The investment rush in esports has seemingly calmed down for now. We’ve seen no multi-million investment from an NBA team nor has Brazilian Ronaldo decided to pick-up a team seemingly out of the blue. However, that’s not to say it has been a quiet week in esports. In arguably the biggest news, League of Legends professional xPeke has become a Gillette ambassador. Other news includes Gfinity partnering with MediaCom and ESL Poland receiving a Forbes Diamond Award.
Glad to see another champion on team @Gillette. Welcome, @xPekeLoL.#PursuitofPrecision pic.twitter.com/q4RdjwvJyN
— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) January 31, 2017
xPeke becomes Gillette ambassador
xPeke has joined the ranks of Roger Federer and Neymar in becoming an ambassador for Gillette. He becomes the first Gillette ambassador in esports. It was also announced that Gillette will be sponsoring the Intel Extreme Masters in Katowice in 2017.
Gillette’s Marketing Director announced: “As you know Gillette has been partnering with athletes for a long time. This is a big step for us as we’re entering a new world with esports. In partnership with ESL we’ll be sponsoring the Intel Extreme Masters in Katowice 2017.”
“We’re also delighted to welcome xPeke to our ambassadorial family as our first esports athlete. As an experienced player and now a team owner, I don’t think we could have found anyone better.”
Read the full article and watch the video here.
Gfinity partner with MediaCom
Gfinity PLC announced this week a strategic partnership with MediaCom Sport & Entertainment, a division of MediaCom.
The partnership with MediaCom is expected to enable Gfinity to maximise
the commercial value of its assets and attract a wider range of partners.
Neville Upton, Chief Executive of Gfinity, said: “Our ambition is to develop a world class esports competition that provides an unparalleled experience for competitors, partners, and fans. Partnering with MediaCom Sport & Entertainment at the launch of the Elite Series will ensure that we create the most attractive and engaging environment for partners, many of whom are eager to get involved with the sport.”
Misha Sher, MediaCom Head of Sport & Entertainment, commented: “Esports is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, especially with the much sought-after millennialaudience. Gfinity has been one of the early trend setters in the sport and the Elite and Challenger Series have the foundations to become the biggest competitions in the world.
Read the full article here.
ESL Poland receive Forbes Diamond Award
Turtle Entertainment’s Poland arm has been awarded the prestigious Forbes Diamond Award which rewards companies which have experienced a steep increase in value.
In the Silesian region (among the top most valuable companies with a turnover 5-50 M PLN) Turtle Entertainment GmbH (the company behind ESL) placed fifth. On a Linkedin post Krzysztof Pikiewicz, the Managing Director of Turtle Entertainment of Poland, Russia and the CIS stated: “We recorded a 98.99% average increase in value in the years 2013-2016. This resulted in high 52nd position in the overall national ranking of the best companies with the fastest increase in value.”
He also noted that employment at ESL Poland has risen from 5 to 80 people.
Read the full article here.
