The Chinese Men’s Professional Basketball League (CBA League) and Sportradar announced a strategic extension of their partnership aimed at growing the league’s global presence and ensuring integrity within Chinese basketball.

This extension will leverage Sportradar’s expansive network to distribute more than 550 games, including highlights and short form video, through the regular and post-season. Through international broadcast and audio-visual distribution channels, including leading broadcasters, streaming services and over-the-top (OTT) platforms, the collaboration seeks to enhance fan engagement and broaden the league’s viewership in international markets.

CBA League will also continue to receive Sportradar’s market-leading integrity services, with its suite of technological solutions and products deployed to safeguard CBA League competitions against a range of integrity threats.

Shirley Lv, who led the broadcast rights negotiation at CBA League, said: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Sportradar and believe it will provide enriched possibilities and further awareness for CBA League, given the company’s extensive experience and recent track record. By building up opportunities globally in this long-term partnership, we look forward to developing the continued growth of the CBA League and reaching out to new audiences around the world.”

Ben Turner, Head of Sports Content and Partnerships, APAC and Head of Global Basketball, Sportradar said: “Sportradar is the unparalleled partner to propel CBA League towards previously untapped levels of global visibility. Basketball is one of only a few sports with significant global appeal, and Sportradar is committed to maximizing this potential for both the CBA League and our clients. Together, we will continue to unlock immense value through our content offering, fostering growth and engagements across diverse markets.”

The 2023/24 season is the CBA league’s 29th edition, with 20 teams vying for top honours.

Aurora Gaming has been crowned the champions of the Skyesports Masters 2024, defeating OG 3-1 in an intense Grand Finals. With this victory, the team will take home $105,000 of the $350,000 prize pool and secure a slot in the next tournament of the 2024 Skyesports Counter-Strike 2 roadmap, the Skyesports Championship 2024.

The Skyesports Masters 2024 took place from April 8 to 14, featuring eight teams from India and Europe competing for the lion’s share of the substantial prize pool.

Coming in after a first-place finish at the Skyesports Grand Slam 2024 in Pune, India, last month, Aurora Gaming were on a hot streak and favored to win it all. The Siberian team had a dominant run throughout the upper bracket, achieving first place.

Facing Aurora in the Grand Finals was OG. The team had already lost to Aurora in their opening game of the Skyesports Masters and had to navigate through a high-stakes lower bracket, eliminating ENCE, Ninjas in Pyjamas, BIG, and BetBoom to reach the Grand Finals.

Aurora proved to be the stronger team this time as well, with a decisive 3-1 finish. The map-wise results were as follows:

● Anubis: 13-6 (Aurora Gaming)

● Mirage: 11-13 (OG)

● Ancient: 13-10 (Aurora Gaming)

● Overpass: 13-3 (Aurora Gaming)

In a post-match interview, Aurora’s Evgeniy “Norwi” Ermolin expressed gratitude to the team’s fans, stating, “I am feeling really good; we played really well today. Thank you for watching, for the support, and for everything. We will continue trying our best and look forward to playing some LAN.”

The Skyesports Masters 2024 reached a peak viewership of 41,833, a significant increase from the previous year, according to Esports Charts. Counter-Strike esports in India was given a revival through the 2023 and inaugural edition of the Skyesports Masters, the Playoffs for which happened in Bangalore, India. Skyesports has also announced that the Skyesports Masters will return for its third edition in the summer of 2025 with a six digit prize pool.

With this victory, Aurora Gaming has secured a slot in the Skyesports Championship 2024, the details of which will be announced later. It’s the next tournament in Skyesports’ 2024 Counter-Strike 2 esports roadmap, which has paved the way for international teams to look at the tournaments as viable IPs for them to participate in.

Commenting on the Skyesports Masters 2024, Shiva Nandy, Founder and CEO of Skyesports, said, “Congratulations to Aurora Gaming for winning the Skyesports Masters 2024. With more than 40,000 concurrent viewers, the tournament has made a significant impact in the global Counter-Strike 2 esports ecosystem, and I couldn’t be more excited for the future. Up next, we will bring another elite tournament, the Skyesports Championship 2024, which will be the sixth edition of this IP and the first time that Counter-Strike 2 will be a part.”

The International Esports Federation (IESF) is delighted to announce the highly-anticipated IESF Asian Esports Championship, set to take place in Chengdu, China, from September 9th to 14th, 2024. This championship will be the final regional qualifier leading to the 16th World Esports Championship Riyadh,  WEC24.

Huati Gaming will bring its experience to this event as a local organizing committee, together with the China National Cyber Games and Sichuan International Expo Group.

The championship will begin with an online competition from June 20th to June 30th, providing a digital stage for the national champions to showcase their skills and secure a spot in the offline event. Athletes and teams from 42 countries in Asia and Oceania will come together to compete in Chengdu. The championship will feature competitions across CS2, CS2 Women, DOTA2, MLBB, and MLBB Women, and an online qualifier for PUBG MOBILE, showcasing the region’s diverse talent and interest in Esports.

“It is a great pleasure to host our first championship in Chengdu, China. The city is known for hosting big events, especially major esports tournaments, and it makes it the ideal location for this year’s Asian Esports Championship. This event will present a unique opportunity for the teams, athletes, and the large fanbase from this region, to experience the excitement of competition that defines our championships.” – stated Boban Totovski, IESF’s General Secretary.

In addition to top-tier competition, this championship will also provide opportunities for emerging talent to shine on an international stage. The winning teams will earn the privilege of representing their countries at the prestigious WEC24. 

“Hosting the IESF Asian Esports Championship in Chengdu, China, fills us with immense pride as we welcome athletes and countries from across the region. The fans are already anticipating the thrilling competition, where the finest talent of Asian esports will showcase their skills. As we gather to compete, let us harmonize globally, celebrating our differences and uniting in the spirit of friendly competition.” – stated Xu Ming, Chairwoman of China National Cyber Games 

Given Chengdu’s known reputation as a center for Esports excellence and innovation, the IESF Asian Esports Championship promises to be a celebration of Esports, uniting players and fans from this region in a showcase of skill, passion, and sportsmanship. Stay tuned for updates and announcements as the championship approaches.