eSports

Facebook’s giant step into eSports may be a look at its future

Published

6 years ago

January 22, 2018

Reading Time: 3 minutes

FACEBOOK, the American online social media have decided not to keep on with its status as a media company anymore, but it might just want to be a gaming platform. Announcing today the company stated that it will be the exclusive destination for multiple leagues from eSports federation ESL. Look out, top-down cooking videos and insane Russian dashcam clips: you may promptly be competing with 360 no-scope headshots for users’ “meaningful interactions.”

January 23 will set off the starting of the ESL One, which features tournaments for both Dota2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournaments, along with ESL’s dedicated CS:GO Pro League, to be broadcasted through Facebook Watch, the streaming-video component. Which refers to tournaments, but it also means recaps, highlights, and a week-in-review show—which are already widely popular on Twitch, the streaming platform.

This puts forward an obvious question: If you are ESL, why not just sign with Twitch? The Amazon-owned platform already a destination for partnership of such kind. The Overwatch League—Blizzard’s ambitious challenge to conventional sports leagues—will exclusively host its broadcasts on Twitch for the league’s initial two years.

Ken Hershman, the Commissioner of the World Esports Association, an industry collaboration between top teams and ESL said: “We look at Facebook as the best of both worlds.” “It is a tremendous streaming platform, but it is obviously a social and engagement platform.” Utilizing Facebook’s targeting potentials, ESL will be enabled to extract highlights from the broadcasts and cross-post them on the pages of individual teams. These videos will live in Facebook Watch and surface on users’ news feeds as well.

The two companies have already tested out the dynamic. Last year, they collaborated to bring 5000 hours of ESL’s content to Facebook—and ESL’s reach on the platform grew subsequently. Prior to that deal, ESL was reaching 750,000 people on Facebook on a monthly basis; now, that number has exceeded to more than 25 million. And it is persistently growing. And what about Facebook’s side of the equation? Can watching digital crosshairs flick around drive the sort of engagement Mark Zuckerberg seems to have made his new year’s resolution? More than you might assume. ESL has outposts in over two dozen countries, each with their own roster of recognised analysts and broadcasters. In CS:GO-crazy Brazil, fan engagement on Facebook was so high—even when the tournament broadcasts were appearing across different platforms—that the Portuguese broadcasts became part of today’s partnership.

There’s more, though. This isn’t just a glimpse at where eSports will be viewed, but how. Remember that 2016 photo of Mark Zuckerberg walking throughout a roomful of Oculus-strapped journalists? That’s where the viewing experience is headed: ESL will be broadcasting matches in VR, using Facebook 360. Forget about squinting at your phone, a computer screen, a TV or even a stadium Jumbotron to make out what’s happening on the minimap; now, you’ll be able to watch it all in glorious surround (at least when 5G helps 360 streaming video be less of a blocky mess).

While Twitch has become an increasingly popular home for VR streamers, it simply cannot match Facebook’s VR strategy. Not only does Facebook already have teams dedicated to social VR and live VR experiences, but it owns Oculus, which will be releasing its standalone Oculus Go headset in “early 2018.” (And that headset’s $199 purchase price may have just gotten significantly more attractive to a few eSports fans.)

On paper, it feels like a bet on the future for both companies. In Facebook, ESL gets a global reach that far eclipses Twitch’s—over a billion people scroll through Facebook each day, close to ten times Twitch’s daily user base—the importance of which can’t be overstated as eSports continues to court mainstream entertainment appetites. In ESL, Facebook gets a prominent eSports league with a huge following that can help establish Facebook Watch as a game-streaming destination in one giant leap. In a market that was projected to bring in $4.6 billion last year, that’s a potential windfall for both parties.

And for eSports fans, Facebook’s recommendation engine means that the company may be able to cross-pollinate eSports communities like never before, turning fans into even more engaged fans. Follow a CS:GO streamer on Twitch? You’ll get more CS:GO streamers. Like CS:GO on Facebook and watch a Pro League match? You might just end up binging Dota 2 right after.

Source: wired.com

eSports

North Star Network acquires Um Dois Esportes

Published

2 days ago

April 24, 2024

Peter Tolan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

North Star Network are delighted to announce the acquisition of umdoisesportes.com.br, which becomes the latest addition to NSN’s global sports media portfolio.

Born from the GRPCOM merger of the editorial teams of Gazeta Do Povo and Tribuna do Paraná in 2020, Um Dois Esportes provides in-depth sports coverage and analysis for the Brazilian state of Paraná and beyond.

North Star Network co-founder Julien Josset said: “Thank you to the team at GRPCOM for their faith in us to take the brand forward. Um Dois Esportes is an established and renowned site in Paraná State, and we’re excited about the challenge of developing this asset.”

“We’re happy to maintain the collaboration with the existing editorial team, and look forward to working with them, bringing our unique NSN approach, to take UDE forward.” NSN’s signing of Um Dois Esportes is the media house’s fourth acquisition of 2024, following the recent deals to purchase UK-based SportsMole and MrFixitsTips, as well as Chilean site AlAireLibre, which was announced in March.

