Westside, Runner, and Tomaszy join Purp0 and Cloud to aim for a return to the top of one of the most prestigious international esports competitions

The global esports organization GIANTX has unveiled its new Valorant team for the 2025 Valorant Champions Tour (VCT). The primary goal is to qualify for the Valorant Champions, the world championship that will take place in Paris, after an uneven 2024 season.

The roster includes Cloud, Purp0, Westside, Runner, and Tomaszy. Cloud and Purp0 remain with the organization, while Westside, Runner, and Tomaszy are new additions.

• Cloud will take on the role of in-game leader (IGL).
• Purp0 will continue to bring his ability to perform in key situations.
• Westside joins from Diamant Esports and makes his debut at the highest level.
• Runner, previously with Team Vitality, played in the 2024 world championship.
• Tomaszy, formerly of Rebels Gaming and Karmine Corp, also joins the project.

The coaching staff will be led by Pipson, with Waylander as assistant coach. Both bring extensive experience from the competitive scenes of Valorant and Counter-Strike.

The EMEA region will feature 12 teams in the 2025 VCT:

• GIANTX,
• Fnatic,
• Natus Vincere,
• Team Liquid,
• KOI,
• Team Heretics,
• Apeks,
• BBL Esports,
• FUT Esports,
• Gentle Mates,
• Karmine Corp,
• and Team Vitality.

The official competition kicks off in January with the Kickoff Tournament, where teams will compete for a spot at the first international event of the year: Masters Bangkok.

This weekend, GIANTX will participate in the preseason tournament Intel Monsters Reloaded 2024 in Istanbul.

Their first opponent will be Team Liquid on Saturday at 6:00 PM. If they win, they will face the winner of the match between BBL Esports and SuperMassive in the final.

Sportradar announced the launch of generative AI (gen AI) audio, a new feature within its ad:s multi-channel marketing service. The tool leverages the power of gen AI integrated with Sportradar’s live data, to automate the creation of personalized, real-time audio adverts for sportsbook and casino operators across one of the fastest growing digital marketing channels globally.

Ad:s gen AI audio provides operators with a ready-to-use audio marketing solution, allowing them to generate creative content during key sporting and gaming moments to efficiently scale advertising efforts into podcast streaming services and internet radio networks. Sportradar’s industry-leading technology automatically creates customised and dynamic adverts – featuring live-data to update odds, jackpots, and upcoming events— to increase brand awareness, uplift purchase intent and increase the likelihood of customer acquisition.

AI-generated audio adverts are the latest addition to Sportradar’s comprehensive, industry-leading, end-to-end marketing services, driving brand awareness, acquisition and retention across channels including programmatic display, video, audio, digital-out-of-home (DOOH), paid social media, paid search, sponsorships and affiliate marketing.

Niki Beier, SVP Marketing Services, said: “Sports fans and bettors are increasingly consuming audio content, with listenership increasing by over 1000% in the past seven years¹. To deliver maximum marketing efficiency, we’re providing a sophisticated yet simple-to-use solution to sportsbook and casino operators. Through our gen AI technology, we’re making it easy for clients to integrate audio adverts into their acquisition and branding campaigns, to reach more customers with real-time relevant audio messages, without the need for creative teams or a high production budget.”

An independent CMA panel has decided Spreadex should sell Sporting Index after finding the deal harmed competition for licensed online sports spread betting services.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has accepted the proposed sale of Sporting Index, to address the competition concerns it had found in the licensed online sports spread betting market, with some modifications and enhancements.

Last year, Spreadex acquired the ‘business-to-consumer’ business of Sporting Index from Sporting Group Holding Limited (Sporting Group). Spreadex and Sporting Index both provide sports fixed odds betting and sports spread betting services to customers based in the UK.

Sports spread betting involves customers betting on a range of outcomes of sporting events rather than the standard ‘win or lose’ outcomes offered by fixed-odds betting. In spread betting, the closer a customer’s bet is to an outcome, the more money they stand to win, and the further away from the outcome they are, the more they stand to lose. This means that, in contrast to fixed odds betting, customers’ wins and losses could be far higher than the amount they bet.

After conducting an in-depth Phase 2 investigation into the deal, the CMA’s independent panel has concluded the deal created a monopoly in the UK licensed online sports spread betting market, eliminating competition in that market. The panel concluded that the merger could lead to a worse user experience, a more limited range of products and/or higher prices for consumers in the UK.

The panel has concluded that, with some modifications and enhancements, the sale remedy proposed by Spreadex is sufficient to remedy the competition concerns and restore competition in this market that is lost as a result of the deal.

The CMA now has 12 weeks to either accept Final Undertakings from Spreadex, or to make a Final Order requiring Spreadex, to sell Sporting Index to a suitable CMA-approved buyer.

Richard Feasey, the chair of the independent panel reviewing the merger, said:

“This deal eliminates competition in the supply of licensed online sports spread betting services in the UK.

Sports spread betting – like any other market – needs competition to drive good customer experience, maintain choice and keep prices competitive. To achieve this, we have decided that Spreadex should sell Sporting Index, so that customers can choose between two firms for the best user experience and prices, rather than having to use only one. “

Further details are available on the SpreadEx / Sporting Index case page.