eSports
Cristiano Ronaldo Named Global Ambassador of the Esports World Cup 2025

The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) today announced that Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the most celebrated athletes of all time, has been appointed as the Global Ambassador of the Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC), further solidifying EWC’s position as one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events.
Ronaldo’s appointment marks a defining milestone for the Esports World Cup and signals the continued rise of competitive gaming as a global sport. A five-time Ballon d’Or winner and a symbol of elite performance, Ronaldo brings a powerful presence and cultural resonance that transcends traditional sports, helping connect millions of fans to the next generation of esports athletes.
“Cristiano Ronaldo connects generations — from lifelong football fans to today’s emerging competitors,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation. “His pursuit of greatness mirrors the spirit of the Esports World Cup: the biggest stage for the best players. As Global Ambassador, he bridges traditional sport and competitive gaming, helping spotlight the next generation of athletes competing for global glory. We’re humbled to have the greatest of all time stand with us in this moment for esports.”
Ronaldo has already played a formative role in the evolution of the Esports World Cup. He participated in the global announcement of the creation of EWC in 2023 and attended last summer’s Closing Ceremony in Riyadh, where he celebrated Team Falcons’ historic Club Championship win. With unmatched reach and fan engagement across every major platform, Ronaldo has helped elevate EWC’s profile since its inception.
As Global Ambassador, Ronaldo will headline the tournament’s global campaign leading up to and throughout the seven-week competition and festival in Riyadh. He also stars as a playable character in FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, one of the 25 tournament titles in this year’s Esports World Cup games lineup. With a social media following of over one billion, Ronaldo’s voice will help bring the tournament to new audiences, and introduce the next generation of fans to the elite players of competitive gaming.
Ronaldo’s participation will also highlight the Esports World Cup’s 2025 creative theme, “Rise Above,” a campaign celebrating unlocking human potential, pushing the boundaries and going beyond the norms in the pursuit of greatness — values exemplified by Ronaldo and mirrored by the athletes competing across 25 tournaments this summer.
“Sport is always evolving – and esports is one more frontier,” said Ronaldo. “The commitment, drive, talent, and intensity I have been able to see in esports athletes is no different from what I’ve experienced on the pitch. I’m proud to stand alongside these competitors and be part of a global event that’s inspiring a new generation.”
The Esports World Cup 2025 will once again unite gaming and esports communities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a global competition that will crown the next Esports World Cup Champion. The tournament’s unique cross-game format will reward Clubs and players competing for a life-changing prize pool across a mix of platforms and genres, bringing together esports’ best teams, players and games under one banner in the largest-ever celebration of esports.
The EWC 2025 will feature 2,000 elite players and 200 Clubs from more than 100 countries, competing in 25 tournaments across 24 games for a record-breaking $70+ million prize pool. Tickets are now available at esportsworldcup.com.
To learn more about EWC, visit esportsworldcup.com and follow Esports World Cup Foundation on LinkedIn. “Esports World Cup: Level Up,” a five-part docuseries directed by Emmy winner R.J. Cutler that chronicles the inaugural EWC, is now streaming exclusively on Prime Video with new episodes released weekly.
The post Cristiano Ronaldo Named Global Ambassador of the Esports World Cup 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
BETER
BETER Teams Up with FIRST

