Each week, ESI Digest breaks down the weekly happenings in the esports industry, making sense of things so you don’t have to. As well as being housed on YouTube, ESI Digest is available on all major podcast platforms and is also available in written form below.
This week on ESI Digest, we cover MTG and ESL’s CEO changes, Herman Miller’s latest partnerships, Misfits Gaming’s innovative partnership with Miami Heat and Orlando Magic, and HUYA’s new broadcast deal with ESL.
MTG president and CEO Jørgen Madsen Lindemann to depart
Jørgen Madsen Lindemann, President and CEO of ESL and DreamHack parent company Modern Times Group (MTG), submitted his letter of resignation to the company board.
Lindemann, who was promoted to the roles in 2012, will remain at the company for up to 12 months per his employment contract until the board appoints a replacement.
Craig Levine appointed as Co-CEO of ESL
Tournament organiser ESL appointed Craig Levine as its Co-CEO, promoting him from his previous role as Chief Strategy Officer.
Levine replaces David Neichel as Co-CEO alongside Ralf Reichert, with Neichel now serving as a senior advisor to them both.
HUYA acquires broadcast rights to ESL CS:GO and Dota 2 events
Tournament organisers ESL and DreamHack entered an exclusive broadcast deal with Chinese live streaming platform HUYA.
The one-year deal will see the CS:GO Pro Tour and prominent Dota 2 tournaments broadcast exclusively on HUYA for 2020 in standard Mandarin along with other Chinese languages and dialects.
TSM selects Herman Miller as gaming chair partner
North American organisation TSM established a partnership with office furniture company Herman Miller.
The announcement comes just a day after Herman Miller unveiled its collaborative Embody Gaming Chair with Logitech G.
San Francisco Shock finds chair partner in Herman Miller
Overwatch League franchise San Francisco Shock also established a partnership with Herman Miller.
In line with typical gaming chair deals, NRG Esports’ franchise will promote Herman Miller’s gaming product.
Miami Heat and Orlando Magic enter rights deal with Misfits Gaming Group
Florida-based esports organisation Misfits Gaming Group (MGG) expanded the current scope of its partnership with NBA franchise teams Miami Heat and Orlando Magic.
The union will fuse together all three Florida organisations to expand and “develop further opportunities in the endemic and non-endemic space” through a strategic partnership rights deal. Benefits of this accord include heightened accessibility and deeper sponsorship options across a variety of teams and markets.
ESI Digest is part of ESI Network, a collection of podcasts encompassing the esports industry. For deep dives into the major areas of esports with subject matter experts, check out ESI Focus. For conversations with key personnel and major stakeholders in esports, ESI Insight is the series for you.