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Esports and Media: How Should the Two Interact?

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Esports and Media: How Should the Two Interact?
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The media wants more access, and eSports organizations want the freedom to opt out of that access. No matter which way you slice it, there’s no easy answer.

 

Should media access to players and post-match press conferences be mandatory at major esports events? The ongoing question was brought up by former Yahoo! Esports Director Travis Gafford, who while covering the League of Legends World Championships in China tweeted the following: “It only took about 75 seconds for me to hear “Immortals has declined all interview requests” after that game finished.

Esports (without the “E”)

As esports continues to move more in line with its traditional sports bretheren, looking at the policies of traditional sports leagues can provide context to this issue. The most popular professional sport in the United States, the NFL, mandates Super Bowl attendees to be available to journalists during their annual media day. In 2015, at Super Bowl XLIX in Phoenix, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch came to the stage. “I’m here so I won’t get fined,” Lynch replied to every single question.

While his remarks are now a trademarked joke, there’s an underlying point. While not entirely productive, Lynch at least appeared at the event. Also, the NFL has a pre- and post-game policy regarding media access:

“After a reasonable waiting period, defined as 10-12 minutes maximum after the completion of the game and the players have entered the locker room, the home and visiting team locker room areas will be opened to all accredited media with immediate access to all players and the head coach.” 2017 NFL Media Access Policy

Traditional sports leagues see working with media as a symbiotic relationship; media creates the content which fans consume which then turns into revenue for both parties. However with esports, universal access hasn’t been as consistent. Media is not always guaranteed access to players, coaches and organizational staff — and the issue goes much deeper than simply not being able to do interviews with players that have just lost a match.

Friend or foe?

It’s no secret that esports doesn’t always get along with the media. Players, coaches and owners have made it known that the media isn’t a priority and that — at times — it is a privilege to talk to them.

As one former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive manager said, “We don’t owe the media anything.” They weren’t wrong, either — without statutes in place, there’s no requirement for teams to do anything with the media if they so choose.

Take for instance Dota 2’s yearly world championship, The International. The event, just like most, has a media day where teams come down and meet with journalists and do various interviews. But unlike other developers or tournament organizers, Valve does not facilitate these interactions. It creates a risky scenario for press outlets hoping to cover the event: those who show up without industry contacts may be unable to garner a single interview, and especially for non-endemic outlets this can become a wasted coverage investment.

 

Be careful what you ask for

In situations like the latest League of Legends World Championships and The International, it’s easy to see where the frustration comes from. When there’s no guarantee the largest events of the year won’t yield the results outlets are looking for, who wouldn’t be? However, some events are starting to get on board with mandatory press conferences — and it’s not as simple a solution as some would imagine.

ELEAGUE attempted to increase media access during their Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major held back in January. The organizer asked the winning teams to do press conference immediately after their matches and while some teams obliged, bringing their entire roster, other teams sent only one or two players — and some didn’t show up at all.

As the discussion continues, one major theme in regards to players, coaches, and team staff have separated themselves from the rest: esports players aren’t always prepared for life in the spotlight.

The above reason isn’t just a lazy excuse, either. Good players in the esports space can rise to prominence quickly; according to a study by ESPN, esports players are as much as five years younger than their traditional sports peers. This sometimes comes at the cost of post-secondary education and life experience. Going from playing a video game in a bedroom to competing on a stage in front of millions with the hounds of Reddit scrutinizing a player’s every move is hardly a smooth transition, either.

Given all that, is it really that hard to believe that not everybody is prepared for the spotlight? Nobody wants to see a sobbing teenager pelted with questions right after a loss, or an angry player lose control and say something in the moment that could damage their career forever — and when media demands access no matter what, teams often do (and in many cases, should!) push to protect their teams from those types of situations.

So what now?

It’s fair to say that there’s not a lot of trust between esports organizations and the media right now. Plenty of people on the organizational side have heard a horror story or two about overreaching media figures who push too hard when working with talent. Likewise, the frustration of inconsistent access continues to be a thorn in the side of outlets looking to enrich the space with deeper narratives. But at the end of the day, it’s not one side or the other that has to give. Both can be better.

