eSports
GRID and WePlay Esports announce the extension of their exclusive data partnership
GRID, the official esports and gaming data platform, and WePlay Esports, the flagship company of WePlay Holding, have extended their exclusive esports data partnership for a third year.
The deal will focus on data assets management, distribution, and monetization for all WePlay Esports broadcasts. Additionally, GRID will provide advanced integrity and data security services.
Charlie Hanley-Nickolls, chief procurement officer of GRID Esports comments, “At GRID we are dedicated to building long-lasting relationships with our partners. Working with WePlay Esports exemplifies what it means to have a mutually rewarding partnership. For the past two years, WePlay Esports has elevated its broadcast and improved the interactive experience of esports content. We are thrilled to continue leveraging WePlay Esports data and providing them with the assets they need to continue to be a leader in broadcast innovation. Their approach to fan engagement is a benchmark for how official esports data can be used as fuel to grow the industry as a whole.”
In 2021 GRID supported WePlay Esports in some of the most viewed esports tournaments of all time. The partnership included all the company’s CS:GO and Dota 2 tournaments and the most notable Russian-speaking broadcasts. The record-breaking PGL Major Stockholm 2021 broadcast by WePlay Esports peaked at over 865,000 concurrent viewers during the final match between NAVI and G2 Esports. WePlay AniMajor, the anime-themed Dota 2 competition, set an additional record with over 37 Million hours watched.
Valentyn Shevchenko, head of business development at WePlay Esports, says
“In 2022, our goal is to continue expanding our portfolio to include more genres and focus on organizing themed events. Across all our initiatives, we aim to continue our innovation and enhancement of WePlay Esports data. Our partnership with GRID allows for the maximum leverage of our data assets, and elevates the WePlay Esports signature broadcast experience”.
The WePlay Esports deal renewal follows the recent GRID announcement regarding GRID’s extension of their BLAST Premier partnership. In 2021 GRID secured over 70 official data partnerships in esports making them the leading platform offering official server data access.
GRID Esports is the leading esports and gaming data platform, headquartered in Berlin, Germany.
GRID partners with the rights holders in esports & gaming to leverage the potential of their data IP. This enables sustainable growth of the entire competitive gaming ecosystem and empowers the esports community. The central technology piece of the company – The GRID Data Platform – unlocks additional revenue streams for its partners and capitalizes on the potential of data in digital sports for the purposes of storytelling, fan engagement, and integrity.
In 2021 GRID Esports closed a successful Series A, raising $10m in growth capital backed by Alinea Capital and Dreamcraft Ventures. GRID’s official data partnerships cover over 70 tournament organizers and game publishers including BLAST Premier, PGL, WePlay Esports and Epic Esports Events.
WePlay Holding is an esports corporate group with headquarters in Los Angeles, U.S., and Kyiv, Ukraine, which has offices around the world together with its affiliates. The multi-brand holding company is bridging the gaps between entertainment, esports, and technology through its innovation strategy.
The organization accelerates industry development with interdependent creative solutions in broadcasting, augmented reality, interactive experiences, data mining, and other tools. WePlay Holding empowers businesses with personalized products and services created through merging concepts. This produces quick-impact outcomes required in the competitive world of entertainment.
Since 2006, the WePlay brand is well-known for the high-quality organization and broadcasting of esports tournaments. It grew into WePlay Esports, a world-class tournament organizer and production company with studios, talent crews, and arenas operating across multiple continents.
WePlay Holding puts together its technology ecosystem to create unique results. It aims to bring together brands, investors, nonprofit organizations, industry experts, and other stakeholders into a playful prosumer environment.
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eSports
GIANTX unveils its team for the Spanish Superliga of League of Legends
The global esports organization GIANTX has officially presented the roster for its League of Legends Superliga team, the most prestigious esports competition in Spain, organized by the LVP. The roster includes Feisty (midlaner) and Aetinoth (ADC), who continue for another year after establishing themselves as key players for the organization, and newcomers Badlulu (toplaner), Ferret (jungler), and Lospa (support).
The team, known as GIANTX Pride, will be led by Fearless, a veteran coach who has already won three Superliga titles with GIANTX. After previous stints with teams like Guasones and Rebels, Fearless returns to lead this young and promising roster as they pursue the organization’s long-awaited eighth Superliga trophy, with the season set to begin in January 2025.
The roster was revealed during an event at the Home of GIANTX in Málaga, attended by over 150 fans and supported by Opel, the team’s main partner in the Superliga. The event featured activities, giveaways, and a showmatch against Barça Esports, where fans got a first glimpse of the team in action.
Feisty (South Korea, 2003) and Aetinoth (Turkey, 2005) return for another year, having gained recognition as rising talents with potential for the LEC, Europe’s premier competition in which GIANTX also competes. Badlulu (France, 2002), with prior experience in the Superliga at CASE Esports, joins as the toplaner. Ferret (Turkey, 2001), a promising jungler from the Turkish scene, comes from FUT, while Lospa (South Korea, 2002), a former Iberian Cup champion, joins as support after training in Gen.G Academy.