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In-demand fast-betting content provider brings its esports and sports products to a Tier-1 sportsbook supplier
BETER, the award-winning provider of fast-betting content and data for esports and sports, has entered into a strategic partnership with FIRST – Best in Sports, a Tier-1 sportsbook supplier.
Through this collaboration, FIRST will integrate fan-favorite ESportsBattle tournaments, initially taking eFootball and eBasketball, as well as world-renowned Setka Cup table tennis tournaments.
BETER delivers 24/7 live streaming, real-time data, and hyper-accurate odds for approximately 700,000 fast-paced events each year, offering up to 50 markets per event with an average operator margin of 7.5%+.
Its esports portfolio includes ESportsBattle tournaments, featuring eFootball, eBasketball, eHockey, and the recently launched eTennis. Its sports portfolio features the Setka Cup table tennis series, BSKT Cup basketball league, GTR Cup tennis tournaments, Padel tennis, as well as coverage of official cricket tournaments and leagues worldwide.
BETER ensures the highest standards of fairness and transparency across its content offerings, backed by collaborations with ESIC and IBIA.
FIRST – Best in Sports delivers a fully managed, high-performance sportsbook engineered for speed, scale and precision. With sportsbook specialization at its core, FIRST helps operators in LatAm, Europe and Africa compete at the highest level from day one, combining sharp pricing and risk, deep trading expertise, regional insight, and rapid rollout to accelerate performance.
Both companies were recognized among the best at the recent SBC Awards ceremony, with BETER receiving the Silver Award in the Live Betting Product category, while FIRST was named Sportsbook Supplier of the Year.
Gal Ehrlich, CEO of BETER, said: “The partnership between BETER and FIRST brings together two pioneering providers committed to delivering next-generation betting experiences.
“FIRST has launched our collaboration by integrating a suite of our most popular products—EsportsBattle for esports and Setka Cup for sports—both proven to engage players and deliver the fast-betting thrills they seek.
“This is a great partnership, and our teams are looking forward to a fruitful collaboration.”
Tom Light, CEO of FIRST, added: “BETER’s fast-betting portfolio fits exactly what FIRST was built for: a high-performance sportsbook crafted by specialists.
“Together, we give operators a direct route to Tier-1 competitiveness, faster time-to-market, higher player engagement, and the confidence to go head-to-head with the biggest brands across LatAm, Europe and Africa from day one.”
The post BETER Teams Up with FIRST appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Aquisitions/Mergers
GRID Acquires Bayes Esports Assets

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GRID, a game data and technology platform, has acquired the intellectual property assets of Bayes Esports following the company’s liquidation proceedings and will integrate the technology into its GRID Bet division.
The acquisition integrates strategic technology components developed by Bayes over nearly a decade, including live data trading solutions, prediction models, and fan engagement tools, into the GRID Data Platform. These technologies will now be powered exclusively by official esports data available only on GRID, accelerating product development and driving innovation across GRID’s entire portfolio, with a particular focus on GRID Bet, the company’s comprehensive solution for regulated esports betting.
“The acquisition of Bayes assets further accelerates GRIDs capabilities to create value for rights holders in esports and shape the next phase of esports betting in particular,” said Moritz Maurer, Founder & CEO of GRID.
The post GRID Acquires Bayes Esports Assets appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
BETBY
BETBY CELEBRATES SUCCESS AT SBC SUMMIT LISBON 2025 WITH ESPORTS SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR AWARD

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BETBY, a Tier 1 sportsbook supplier, successfully concluded an impactful presence at SBC Summit Lisbon 2025, where its booth became a central hub for clients, partners, and industry professionals. The summit served as a powerful platform for the company to spark new connections, exchange ideas, and engage in discussions on the latest trends shaping the global betting and gaming industry.
Positioned as “the global gaming and betting industry comes to do business,” SBC Summit provided the ideal stage for BETBY to showcase its cutting-edge sportsbook technology and innovative solutions. Visitors to the BETBY booth experienced first-hand the company’s latest tools designed to empower operators with robust, scalable, and future-proof technology.
The highlight of the event came as BETBY was honoured with the prestigious Esports Supplier of the Year Award. This accolade reflects the company’s unwavering commitment to delivering innovative, reliable, and high-performing solutions that address the evolving needs of sportsbook operators worldwide.
“Being recognised as Esports Supplier of the Year at the SBC Summit is an incredible achievement for our team,” said Leonid Pertsovskiy, CEO at BETBY. “It validates our focus on pushing technological boundaries and our mission to create solutions that bring real value to operators and their players. SBC Summit not only provided BETBY with the opportunity to highlight its achievements but also reaffirmed its position as an industry leader driving innovation in sportsbook technology.”
As BETBY looks ahead, the company is already preparing for its next major industry showcase at the SiGMA Europe Summit in November 2025, which for the first time will be held in Rome. There, BETBY will once again present its cutting-edge tools, insights, and expertise to operators across the globe.
The post BETBY CELEBRATES SUCCESS AT SBC SUMMIT LISBON 2025 WITH ESPORTS SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR AWARD appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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