PokerStars’ popular Winter Series has once again delivered record-breaking results across Southern Europe, awarding more than €11.5 million in total prize pools to players in Spain, France, and Portugal.

Originally guaranteed at €10 million, the three-week online poker festival surpassed expectations by generating €11,592,062, exceeding the advertised guarantee by more than €1.5 million.

Running across 297 events, the Winter Series attracted an impressive 428,734 total entries, highlighting the continued strength of online poker in regulated European markets. Buy-ins ranged from €10 to €250, ensuring accessibility for recreational players while still offering substantial value for experienced grinders.

Main Event and Sunday Million Steal the Spotlight

One of the major highlights of the series was the €400,000 guaranteed PKO Main Event, which drew 1,896 entries and built a final prize pool of €440,820. The tournament was won by “LUCKYMEZ”, who delivered a composed final-table performance to secure €51,991, including €24,903 in bounty rewards, along with the coveted Main Event trophy.

Another marquee moment came in the $1 million guaranteed Sunday Million, where French player “jokeezy06” emerged victorious from a field of 4,002 entries. The win earned €73,982.36, making it the largest individual payout of the Winter Series.

Added Value Through Power Path Blizzard Boost

Beyond the tournament schedule, PokerStars enhanced player value through its Power Path Blizzard Boost, distributing €250,000 in additional rewards. Players who completed daily challenges gained access to Power Path tickets, Sunday Million entries, and sought-after Silver Passes, further increasing engagement throughout the series.

PokerStars Reinforces Its Southern European Presence

Commenting on the success of the Winter Series, Sandro Forleo, Head of Poker Operations for Southern Europe and Italy at PokerStars, highlighted the ongoing momentum in the region’s online poker ecosystem.

He noted that the Winter Series once again brought together players of all skill levels for weeks of competitive and festive online poker, underlining the strong enthusiasm for the game across Southern Europe. PokerStars confirmed that while the Winter Series has concluded, players can expect more innovative tournament formats and major events in the months ahead.

Further details about the Winter Series are available via PokerStars’ official platforms.

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Leading French esports organization Team Vitality has announced the signing of Neia, one of the most promising young talents in Tekken 8, as part of its Fighting Games division.

Following a breakthrough 2025 season and a standout showing at EVO Nice, the 16-year-old phenom has committed to representing Team Vitality for the next two competitive seasons.

Neia now joins an elite lineup within Team Vitality, training alongside renowned Tekken players Jeondding and KingReyJr, as well as the H-DOPE and K-TOPE duo CientifiKOF in Fatal Fury. The signing underlines Team Vitality’s continued ambition to nurture emerging talent while strengthening its presence across the fighting game ecosystem.

A breakout year for a rising Tekken star

Despite her young age, Neia has rapidly established herself as one of France’s most exciting Tekken prospects. Known for her mastery of Lili, she stands out for her aggressive playstyle, creative decision-making, and strong technical execution.

Her rise began on June 8, 2025, during a Kayane Session hosted at V.Hive, Team Vitality’s Paris headquarters. Spotted by French champion and content creator Kayane, Neia impressed immediately by defeating several high-level players, including a professional competitor — a performance that sparked widespread attention within the community.

Strong results on the international stage

Neia’s momentum continued throughout 2025:

• 13th place at Ultimate Fighting Arena (UFA) Paris in September
• 17th place at EVO Nice in October while representing French club BMS, eliminating top international players such as Tibetano
• 4th place at Galaxian Explosion in December, defeating Jodd in the top eight — her best result to date

These performances confirmed her status as a breakout Tekken 8 talent with significant international potential.

The next chapter in yellow and black

For the 2026 season, Neia has chosen to continue her competitive journey with Team Vitality, benefitting from world-class coaching, infrastructure, and performance support. Her next major milestones include Tekken World Tour Sweden (January 2026) and EVO Japan (May 2026).

Team Vitality’s commitment to talent development

As a major force in European esports, Team Vitality places player development at the heart of its strategy. By joining the organization, Neia will train in a high-performance environment alongside seasoned professionals, accelerating her growth on the international fighting game circuit.

Fabien “Neo” Devide, President and Co-Founder of Team Vitality, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Neia to Team Vitality. Her potential, seriousness, and determination fully reflect the club’s mindset. Alongside her mentor Kayane, we are proud to support her in this new phase and confident she will find the ideal conditions to thrive with our fighting game players.”

With Neia’s arrival, Team Vitality strengthens its Fighting Games roster while reinforcing its role in shaping the next generation of esports champions.

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From 20th to 21st January, Boomerang Partners participated in the iGB Affiliate Barcelona 2026. This event once again brought together key players of the global affiliate marketing industry, serving as a platform for strategic discussions, partnerships, and knowledge exchange. Boomerang met with current and new affiliate partners, presented its latest expert product, the Sports Marketing and Betting Calendar 2026, and reaffirmed sports as its core strategic segment. Also, the company won the prestigious ‘Best Live Event Marketing Campaign’ award at the European iGaming Awards.