The latest addition to the North Star media portfolio joins existing assets including Top Mercato, Afrik-Foot, and Vringe. The Paris-based company already oversees a significant Brazilian operation, delivering over 6 million sessions per month, from the likes of Trivela, Premier League Brasil and Lakers Brasil.

NSN will retain Curitiba-based journalists from the Um Dois Esportes legacy team to maintain the asset’s unique tone and popular coverage of the Paraná sports scene across site and social.

“We were surprised by the interest, and initially had no intention of selling Um Dois, but as the conversations evolved, we realised this was a serious group with good intentions,” said GRPCOM Director Rafael Mello. “We were very happy to see our project being valued by a large international group and going global, demonstrating the quality of the content we produced.”

“We’re also proud that North Star inherited our journalists, who are truly responsible for the success of the product we offer readers every day.”

eSports

GIANTX Promotes LVP Superliga Toplaner Th3Antonio to the League of Legends EMEA Championship Roster

Published

2 days ago

April 24, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Today, GIANTX is excited to announce an update to its LEC competitive roster. Antonio”Th3Antonio” Espinosa Bejarano is recognised as one of the most successful LVP Superliga players in the history of GIANTX, and he has now reached a pivotal moment in his career to compete in the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC).

The LEC is the most important League of Legends competition in Europe and one of the most relevant in the international esports scene. The Barcelona-born ‘toplaner’ will be part of the lineup kicking off the LEC Summer split season in Berlin, which starts in June. As the community quotes; ‘Th3LEC’ is finally a reality.

Commenting on his new role, Th3Antonio said:

“This is the dream I’ve been working towards since I entered esports. I always wanted to compete at the highest level to face the best, and finally, I have this opportunity. I never stopped striving, and thanks to that and the work we’ve done together with all my teammates, we’ve achieved great things in Spain, but the LEC has always been my ultimate goal. Going to the LEC with my lifelong club, GIANTX, is a double dream. Everyone knows what GIANTX means to me”.

Sports Director at GIANTX, David Alonso, added:

“Th3Antonio deserves this opportunity, both in recognition of the level he’s at and all the work he has put in over the past few years. We are convinced of this decision and that he will give everything to succeed in the LEC. He has always been characterised by sacrificing himself for others, and lately, he has taken a step forward by leading in crucial moments, a clear sign of his maturity as a player”.

Having joined at a young age in 2017, Antonio ‘Th3Antonio’ Espinosa has become one of the most decorated players of the LVP Superliga and of GIANTX history. During his time with the team, he has won four Superliga titles, two Iberian Cups, one Copa, and has reached an EMEA Masters final, as well as other national competitions.

The decision to promote Th3Antonio reflects GIANTX’s need to implement changes following the results of the LEC Winter and Spring split seasons. In both splits, the team fell short in the first round of playoffs. The Summer split season is the main shot at Worlds for all teams, and the aim of the club was to make the necessary changes to achieve this goal. After a period of reflection and numerous trials, Th3Antonio has been chosen for the toplaner position.

eSports

L&G esports team founded by Alona Shevtsova won the national Dragon EC Cup tournament

Published

2 days ago

April 24, 2024

Zoltan Tundik

Four teams competed in the tournament's final: Lazer Cats, L&G, which received a direct invitation to the final stage, EsportsBattle, and ThunderFlash, which had open qualifiers.

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Ukrainian esports team L&G won the Dragon EC Cup tournament, held on the 20th of April by Dragon Esports Club. Four teams competed in the tournament’s final: Lazer Cats, L&G, which received a direct invitation to the final stage, EsportsBattle, and ThunderFlash, which had open qualifiers. During the Grand Final, the L&G team competed with Lazer Cats on Mirage, Anubis, and Vertigo maps.

“This victory is a testament to the exceptional talent and commitment of our players, as well as the collective effort of our coaching staff and support personnel,” said Alona Shevtsova, founder of L&G Esports. “We are immensely proud of their accomplishments and grateful for the unwavering support of our fans.”

L&G is among the top 5 Ukrainian teams in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It was founded in 2021. The previous name was Leogaming, and it was created on the initiative of the famous Alona Shevtsova from the fintech sector.

The team began competing in top tournaments and almost immediately made it to the Advanced division of the ESEA League Europe competition. The team also participated in and took prizes in European tournaments such as the SCL League, WhiteBit Crypto Open, Phoenix League, and local competitions. The team players are marat2k, r0ublE, kr1vda, kL1o, OneUn1que, rji (coach).

The winners received a 50,000 UAH prize. Dragon Esports Club also prepared a 15-skin giveaway for the broadcast’s viewers.

It is worth mentioning that the L&G team created its merch items, which are available for order worldwide. To get more information about the team, visit the L&G Instagram page, Twitch, or Telegram Channel.