Latest News
ESL Gaming and Maincast extend media rights agreement for four years
ESL Gaming, the world’s leading esports company, has today announced that it will extend its exclusive collaboration with Maincast for a further four years. With the current agreement running until 2023, the addition of multiple years ensures fans in Russia and the rest of the CIS region can keep enjoying ESL Gaming’s full premium product portfolio in their local language until Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice 2027.
As part of the extension, Maincast keeps the exclusive rights to broadcast ESL Gaming’s tournaments on its Twitch channels in Russian and other CIS languages. Moreover, the agreement covers the complete product portfolio consisting of ESL Pro Tour Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), ESL Pro Tour StarCraft® II, and ESL Mobile, as well as ESL Gaming’s competitions for Dota 2.
ESL Gaming and Maincast joined forces in 2020, and their partnership has already seen ESL Gaming’s audience in the CIS region grow vastly, and the total amount of views doubled since then. Hitting a peak of 382,000 concurrent viewers during IEM Katowice 2020, Maincast delivered some of the best numbers for CS:GO globally. Additionally, ESL One Los Angeles 2020 became the most-watched online tournament in Dota 2 on Maincast’s Twitch channels with over 13 million views. These are but a couple of the success stories that show how Maincast excels in Russian-language broadcasts.
“Maincast is one of our biggest media partners and expertly localizes our competitions to fans all over the CIS region,” said Frank Uddo, Senior Vice President Global Media at ESL Gaming. “They are great to work with and we are particularly excited to see, through this seven-year partnership, how committed they are to significantly invest in esports long-term. It is a testament to how integral esports has become within the region and we look forward to building even more success in the future with them.”
“In 2020 Maincast signed a multi-year partnership agreement with ESL Gaming to broadcast their tournaments in Eastern Europe. In this period we’ve created an industry-defining product, finished numerous projects in close collaboration and provided on-site coverage of dozens of events,” said Andrii Grygoriev, CEO and co-founder of Maincast. “We are excited to announce that our partnership with ESL Gaming is extended up till Q2 2027. We’ve already begun working on long-term projects and looking for new ways of refining and improving our product. We will do our best to give our viewers even more high-quality broadcasts and on-site content, which you’ll always be able to find on our channels.”
Latest News
ECA and AGEM applaud creation of Association Assembly at ICE Barcelona
The news that January’s ICE Barcelona will include a major new feature dedicated to global gaming’s most influential trade associations has been welcomed by organisations in Europe and abroad.
Making full use of the additional space at the Gran Via Fira de Barcelona, the first ICE Association Assembly has been created to enable trade bodies to promote their values and create new opportunities for the gaming community across every sector and geography, including both the Brussels-based European Casino Association (ECA) and the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM), the global trade association for gaming equipment suppliers with its primary headquarters in Las Vegas.
Erwin Van Lambaart, Chair of the ECA confirmed: “Our members are already planning their week in Barcelona and they will be at this historic edition of ICE in great numbers. ICE is a pivotal event for the global gaming community and having a show floor feature which will enable us to engage directly with all sectors is a unique opportunity.
“Traditionally, our association’s involvement at ICE and its Conference program has primarily centred around networking and product development orientation—connecting with our members, regulators, suppliers, and fellow trade bodies. However, ICE 2025 marks a significant milestone. For the first time, the ECA will have the chance to fully interface with the global industry supply chain in its entirety. We are looking forward to this unique opportunity to articulate our vision for the future to a diverse and comprehensive audience, where innovation, responsibility and significant partnerships for guest and customer centricity will have centre stage.”
Daron Dorsey, CEO of AGEM added: “We represent the interests of our gaming suppliers whose well-known brands are global in reach, so to be given the opportunity to explain our agenda and engage with what is a truly international audience of association colleagues on the ICE show floor is invaluable.”
January’s editions of ICE and iGB Affiliate will occupy 120,000sqm of space compared to the 100,00sqm at ICE 2024. In a major endorsement of the opportunities offered by the relocation to Barcelona 72% of the 25 biggest exhibitors will have an increased stand presence at ICE 2025.
Industry Awards
Blask Wins Prestigious “Startup of the Year” at 2024 Starlet Awards
Blask, the pioneering AI-powered analytics ecosystem for iGaming, has been named “Startup of the Year” at the prestigious 2024 Starlet Awards. The company earned this recognition for developing a groundbreaking market intelligence platform that has redefined how gaming operators leverage data and market insights.
Award Recognition
The award confirms Blask’s revolutionary approach to market analytics and its significant impact on how iGaming companies access and utilise market intelligence. Powered by AI models including Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing, Blask analyses billions of data points across 2000+ active brands to provide unprecedented market insights.
The Starlet Awards recognition follows Blask’s recent SiGMA Asia Startup Pitch 2024 Award victory. “Winning these awards affirms our belief that innovation and bold ideas can reshape the iGaming landscape. The recognition underscores the impact of our cutting-edge AI technology and our relentless pursuit to transform data into actionable insights”, reflects Max Tesla, CEO and Co-founder of Blask
Blask provides operators with a strategic edge across multiple critical areas. Its real-time market analysis capabilities deliver instant access to crucial market metrics, while the high-granularity data available at one-hour intervals enables swift, informed decision-making. The sophisticated AI modelling system estimates GGR and FTD by analysing a comprehensive range of inputs, including historical data, third-party OSINT data, market performance, competitor metrics, historical brand performance, market reports, and public company disclosures.
Beyond analytics, Blask offers robust brand monitoring and competitor analysis tools, alongside strategic and tactical planning capabilities particularly valuable for market entry decisions and maximising performance during major events. The recently introduced customer profile feature harnesses AI to generate detailed, country-specific user profiles, adding another layer of strategic insight for operators.
Latest News
CONCEPT: VERSATILITY AND EFFICIENCY IN SPACES
The CONCEPT cabinet line has been designed to maximize space in casinos, adapting to any configuration. Its efficient design allows for different bank arrangements, making the most of the available area. This gives operators greater flexibility in organizing their gaming floor.
Additionally, the integrated LED strips in CONCEPT eliminate the need for extra signs or wedges, creating a sleek and attractive visual at all times.
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