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Expansion of broadcast rights with Activision Blizzard: SPORT1 acquires extensive rights to leading esports titles for the German-speaking and pan-European regions

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Expansion of broadcast rights with Activision Blizzard: SPORT1 acquires extensive rights to leading esports titles for the German-speaking and pan-European regions
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Overwatch League, Hearthstone Masters Tour and Grandmasters as well as World of Warcraft with Arena World Championship and Mythic Dungeon International live and in highlights on both channels eSPORTS1 and eSportsONE

Activision Blizzard is expanding its distribution rights with SPORT1‘s pan-European channel project, following the conclusion of their initial two-year deal signed with the launch of eSPORTS1 in 2019. The multi-year agreement renews the TV-exclusive rights to the Overwatch League from the start of the season on April 16 across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The deal also extends the rights to the Hearthstone Masters Tour and Grandmasters for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, along with eSportsONE in the European region. New in the program portfolio is World of Warcraft with the events Arena World Championship and Mythic Dungeon International, with their respective Season 1 finals taking place April 23-25 and May 1-2.

Brandon Snow, Chief Revenue Officer – Leagues: “SPORT1 has been key in introducing new fans to Overwatch League and Hearthstone throughout Europe and the German speaking region. We are thrilled to continue bringing these epic competitions to all of our fans in the region, while expanding this deal with World of Warcraft’s premier programs.“

Daniel von Busse, COO TV and Member of the Management of Sport1 GmbH: “By extending our partnership with Activision Blizzard to the pan-European region, we gain another central content partner for our first international channel project. The extension of our cooperation with one of the most important global players strengthens the portfolio of our two pay channels for the coming years and, together with our other partners, forms a strong basis for further growth in the esports area.“

 

Overwatch League has started new season on April 16

The Overwatch League is the first global esports league with teams from numerous world cities in Asia, Europe and North America. On April 16, 2021, the Overwatch League started its fourth season – divided into an East Region with eight teams and a West Region with twelve teams. The four tournament series are spread throughout the year and end with the competitions “May Melee“, “June Joust“, “Summer Showdown“ and “Countdown Cup“. The top four teams in the East and the top six in the West then compete against each other in a knockout format, with the crowning glory being the top two teams from each region playing each other in the grand tournament final. The prize money totals 4.25 million USD.

 

Hearthstone Masters Tour and Grandmasters are in full-swing

Hearthstone is the world‘s most popular digital competitive card game. In 2021, six Masters Tour events will take place, all of which will be played online. The season kicked off last month with the Masters Tour Eisenschmiede. Masters Tour tournaments award points toward qualifying for the Hearthstone Grandmasters. Each Masters Tour event has a prize pool of 250,000 USD. In the Hearthstone Grandmasters, which began April 9, players compete in weekly tournaments for the first seven weeks of the season. After the seventh week, playoff participation will be decided based on total points. The champions from all three regions will be up for a spot in the 2021 World Championship later this year.

 

World of Warcraft (WoW) new in the portfolio of eSPORTS1 and eSportsONE

Starting this year, the two channels will also show World of Warcraft (WoW) for the first time: The Arena World Championship (AWC) has been divided into two different seasons for its 14th edition. In the Circuit, the top 8 teams compete for a prize pool of 160,000 USD in March and April. The top four teams will play in the finals of Season 1 for 200,000 USD on May 1-2. Season 2 will then start directly at the Circuit in July and August – with the fight for the four slots in the Grand Finals and the championship title of the AWC: Shadowlands Champions 2021. The Mythic Dungeon International (MDI) also includes two Seasons in 2021 – with a total prize pool of 750,000 USD. There will be four cups per season – the first season Global Finals took place April 23-25.