On the organizational side, it will continue to be important that players be educated on how to live life in the public eye, and help guide young players as they learn how to navigate that lifestyle — which certainly includes media relations. It will also be important to come to grips with the fact that all press won’t be good press. Leagues, teams, players, talent and everybody in between are capable of making mistakes, and the media should feel comfortable to talk responsibly about the positive and the negative sides of esports without fear of retaliation.

Media can continue to improve, as well. As young a space as esports is, esports coverage is even younger. The word ‘responsibly’ is bolded above for a reason; it’s not uncommon to see coverage that blurs the line between opinion and fact, nor are stories of players feeling unfairly pressured or miscontextualized during interviews. As players and teams mature, so must the industry that covers them.

 

Will the two sides be able to come together? For the sake of everybody involved, let’s hope so.

 

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NEW YORK ISLANDERS REPRESENTATIVE ERIK ‘EKI’ TAMMENPAA EARNS HIS SIXTH EUROPEAN TITLE AT THE EA SPORTS NHL 24 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

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In a rematch of last year’s European Championship, Erik ‘Eki’ Tammenpää, representing the New York Islanders, again prevailed over Teemu ‘Temppanen’ Karvonen representing the Anaheim Ducks to win the EA SPORTS NHL 24 European Championship title. The win marks Eki’s fourth-straight and sixth-overall European Championship title (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) and another $15,000 USD in earnings. Temppanen placed second in the competition that took place at the Copenhagen Media Facility in Copenhagen, Denmark on Sunday evening. For a second year straight, both players will represent Europe in the EA SPORTS NHL 24 World Championship taking place in April in New York.

Eki is a full-time YouTube and Twitch content creator and EA SPORTS™ NHL® 24 expert and 24-year-old native of Helsinki, Finland. He remains the most decorated esports player on the NHL competitive circuit and will try once again to capture the World title after capturing runner up at last year’s EA SPORTS NHL 23 World Final.

During the competition in Copenhagen today, Temppanen and Eki qualified for a spot in the World Final by competing in a semifinal best-of-three round. Both players split their first two games, with Temppanen ultimately overtaking NikkeDanglesin a tight competition and Eki defeating Eken45Jr with eight goals in a Game Three shutout.

The Championship series saw a rematch of last year’s EA SPORTS NHL 23 European Final with Temppanen and EKI facing off once again. While Temppanen took the lead with an early goal in Game One, Eki scored three quick goals in a three-minute span during the second period and a game-winning goal in the third period by Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers). Eki continued his goal streak and dominated Game Two, ultimately scoring six unanswered goals, including tallies from Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes), Bo Horvat(New York Islanders), and Cam Atkinson (Philadelphia Flyers). Eki’s

6-0 victory solidified his sixth European title and status as “the one to beat.”

EA SPORTS NHL 24 EUROPEAN FINAL STANDINGS

1st: Eki, New York Islanders

2nd: Temppanen, Anaheim Ducks

3rd: Eken45jr, Pittsburgh Penguins

4th: NikkeDangles, Washington Capitals

5th-8th: Alphaborje, Detroit Red Wings

5th-8th: Kibeeex, Toronto Maple Leafs

5th-8th: Launonexx, Tampa Bay Lightning

5th-8th: Teemuyy, Colorado Avalanche

The EA SPORTS NHL 24 North American Championship will be contested on March 24 at the NHL Flagship Store in New York beginning at 1 p.m. ET on the NHL’s Twitch channel. For more news, fans can visit www.nhl.com/NHL24 and follow the conversation on social using #NHL24WC.

 

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eSports

Supported by Access Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Investment Office, KALM opens global headquarters in the emirate

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KALM, the world’s first sports and esports consultancy focused on player development and performance, has launched its new global headquarters in Abu Dhabi. KALM aims to revolutionise the landscape by offering a blend of expertise from both traditional sports and esports, including innovations, technology and academic partnerships to develop first-in-class services for athletes.

