eSports
F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco breaks viewing and engagement records in 2021
Following today’s announcement of the 2021 F1 season’s audience and attendance figures, we can confirm that the 2021 F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco has broken viewership and engagement records – building upon the huge momentum gathered in 2020. The full series, which ran throughout 2021, achieved over 23 million views across digital platforms, a +103% YOY increase.
Digital & TV:
The Series’ flagship event, the Pro Championship, was the main contributor to the large proportion of the 23m digital views with 13.8m views, representing a 47% increase from 2020. The remaining views were split across the F1 Esports Series’ mix of output, including the return of the F1 Esports Series Challengers, as well as the Pro Exhibition and Preview Show.
Each Event of the 2021 Pro Championship subsequently broke the previous Event’s viewing record, culminating in 4.5m views for December’s Grand Final, up 67% YoY, which saw Jarno Opmeer clinch his second consecutive Drivers’ Championship, this time for Mercedes, who also secured the Teams’ title for the first time since 2018.
In addition to digital viewership, the cumulative TV audience for the whole of the Pro Championship and the Preview Show, reached an estimated 858k – more than three times the total audience for the 2020 series (269k).
Social media:
The social media output from the F1 Esports Series continues to be commended for the high quality of content that supports the action, and is highlighted by the fact that engagements, impressions, and video views all significantly increased last year compared to the 2020 season.
Across the Pro Championship events in 2021, there were 10.5m engagements on the official F1 Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Twitch and Huya channels – more than double the 4m total in 2020. The content also received 458m impressions, and 4.1m video views, increasing on 2020 by 93% and 71% respectively.
The future of the F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco:
The excitement and drama of real-world racing was replicated in the virtual world with fans wanting more and more action, and enjoyment across the 2021 Pro Championship was very strong, with an average of 70% giving scores of 8 (or above) out of 10 for each race in a post-season survey – a significant increase on both 2019 (64%) and 2020 (55%). The F1 Esports Series Pro Championship presented by Aramco will return in the second half of 2022, with more updates to follow soon.
Action in 2022 is already well underway, with the F1 Esports Series Challengers starting in January, with events for Xbox, PC and PlayStation competitors taking place every fortnight as competitors look to qualify for this year’s Pro Exhibition. As previously reported, a record 494k participants attempted to qualify in 2021, which was a 108% increase on the previous year.
Ben Pincus, Director of Commercial Partnerships at Formula 1, said:
“It is fantastic to see the F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco break records across the board once again, crowning a brilliant year of action throughout our virtual racing. Not only are we seeing competition at the highest level, but thanks to the increased content output across our social channels, our strong community of fans has never been more engaged.”
Paul Jeal, F1 Senior Franchise Director at Codemasters, said:
“It’s an incredible time to be associated with Formula 1, and we are extremely proud of the continued growth of the F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco. The quality of the racing has kept us all enthralled, and congratulations again to our champions Jarno Opmeer and Mercedes. Each year, we are driving new players into our game. The dream of getting to sign and race for a Formula 1 team is driving up participation, and the emerging talent coming up through the 2022 Challengers is a testament to that.”
John Clarke, CEO at Gfinity, said:
“The significant increase in viewership of the F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco is due to a growing passion for virtual racing and the appeal of all things Formula 1 amongst young gamers. The drivers are at the peak of their powers and the racing is competitive and exciting, and they are becoming true social media personalities. This is great news for the future of F1 Esports.”
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eSports
Esports World Cup Foundation and Lenovo™ Partner to Power the Next Generation of Esports Champions
Lenovo’s Legion premium gaming brand joins the world’s largest esports event to fuel elite performance and elevate the fan experience through world-class hardware
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) and Lenovo, announced a partnership to make Lenovo’s Legion brand of gaming devices the Official PC & Gaming Hardware partner of the Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC). Lenovo Legion is the one of the world’s leading gaming ecosystem brands, and will be bring its relentless commitment to innovation and performance to the global stage, empowering EWC athletes to compete at their highest level.