 

24/7 program for the esports community: What eSPORTS1 and eSportsONE offer

eSPORTS1 started in January 2019 as the first linear TV channel for esports in the German-speaking region. The program includes at least 1,200 live hours of top-class international and national esports events as well as highlight shows and in-house produced magazines. eSPORTS1 is currently distributed in Germany, Austria and Switzerland via the pay-TV platforms of Vodafone, Unitymedia, Deutsche Telekom, 1&1, T-Mobile Austria, A1 Telekom, UPC Switzerland, Swisscom blue TV, Amazon Channels, Zattoo and Waipu.tv. On each of these platforms, the channel is offered in selected program packages. In addition, eSPORTS1 can also be booked as a live stream in the eSPORTS1 app.

After the successful launch of eSPORTS1, Sport1 GmbH implemented a pan-European channel project for the first time with the start of eSportsONE. The 24/7 program of eSportsONE comprises over 1,000 live hours per year of top-class international esports events as well as exclusive, self-produced analysis formats. eSportsONE is currently offered in Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as in Norway and Sweden via M7’s pay-TV platforms – TV Vlaanderen, CanalDigitaal and Skylink – and Telenor.

Central content partners of Sport1 GmbH besides Activision Blizzard are ESL, NBA 2K League and Psyonix with the esports titles Dota 2, Starcraft 2, Warcraft 3, NBA 2K and Rocket League.

eSports

Sportradar and Oddin.gg ink AV betting agreement to elevate and expand esports reach

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Sportradar and Oddin.gg ink AV betting agreement to elevate and expand esports reach
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Sportradar and Oddin.gg, an award-winning B2B betting-solutions provider for esports, today announced they have entered into a multi-year strategic partnership to offer audiovisual streaming of Oddin’s exclusive esports content to Sportradar’s betting operator clients around the world.

The deal will support Oddin.gg’s growth ambitions in the expanding global esports market, whose betting turnover was estimated to be €83 billion in 2023. It will extend the reach of Oddin.gg’s official competition content by leveraging Sportradar’s market leading position as an AV betting provider.

Sportradar’s global network of 900+ betting operator clients will benefit from the opportunity to offer greater volume and a wider variety of live streamed esports events to their customers, increasing opportunities for engagement with existing and new betting markets. The partnership also paves the way for future collaboration in other areas.

Oddin.gg holds the official rights to high-profile competitions including the newly released Counter Strike 2 (CS2) which Sportradar will distribute to sportsbooks through the company’s integrated streaming product, providing access to prominent competitions globally and enabling operators to offer exciting new content to their customers.

A number of prestigious competitions are featured in the partnership, including:

• PGL Copenhagen Major 2024, the first Major for the newly released Counter Strike 2;
• Dacha DOTA2 Qualifiers and Main Events;
• Dacha Counter Strike 2 Qualifiers and Main Events;
• Tipsport MCR 2024.

Patrick Mostboeck, SVP Fan Engagement, Sportradar said: “This agreement further strengthens Sportradar’s esports offering while supporting Oddin.gg in realising their growth plans through AV streaming for betting. Sportradar’s ultra-low latency audiovisual outputs, as well as our comprehensive Live Odds and real-time trading solutions, provide betting operators with the critical materials they need to commercialise the global, highly engaged esports fan base.”

Vlastimil Venclik, CEO and co-founder of Oddin.gg shared: “As the forefront innovator in the esports betting sector, Oddin.gg is embarking on a journey by aligning with Sportradar, a leader in the realm of sports data and content distribution. This partnership is not just a collaboration but a combination of distinct strengths, where Sportradar’s extensive and sophisticated video distribution capabilities are set to be the vehicle for our unparalleled esports odds and analytical insights. This strategic alliance aims to harness the best of both worlds, merging our profound expertise and nuanced understanding of the esports betting market with Sportradar’s wide-reaching video distribution.”

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eSports

Apeiron Partners with TALON and United Esports To Bring Web3 Esports to Both East and West Markets

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Apeiron, the first-ever web3 god game, today announced a partnership with Hong Kong-based TALON and LA-based United Esports to host the Apeiron x TALON Nova Tournament.