Powered by Access Abu Dhabi, an initiative by Maven Global Access and supported by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), KALM will provide its services to organisations, global brands and individual athletes in and out of their sporting endeavours.

KALM utilises proprietary performance technology from Stanford University to identify key traits and talent of athletes by evaluating perceptive, physical and mental capabilities. It is focused on creating a best-in-class performance centre dedicated to optimising player health and recovery. KALM harnesses data science and AI applications to understand peak player performance and lifestyle factors affecting performance and develops methods to extend the longevity of an athlete’s career.

Massimo Falcioni, Chief Competitiveness Officer at ADIO, said: “Abu Dhabi is steadily emerging as a regional sports and esports centre, and KALM is joining a solid lineup of global players who are setting up their operations in the emirate. Boasting a positive investment environment, enabling regulations and cutting-edge infrastructure and connectivity, Abu Dhabi continues to be a destination of choice for innovators. We are confident that KALM will drive further growth for a key sector in the emirate, through offering unique and innovative services.

Dr Melita Moore, Managing Partner at KALM, said: “At KALM, our mission is to put the player at the centre. Esports athletes compete at the highest level and their physical, mental and overall wellbeing deserves the same level of care as traditional athletes. We chose Abu Dhabi as the location for our headquarters because of the incredible support and opportunities offered by this vibrant city. Access Abu Dhabi played a pivotal role in bringing us to the region initially. Abu Dhabi’s strategic location, world-class infrastructure, and unwavering commitment to innovation in the gaming industry made it the ideal choice for KALM to thrive.”

KALM has established an athlete-centric development model through education, brand-building and commercialisation focused on protecting, managing and leveraging athlete brands. Through its global headquarters, the company will engage with government, the private sector, federations, teams and key stakeholders to create, drive and deliver its athlete health and wellbeing strategy.

Dr Melita Moore, renowned in sports medicine, brings her global leadership from serving as team physician for NBA and WNBA, to a leading role at the Global Esports Federation as a Vice President. Dr Khizer Khaderi is a visionary in neuro-ophthalmic surgery and technology, contributes expertise in AI, VR and AR. Ali Al Ramahi, a leading sports scientist and performance coach, specialises in developing wellness programmes for esports athletes, while Luke Fedlam, a distinguished sports attorney, shapes the regulatory landscape of sports and esports and provides athlete development and education.

KALM’s initiative will elevate the Middle East’s presence in the global sports and esports arena, providing a platform for young aspirants to achieve international acclaim. The timing of the launch aligns with the region’s growing interest in digital sports and entertainment, marking a significant stride in the development of a robust esports ecosystem.

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eSports

Esports Champions Heroic Partner with Thunderpick as Official Sponsor!

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Heroic, the esports organization for the future, is thrilled to announce a landmark partnership with Thunderpick, the leading online crypto betting platform. This multi-year agreement positions Thunderpick as the Exclusive Global Betting Sponsor for Heroic’s CS2, Dota 2, and Sim Racing teams, and highlights the shared ambition of both organizations to revolutionize fan engagement in esports.

The partnership follows the recent announcement of Thunderpick World Championship 2024, the brand’s namesake $1 Million prize pool tournament where Heroic is set to compete. Thunderpick will also support Heroic in the CS2 PGL Major this month, and the DOTA2 ESL One Birmingham in April, where they have already secured their qualification.

“Partnering with Heroic, a team known for its leadership and success across various esports titles, is a significant milestone for Thunderpick,” said Kelly Sanders, Head of Strategy at Thunderpick. “We’re looking forward to supporting Heroic’s journey, cheering them on at Thunderpick World Championship 2024, and making awesome innovations in the esports space together.”

The collaboration between Heroic and Thunderpick is more than a sponsorship; it’s a fusion of passion, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of enhancing the esports landscape. Fans of Heroic can anticipate engaging activities, exclusive content, cool merch, and unique opportunities to connect with their favorite team like never before.

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