From training rooms to tournament zones, EWC athletes will be equipped with Lenovo Legion Towers, Lenovo Legion laptops, and peripherals – built for elite esports play with advanced thermal systems, high-performance silicon, high refresh-rate displays and low latency keyboards and mice that meet the demands of top-level competition.
Key models such as the Legion Tower 7i and Legion Tower 5i will feature across the event’s player infrastructure, delivering the reliability and power needed to perform under the intense pressure of elite competition. Designed for esports, both towers offer expansive I/O for a complete gaming setup and Legion Coldfront: Liquid cooling thermal solutions. The Legion Tower 7i boasts advanced cooling and an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5080 Desktop GPU for the extreme performance that top-tier esports athletes rely on, while the Legion Tower 5i pairs intelligent cooling with the RTX 5070 Ti Desktop GPU to deliver focused, winning gameplay.
EWC will also feature Legion Pro 7i laptops to give attendees the full Lenovo Legion experience. Legion laptops untether elite-level gaming experiences from the desk, allowing gamers to win anywhere they find themselves in competition for the top spot with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPUs and Legion Coldfront: Vapor thermal systems, allowing the laptop to deliver up to 250W TDP that brings the most demanding games to life on the 16” PureSight OLED display.
“We’re building the Esports World Cup to set a new global standard — in both competition and the technology behind it,” said Mohammed Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer at Esports World Cup Foundation. “Lenovo’s Legion brand understands what elite players need: speed, efficiency, and reliability under pressure. These machines deliver the competitive edge required on the world’s biggest stage, and together we’re pushing the limits of performance — while delivering an experience that meets the expectations of athletes, fans, and the future of global esports.”
“Lenovo Legion equips gamers around the world with outstanding devices to help them achieve their goals and reach their impossible,” said Volker Düring, VP, PC Gaming Business, Lenovo. “The Esports World Cup is the ultimate forum for the world’s best gamers to showcase their mettle and emerge at the top of the world leaderboards, and when the best gamers compete on Lenovo Legion devices, anything is possible.”
As part of the partnership, Lenovo’s Legion branding will appear across EWC’s global broadcast, digital content, and onsite experiences, including fully equipped festival zones with PCs, gear, and laptops available for attendees to play on-site, helping drive deeper engagement with fans while highlighting the ecosystem that supports world-class gaming.
Fans can expect exclusive content, player-focused storytelling, and digital activations across Lenovo Legion’s social channels, offering an inside look at the road to victory – and the technology that powers it.
Returning to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 to August 24, 2025, the Esports World Cup will unite global gaming communities for a celebration of esports culture. With 25 tournaments across 24 games, 2,000 elite players, and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries, the EWC will feature the largest prize pool in esports history, over $70 million. Fans can expect exclusive experiences, from high-stakes competition to live music, anime cafes, retro arcades, cosplay, and more, drawing millions of fans online and in person.
The post Esports World Cup Foundation and Lenovo™ Partner to Power the Next Generation of Esports Champions appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
BETBY REDEFINES CHESS BETTING WITH EXPANDED MARKET OFFERING AHEAD OF ESPORTS WORLD CUP DEBUT
BETBY, the innovative sportsbook supplier, is redefining how chess is experienced in the betting world, launching an innovative suite of markets designed to deepen engagement and bring fresh energy to one of the world’s oldest strategy games.
Marking a new chapter for chess within the iGaming space, BETBY’s upgraded betting content portfolio goes far beyond traditional markets like outright winner or total moves. Bettors can now engage with detailed, event-specific outcomes including the first move made, the first piece captured, number of checks, castlings, and whether a game will feature a pawn promotion, an en passant, or end in stalemate. Several markets also focus on the timing of critical moments, such as whether a checkmate will occur before a certain move, offering more dynamic, real-time decision-making for players.