Apeiron is a dapp x god game x roguelite x battle arena, combining classic with modern gameplay to create a unique entertainment experience. The tournament will feature two conferences, each hosting eight top players from around the world. The goal is to showcase Apeiron’s PvP to the world, with the Eastern Conference (Asia) scheduled for April 4-6 and the Western Conference (Americas) for April 11-13.

The tournament will follow a double-elimination bracket format, with matches being best-of-3 matches and the final matches being best-of-5. Each player will bring 3 decks, each with a different Avatar, and once a deck has won a game, it may not be used again within that set. The total prize pool is $30,000, split equally between the two conferences, with rewards ranging from $750 to $5,000 for the top Apeiron competitors.

Participation is by invitation only, and fans influence the selection by requesting their favorite Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) to join. The participants include notable members of the Web2 and Web3 gaming space, including:

Web2

  • (East) League of Legends pro player Tsai “GreenTea” Shang-Ching, Thailand content creator gamtoh and Wild Rift analyst Kitiphat “Cyberclasher” Kanjanapiphat

  • (West) top TeamFightTactics player RobinSongz, content creator and chess Woman Grandmaster Nemo, master of card games Deathsie, the most viewed English Hearthstone streamer Rdu.

Web3

  • (East): GamingGridX founder Yellow Panther, Axie Infinity player 1437, GGChronicles’ raiden, crypto gamers, esushima

  • (West): Content creator orangie, content creator Brycent, US content creator rojan, Twitch streamer ralo, METAT8 Esports founder Elijah Flowers

“We are excited to partner with TALON and United Esports from both the East and West to bring competitive web3 esports to a wider audience seeking strategic and fast-paced gameplay. Apeiron’s unique gaming experience challenges players’ strategic thinking, reflexes, and ability to improvise, offering an exhilarating experience for both streamers and viewers to witness and share the most epic clutch moments and comebacks,” commented Frank Cheng, CEO of Foonie Magus.

“The appetite and opportunity for esports within the Web3 space continues to grow and what we love about Apeiron is that it has a low floor making it easy to come in and play, but a high ceiling for experienced players to grow into their mastery of the game,” said Jazz Tham, Co-Founder of TALON.

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eSports

TEAM VITALITY DOUBLES DOWN FOR TWO COPENHAGEN MAJORS IN COUNTER STRIKE AND ROCKET LEAGUE

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  • From today, Team Vitality gears up for Copenhagen, competing in both the Counter-Strike and Rocket League Majors, highlighting their commitment to ascending as the world’s best esports club.
  • World champion in both games, the French club will defend its titles with its franchise players Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut on Counter-Strike 2 and Alexis “zen” Bernier on Rocket League.
  • On site and from its premises in Paris, Team Vitality will carry out immersive experiences and exclusive meeting sessions with its players, in close collaboration with its partners.

 

Team Vitality, the world’s leading esport club, is set to take part in two key events on the esport calendar, both taking place simultaneously in Copenhagen. Firstly, the first Major in the history of Counter-Strike 2 at the Royal Arena. And then, the Major of the Rocket League scene at the KB Hallen Arena. Together, the French trio will attempt to regain their position as leaders on the international scene after winning the 2023 World Championships in Düsseldorf.

TEAM VITALITY’S QUEEN TEAM AIMS TO MAINTAIN ITS REIGN

Team Vitality’s squad enters the first Counter Strike 2 Major, taking place at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, with the determination to defend their title after reigning supreme at the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023. With renewed energy, commitment and determination, the new Team Vitality era promises to be explosive. This new Major would be an opportunity for the team to achieve back-to-back Major victories, obtain a new star on their jersey, and maintain its heritage as champion of the scene.

With star player ZywOo’s contract renewal until 2026, Team Vitality gains renewed energy and commitment, heralding a new era of determination. These renewals reinforce the team’s dedication to finding and nurturing esports talent and support their competitive mission of maintaining their top position in esports. As the team’s cornerstone, ZywOo’s exceptional skills elevate Team Vitality’s competitive edge and inspire the entire organisation in its quest for excellence in esports.