Sports as a strategic focus

For Boomerang Partners, sports is a long-term strategic vertical. The company aspires to become the world’s leading sports-focused affiliate program, backed by extensive experience and deep expertise. iGB Affiliate Barcelona provided an excellent opportunity to meet with affiliate partners and discuss collaboration for the current year, which can rightfully be called the Year of Sports, thanks to the FIFA World Cup 2026, the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, and numerous other tournaments across various sports.

Strategy sessions and analytics at the core

Boomerang Partners traditionally attends major industry events together with representatives of its in-house analytics team. During iGB Affiliate Barcelona, the company held a series of strategic sessions with affiliate partners, focusing on traffic planning, seasonality, and campaign efficiency.

This approach allows affiliate teams to meet not only Boomerang’s affiliate managers, but also the analysts behind the company’s strategies. As a result, exhibitions like iGB Affiliate Barcelona become effective spaces for in-depth discussions and long-term planning rather than surface-level networking.

A must-have tool for sports-focused affiliates

One of the key highlights of Boomerang Partners’ participation was the presentation of the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026. This exclusive guide was introduced as both a practical analytics product and a value-driven gift for affiliate partners.

The Calendar consolidates sports schedules, traffic peak predictions, GEO insights, industry trends summary, and expert recommendations into a single framework, helping affiliate teams plan campaigns throughout the year. It can provide practical value to experienced sports-focused affiliates in shaping their strategies. Newcomers starting in the vertical will gain valuable insights into many nuances of working with sports traffic, such as the importance of tailoring campaigns to specific tournament phases (pre-event, during the competition, or post-event).

Booth concept and sports-focused activations

Boomerang Partners’ booth reflected the company’s sports-first positioning. All on-booth activities were built around sports engagement – from interactive mechanics to branded giveaways.  All of this reinforced the message that Boomerang speaks the language of sports affiliates and understands their needs.

So, among all those who downloaded the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026 via QR code at the booth during the exhibition, a fully-funded trip and accommodation in Milan was raffled, including tickets to a home match of the Club at the iconic San Siro Stadium.

Looking ahead

Boomerang Partners encourages affiliate teams to stay up to date on upcoming updates and to actively use analytical tools when planning sports campaigns. Tools like the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026 are designed to help partners anticipate traffic peaks, optimize strategies, and drive sustainable growth in the sports vertical.

Darina Sharban, Affiliate Team Lead at Boomerang Partners, commented:

“iGB Affiliate Barcelona is always about quality conversations. This year, we saw strong interest from partners who already work with sports traffic and want deeper analytics to scale their campaigns. Such opportunities are provided to them by our Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026.”

Kristina Shkredova, Affiliate Team Lead at Boomerang Partners, said:

“What stood out was how many discussions went beyond campaign planning. Partners were focused on seasonality, long-term planning, and how to prepare for major sports events in advance.”

Liliia Sudachenko, Affiliate Team Lead at Boomerang Partners, added:

“Events like this allow us to align expectations. When affiliate partners see our analytics approach and tools like the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar, conversations become much more strategic.

Well-deserved recognition

During iGB Affiliate Barcelona, the winners of the European iGaming Awards were announced. Boomerang Partners won in the category ‘Best Live Event Marketing Campaign’. In doing so, the jury rightfully acknowledged the company for its outstanding execution of the Golden Boomerang Awards ceremony at the legendary San Siro Stadium in Milan in May 2025. The event was combined with an exclusive networking and a charity auction. The participation of AC Milan Legend Andrea Pirlo, who presented awards in 11 categories, gave the ceremony a special status.

With iGB Affiliate Barcelona 2026 behind them, Boomerang Partners continues to focus on analytics, expertise, and long-term partnerships – keeping sports at the center of its affiliate strategy. Download the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026 on the company’s official website and plan your sports traffic campaigns effectively.

About Boomerang

Boomerang Partners is a rapidly growing global marketing agency offering a wide range of services. Boomerang Partners is the Official Regional Partner of AC Milan. In 2024, it launched the inaugural Golden Boomerang Awards — a global tournament for affiliate teams. More than 400 affiliate teams participated in the second season of the tournament in 2025. Partners of the Agency launched six new products in 2024-2025, contributing to a nearly 1.5-fold increase in product users.

The agency’s client portfolio contains 10+ brands offering affiliate and entertainment services across 40+ markets in compliance with local regulations. These products provide personalized bonuses and 24/7 multilingual support.

The post Boomerang Partners highlights from iGB Affiliate Barcelona 2026: The Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026 presentation, sports activations and the ‘Best Live Event Marketing Campaign’ award appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.