This launch follows six months of dedicated product development across BETBY’s chess vertical and reflects the company’s long-term vision for the game as a core part of its sportsbook strategy. With chess now officially included in the Esports World Cup, the timing marks a natural convergence of two verticals where BETBY continues to strengthen its position: esports and traditional chess.
As part of this expansion, BETBY is also introducing another exclusive: live betting on the Top Chess Engine Championship (TCEC), a prestigious AI-based tournament. While the event follows a defined schedule, it opens up a new betting experience through intense matchups between powerful engines, enriching the overall chess offering.
Currently, BETBY offers pre-match coverage for around 20 chess tournaments per month, totaling approximately 400 matches. The addition of these expanded markets marks a strategic leap forward in delivering a modern, high-engagement chess product to sportsbook partners and players.
“Chess has always been a passion of ours, and today we’re proud to announce the launch of a truly comprehensive chess offering,” said Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Sportsbook Product at BETBY. “By expanding our market depth and introducing innovative tournaments, including both traditional and AI-driven formats, we’re giving our partners and players a completely new way to engage with the game. Our vision is ambitious: we want chess and betting to become synonymous, to the point where no modern sportsbook feels complete without chess markets. We’ve already done this with Betby.Games and esports, now it’s time to do the same with chess.”
BETBY’s long-term global brand ambassador, five-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen, will represent Team Liquid at the Esports World Cup. His participation in the tournament, which begins on July 7th, reinforces chess’s growing presence in global esports and its potential as a premium betting vertical.
The post BETBY REDEFINES CHESS BETTING WITH EXPANDED MARKET OFFERING AHEAD OF ESPORTS WORLD CUP DEBUT appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Esportes da Sorte
Esportes da Sorte celebrates Brazilian culture with Parintins and São João Sponsorships
Esportes Gaming Brasil, the owner of Onabet and Esportes da Sorte, is making its debut at the 58th Parintins Folklore Festival with an interactive project that blends cultural promotion, economic development, and social responsibility.
The brand becomes the first regulated betting operator to offer institutional support to the event, which welcomes around 120,000 visitors and generates BRL 184 million in local economic activity, according to the Amazonas State Government.
This cultural commitment comes on the back of Esportes Gaming Brasil sponsoring 31 São João festivals during June in 27 cities across the Northeast and Southeast regions. This initiative strengthens the brand’s strategy of connecting with the public through the appreciation of Brazilian cultural expressions.
Esportes da Sorte’s focus was creating memorable experiences as each event featured scenography by Pernambucan artist Perron Ramos. Another notable element was the Vila Junina (June Village), a themed area blending traditional elements with interactive experiences. Classic games such as Pescaria da Sorte (Fishing of Fortune), Barraca do Beijo (Kissing Booth), and Argola da Sorte (Ring Toss) bring nostalgia to the festivities.
For the three-day Parintins Folklore Festival starting today, the brand will be energising Parintins with a series of experiences celebrating local culture. These include a panoramic lounge with a special view of the Bumbódromo, the Truck da Sorte — a space combining karaoke and free hydration — as well as a Social Arena installed in the Garantido and Caprichoso neighborhoods, featuring artistic performances, rest areas, free water distribution, and Instagram-worthy spots. Festivalgoers will also be able to get their hands on custom giveaways throughout the festival. All elements of the visual project are inspired by Amazonian art. The graphics feature illustrations by Curumiz, a Parintins-based duo formed by Alziney Pereira and Kemerson Freitas.
Sofia Aldin, CMO of Esportes Gaming Brasil, the group behind the brand commented: “Esportes Gaming Brasil cares passionately about regional values and strengthening Brazilian popular culture. It’s more than simply showcasing our brand, we want to create value for the people who live for events like the Parintins Folklore Festival and the São João festivals. Being part of these events backs our strategy of supporting traditions that drive local economies and celebrate regional identities.”
The post Esportes da Sorte celebrates Brazilian culture with Parintins and São João Sponsorships appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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