“We will arrive in Copenhagen with a desire to make a good impression. For some players, this will be their first Major. For the players, arriving with the title of world champions, poses a significant challenge as they strive to live up to the expectations of being considered the best in the world. But for the team, it will be an opportunity to put our preparation to the test, evaluate if we have made the right decisions, and show our determination. Our ambition is strong, we are led by the best player in the world – ZywOo – we can only aim for the top spots.” explains Fabien ‘Neo’ Devide, co-founder and President of Team Vitality.

TEAM VITALITY’S ROCKET LEAGUE ROSTER READY TO DEFEND ITS LEADERSHIP

Reigning world champion and record-holders of the first perfect split in the history of the game, Team Vitality’s Rocket League team returns to the forefront to defend its leadership on the international scene from March 28 at the KB Hallen Arena in Copenhagen.

Made up of the crème de la crème of French players with Zen, Radosin and Alpha54, the Team Vitality team is driven by the desire to add even more titles to its list of achievements. The new coach of the roster, the former world champion FairyPeak!, will also be able to prove himself behind the screen by pushing his players to surpass themselves.

Together, the team hopes to win first place and remain the number 1 team on the French-speaking and international scene.

“RLCS Copenhagen, stands as a new competition where Team Vitality must take its stand and defend its title. This new season has been challenging, particularly in terms of player support. Currently, we find ourselves in a transitional period, where the team is still digesting their status as World Champions. This Major is an important competition, serving as a bridge towards our main objective which is to win the Worlds at the end of the year. In any case, we are going to Copenhagen with the aim to achieve.” recalls Fabien ‘Neo’ Devide, co-founder and President of Team Vitality.

DEFINING THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE FOR ALL FANS, FROM PARIS TO COPENHAGEN

Within the Royal Arena, Team Vitality will have a dedicated booth to welcome its fans and organise meet & greets with the players. This will also be an opportunity to (re)discover the V.Hive club application through a 100% winning digital experience.

To celebrate this historical moment where both of the French Club’s formidable rosters take centre stage, Team Vitality along with its official audio partner, JBL Quantum, has crafted an array of captivating experiences for its fans on the stand including:

  • Sound is Survival, step into a realm where you must rely on sound alone using the JBL Quantum 910 to navigate a Counter-Strike 2 map engulfed in smoke to defuse a bomb as quickly as possible while blindfolded. The person with the best time will be able to win a headset.
  • Sound of Legends, fans can experience 100% sound-based quiz. They will have to recognise the sounds from the Counter-Strike 2 game as quickly and precisely as possible, with the chance to win a JBL Quantum 910 headset by achieving the highest score.

IN PARIS FROM THE BUZZING V.HIVE

Team Vitality fans who did not have the chance to travel to Copenhagen will also have the opportunity to follow their teams thanks to EVNIA and Crédit Agricole. In Paris, viewing parties will be held at V.Hive from March 21 to 31.

Finally, Team Vitality and its partner Unilever are launching a unique gourmet initiative with Ben & Jerry’s named: Major Delivery. From March 20 to 29, fans can order delicious Ben & Jerry’s ice cream with the code ‘VITALITYMAJOR’ directly from the UberEats app. Team Vitality fans will benefit from a discount and will automatically be entered into a giveaway to have the chance to win a trip to attend the second Rocket League Major.

“It is an exceptional opportunity to have these two esports events at the same time and in the same place. Particularly in a city like Copenhagen where the culture of esports is well established and respected. This is why Team Vitality and its partners have made an effort to curate experiences for our fans who have travelled there, but also for those who remain at home. I am delighted that we were able to bring our partners on board this new adventure, signalling an important step for the club, and an opportunity to cement our leadership in the international scene.” said Nicolas ‘Nico’ Maurer, co-founder CEO of Team Vitality.

 

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