot-vs-bot matches that run 24/7 without dependence on real-world fixture schedules. DATA.BET positioned the format as a way to provide continuous events and reduce operational overhead for operators.
Across the same period, DATA.BET reported +299% active users, +129% across clients GGR, +246% events per quarter, and +218% bets placed.
DATA.BET also said the audience profile overlaps with live football bettors, which it believes supports retention during seasonal breaks. The supplier added that the algorithm-driven format “carries no fraud exposure,” supports In-Stream Betting overlays, and provides near-zero latency between broadcast and market updates.
“Over the past year, our bot-vs-bot virtual content has delivered consistent, measurable results across every operator deployment. Building e-Football in-house gives us the flexibility to configure it to what each operator actually needs — whether that is a specific league structure, a particular mix of bot and player content, or a branded competition format,” mentioned Rostyslav Likhtin, Head of Product at DATA.BET.
The post DATA.BET reports 168% turnover growth from virtual content in Q1 2025–Q1 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
energy drinks
Team Vitality names FYZIO official sports nutrition and energy drinks supplier
Multi-year deal adds Laboratoires Gilbert’s new brand to jerseys across CS2, VALORANT, Rocket League and LoL teams ahead of a September 2026 launch.
Team Vitality has signed a multi-year partnership with FYZIO, naming the brand its new official sports nutrition and energy drinks supplier. FYZIO is a sports nutrition and hydration brand developed by Laboratoires Gilbert, a French healthcare company established in 1904.
The partnership will put FYZIO branding on the left sleeve of Team Vitality’s official jerseys for several flagship rosters, including CS2, VALORANT (VCT), Rocket League, and League of Legends teams across the LEC, LFL, and Rising Bees. FYZIO will also support Team Vitality teams competing in Teamfight Tactics, Tekken, and Trackmania.
FYZIO is scheduled to launch in September 2026. Team Vitality said the brand will supply products intended to support areas including hydration, fatigue and stress reduction, concentration and memory, and sleep quality.
“We are delighted to announce this partnership with FYZIO and proud to support the launch of this ambitious new brand from the French group, Laboratoires Gilbert. By integrating its specialised nutrition products into our teams’ routines, we are further strengthening our commitment to high-performance excellence,” comments Vas Roberts, Co-CEO of Team Vitality.
“For more than 120 years, Laboratoires Gilbert has been developing solutions dedicated to health and well-being. With FYZIO, we are bringing this expertise to a new ambition: helping everyone achieve their goals, whatever they may be, through a modern, accessible, and responsible approach to sports nutrition. Our partnership with Team Vitality reflects this shared vision of progress, high standards, and sustainable performance. Your performance, our nature“, explains Cédric Batteur, Chairman & CEO, Laboratoires Gilbert.
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eSports
McDonald’s Germany signs on as presenting partner for G2 NORD and G2 Hel
McDonald’s Germany has partnered with G2 as presenting partner of G2 NORD, the organisation’s League of Legends academy team competing in Germany’s Prime League. The deal also includes support for the return of G2 Hel, G2’s women’s League of Legends team.
Under the agreement, McDonald’s Germany branding, including the “ich liebe es” (I’m lovin’ it) tagline, will appear on G2 NORD and G2 Hel jerseys. The partners also plan a year-long content programme focused on player storytelling and behind-the-scenes access, including a series featuring team president Niklot “Tolkin” Stüber.
G2 positioned the partnership around its regional development pathway. G2 NORD was formed earlier this year through a collaboration between G2 and NORD Esports, and the organisation said the roster has already won the Prime League Winter Snowdown and reached the playoffs in its first EMEA Masters run.
The company said McDonald’s Germany’s backing enables G2 Hel’s return, with the team set to compete in the upcoming Game Changers circuit. “This partnership goes beyond traditional sponsorship, it’s a shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of talent development and creating meaningful opportunities within the space,” said Alban Dechelotte, CEO of G2. Stijn Mentrop-Huliselan, CMO of McDonald’s Germany, added: “We’re proud to support G2 Nord and to celebrate the return of G2 Hel – a strong signal for equity, visibility and inclusion in esports.”
To launch the collaboration, McDonald’s and G2 released an announcement video featuring Jankos, Sola, Tolkin, Team Nord and Caltys, produced in-house by G2. McDonald’s Germany said its lead agency Scholz & Friends supported the development and execution of the partnership.
The post McDonald’s Germany signs on as presenting partner for G2 NORD and G2 Hel appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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