GIANTX Pride is the most decorated organization in Superliga LVP history, with seven titles to its name. The last victory came in the summer of 2021, and the team is determined to add the elusive eighth trophy to its collection. The Superliga for 2025 will feature ten teams, including Barça Esports, Guasones, Los Heretics, LUA Gaming, Movistar KOI, Ramboot Club, UCAM Esports, VENI VIDI VICI, and ZETA, competing across three splits—winter, spring, and summer.
The LVP, part of Grupo Mediapro, has introduced changes to the Superliga’s format for 2025. The updated calendar will be released soon, setting the stage for another thrilling season.
The post GIANTX unveils its team for the Spanish Superliga of League of Legends appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
GRID Joins IBIA as an Associate Member, Strengthening Esports Integrity
GRID, an esports data platform, has officially joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) as a first esports-focused Associate Member. This collaboration signifies a pivotal moment for esports integrity, aligning GRID with IBIA and its globally recognized integrity-focused members, who monitor over $300bn in sports bets per annum and have a growing focus on esports betting.
With this partnership, GRID and IBIA are committed to collaboratively addressing any integrity issues in esports, fostering trust across stakeholders, and setting a benchmark for excellence in the ecosystem. GRID has been a certified member of IBIA’s Data Standards program since 2022, actively contributing to the development of tailored esports integrity protocols. This membership further underscores GRID’s dedication to transparency and collaboration in combating betting-related corruption within esports.
Since 2018, GRID has operated an internal integrity department pioneering official data-driven solutions for esports. This makes GRID one of the first companies to monitor tournament and data integrity in the competitive sports sector and actively flag and report suspicious behavior, enabling it to collect a large database of integrity reports and insights.
IBIA is a not-for-profit body that protects regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. It represents over 50 of the world’s leading betting companies which operate over 125 sports betting brands. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets using transactional activity linked to individual customer accounts.
Under the partnership, GRID and IBIA will share information relating to suspicious esports betting and potential match manipulation from their respective monitoring and intelligence platforms. IBIA members will also benefit from free access to wider integrity-focused resources supplied by GRID.
Moritz Maurer, CEO of GRID, commented: “Integrity is at the heart of GRID’s mission. By joining IBIA as an Associate Member, we are taking a definitive step toward establishing esports as a trusted and credible industry. This partnership enables us to further our efforts in promoting transparency, reducing risks associated with esports betting, and strengthening operational practices across the ecosystem.’’
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “We are delighted to welcome GRID as an Associate Member of IBIA. This partnership is a landmark for the esports sector and reflects our commitment to expanding our integrity initiatives into new markets. GRID’s expertise in esports data monitoring and integrity standards is an invaluable asset in our shared mission to combat betting corruption globally.”
The post GRID Joins IBIA as an Associate Member, Strengthening Esports Integrity appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
ComeOn Group and Astralis unite to drive esports engagement in the Nordics
ComeOn Group announced a sponsorship partnership between its flagship brand ComeOn! and Denmark based Astralis, one of the most esteemed esports organisations globally. As a global leader in esports, Astralis is providing a vibrant and engaging esports experience that is aligned with ComeOn!’s brand experience and is further enhanced by its focus in providing a leading esports betting destination.
As the official sponsor of Astralis, ComeOn! will be prominently featured across all of their platforms, including social media, team events, and competitive gaming content, boosting their brand exposure in key global markets with a focus on the Nordics. ComeOn! is already known as a vibrant brand in the Nordics and with the increased brand visibility it will be put at the heart of the fast-growing esports scene.
ComeOn Group continues to invest in its Sportsbook product experience that is powered by its proprietary sportsbook platform, where esports holds an important strategic market opportunity with its ever growing demand.
Juergen Reutter, Chief Executive Officer at ComeOn Group, said: “We are very excited to team up with Astralis as this collaboration not only allows us to showcase our innovative Sportsbook platform but also strengthens our ties to the esports community. This partnership is very much in the heart of one of the fastest growing betting markets globally. Esports has seen great demand by our audiences, and we want to provide the best betting experience for our customers. This partnership is also a testament to our localisation and personalisation focus and by working together with Astralis, we can deliver unique experiences that resonate with our players and elevate the entertainment experience around competitive gaming.”
Mads Rasmussen, Commercial Director at Astralis, said: ”We are proud to present ComeOn Group as our new global partner. This partnership holds great significance for Astralis both as an organization and as a business, and we look forward to bringing the agreement to life, benefiting the vast majority of our fanbase – who are adults. We have undergone a long and very positive process with ComeOn, and the fact that they are European-based with licenses in all our key markets, including Denmark, has been a decisive factor in our decision. Astralis fans, both in Denmark and internationally, can look forward to an innovative new digital activation, which promises to deliver an exciting and engaging experience.”
The post ComeOn Group and Astralis unite to drive esports engagement in the Nordics appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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