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The rise of exhibition fights and ‘sportainment’ is in the spotlight as Jake Paul and Tommy Fury finally lock horns this weekend
The imminent Tommy Fury vs Jake Paul fight will capture the interest of both boxing and entertainment communities alike in the long-awaited, twice cancelled, catchweight bout scheduled for 26th February.
With the rise in YouTube stars like Logan Paul, Jake Paul and KSI entering the boxing world, bringing new and more diverse audiences to the sport, it has brought about a ‘sportainment’ movement where sports and entertainment worlds collide.
Data from Entain, the global sport betting, gaming, and interactive entertainment group, reveals that two thirds of Brits have sided patriotically with Tommy Fury.
Through spats on social media and various altercations at boxing events in the last 12 months, the pair have brought a substantial number of fans to the contest beyond the traditional boxing audience. Entain’s online data, which covers the Group’s wide portfolio of brands around the world, including Ladbrokes and Coral in the UK, reveals that:
- In the last five years, the top three fights with the highest percentage of new customers came from fights that featured a YouTube star. Over 1 in 4 customers who bet on the KSI and Logan Paul fights in 2018 and 2019 respectively were new customers
- The growth of interest in YouTube bouts has continued unabated, either side of Covid restrictions. The KSI vs. Logan Paul fight of 2019 saw a threefold increase in number of bets vs. their first bout in 2018, in addition to over double the number of customers betting on the fight, evidencing the rapid growth of interest on creator boxing
- The imminent Tommy Fury vs. Jake Paul fight is likely to continue this trend and feature in the top ten biggest fights of the last six months in terms of number of bets placed, surpassing the heavyweight bout between New Zealand’s Joseph Parker and Jack Massey from the UK last month
- Over 1 in 4 customers betting on the Tommy Fury v Jake Paul fight are predicted to be new customers, a stark comparison to the traditional boxing bout earlier this year between British rivals Chris Eubank Jr vs. Liam Smith, where only 2% of customers were new customers
Dominic Grounsell, Chief Commercial Officer, Entain commented: “The way in which fans engage with sport and entertainment is changing, and the interest in creator boxing is one of the trends that sits at the heart of this convergence. We see from our data that these events are injecting new life into the sport, diversifying and bringing in new audiences beyond traditional boxing fans. As a leader in interactive entertainment, we want to be at the forefront of this by creating moments of excitement for all our customers, all backed up by the world’s most advanced player protection.”
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Eagerly anticipated release now confirmed following a highly successful exclusivity period with Rush Street Interactive
Play’n GO has today announced the official US release of its hit title Colt Lightning Firestorm, following a three-week period of exclusivity with Rush Street Interactive brands BetRivers and SugarHouse.
Colt Lightning Firestorm was released in Europe and other jurisdictions in May 2024, and its release in the US comes with much fanfare following the game’s rave reviews in its short exclusivity period. The game is a sequel to the wildly popular Colt Lightning game which was released early last year, and indications at this stage suggest that this sequel may prove even more successful.
This announcement sees Colt Lightning Firestorm available to players in each state and operator with whom Play’n GO is licensed. Play’n GO first entered the online casino market in the US in 2022, and has reiterated its commitment to becoming active in every regulated market around the world.
Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer at Play’n GO said: “We’re excited to unveil Colt Lightning Firestorm to the wider online casino gaming community in the US, and have been very pleased to see its strong performance during its exclusivity period with Rush Street Interactive. We had high hopes for the game following the success of its predecessor, and we’re confident that these robust results will continue now that the game is available to an even bigger audience.”
Esports entertainment company BLAST has announced plans to host two popular esports events in Singapore in 2024 and 2025.
BLAST will bring both world-class Counter-Strike and Dota 2 tournaments to the heart of Southeast Asia, marking a major step in Singapore’s emergence as an esports and gaming hub. Supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), these high-profile events will bring the world’s best esports teams and players from all across the world to compete in Singapore.
BLAST has teamed up with AEG Presents Asia, one of the world’s largest live entertainment entities to bring these events to Singapore. The partnership forms part of BLAST’s ambition to create the best esports experiences by working closely with premier destinations and the biggest and best live entertainment partners.
More than half of global esports views (57%) are estimated to come from the Asia Pacific region, 47% more than any other region in the world with the global market valued at $1.6 billion.
By bringing the top-tier Counter-Strike and Dota 2 tournaments to Singapore, BLAST aims
to attract global esports talent, foster local growth, and elevate Singapore’s status as a destination for world-class esports entertainment.
James Woollard, Director of Market Development at BLAST, said: “We are incredibly excited to bring two of the biggest esports titles to this vibrant destination. Over the coming 18 months, Singapore will become a major hub for esports in Southeast Asia, and with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board, we look forward to delivering unforgettable experiences for fans while helping to build a thriving esports ecosystem in the region. Bringing the first BLAST arena event to Singapore is an exciting first step in this journey. The World Final will see the world’s best Counter-Strike players and teams fighting for a $1,000,000 total prize pool.”
Ms Ong Ling Lee, Executive Director, Sports and Wellness, Singapore Tourism Board, said, “We are excited to host the BLAST Premier World Final and the BLAST Dota Slam in Singapore. The Counter-Strike event marks the first BLAST-branded event in Southeast Asia and the inaugural Counter-Strike tournament series in the region, solidifying Singapore’s position as a world-class esports destination. We are confident that the international participants and their legions of fans will have a memorable experience in Singapore, immersing themselves in the diverse and dynamic offerings of our city.”
The World Final 2024 will take place from 30th October – 3rd November and will be the first BLAST event to take place in Singapore, followed by the BLAST Dota Slam in 2025. The World Final will be the biggest Counter-Strike event to take place in Singapore, where the world’s best eight Counter-Strike teams will compete for a massive prize pool of $1,000,000 and the chance to claim bragging rights as the best team around.
Qualified World Final teams: NAVI, Team Spirit, Team Vitality, FaZe Clan and G2 Esports.
Fans can sign-up for the pre-sale window by registering with BLAST.tv, where they will also receive updates and information on tickets.
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