Rumble Gaming, the esports talent agency and media platform, announces acquisition of talent agency and law firm MKM Esports.

Canada-based Rumble Gaming, the esports talent agency and media platform, has announced its acquisition of talent agency and law firm MKM Esports.

The acquisition of Toronto-based MKM means more than 300 pro esports teams, players, streamers, content creators and venues are now on the books of Rumble Gaming, including esports organisations Lazarus and Rogue.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rumble Gaming, Michael Cotton, will continue in his role with the company, in addition to being Managing Director at Canada’s largest sports and media technology accelerator Zone Startups Sports + Media.

Discussing the news, Cotton said:

“As a fully integrated media company, we’ll have the capacity to produce top-tier esports content, build a centralized platform, and create additional distribution channels for our clients and partners,

“With the video game industry exceeding $100 billion in global revenue, sponsors, organisations, and investors are increasingly shifting their attention and budgets toward the world of esports and content creation.”

The firm stands to benefit significantly from the experience and commercial relationships of Len Asper, who will serve in an advisory role as Chairman of the Board. He is majority owner and Chief Executive Officer of Toronto-based Anthem Sports & Entertainment (Fight Network, Impact Wrestling, Game+, Game TV, and the Pursuit Channel), and his investment vehicle, Sygnus Corp, also backs Rumble Gaming.

Co-founder of MKM and new Chief Operating Officer of Rumble Gaming, Josh Marcus, explained:

“The esports industry has expanded to mirror the business models in traditional sports industries, including franchising rights, event management, player representation, and audience monetization through advertising. However, a market gap exists in media offerings at the intersection of digital and linear media and clients’ desire to reach their preferred target.”

While co-founder of MKM Esports and new President of Rumble Gaming, Evan Kubes, added:

“This merger gives us the resources necessary to scale and compete with any agency and media arm in the world.”

AYO.NEWS says:

There’s no doubt that Rumble Gaming now has access to the talent, business expertise and resources it needs to become a major player in the esports content field, but pulling it off still won’t be easy with so many rapidly growing competitors. It will be interesting to watch this one.

Australian motorsports championship Supercars partners with Gfinity Esports Australia to launch Gfinity Supercars Eseries.

Aussie motorsports championship Supercars has partnered with Gfinity Esports Australia, to hold the second season of the Supercars Eseries.

Set to launch in August, the second season of the series will see the Australian touring car competition go digital via online racing sim service iRacing, and will feature a dozen teams from a mix of Supercars-sponsored teams and other brands.

Supercars team Boost Mobile Racing has already confirmed its place in the Eseries, and is looking for drivers. Other teams are expected to follow suit shortly.

The Gfinity Supercars Eseries will consist of eight rounds, and will be broadcast live and free across Supercars and Gfinity channels including the Supercars Championship website, social media partners and Twitch.

Commenting on the project Supercars CEO, Sean Seamer, said:

“This is a great opportunity to embrace and engage the growing Supercars fan base and esports community. The partnership with Gfinity will help engage a new generation of fans and offer a pathway for sim drivers to showcase their skills in our cars against our best teams and drivers.”

While CEO of Gfinity Esports Australia, Dominic Remond, added:

“We are very excited to be partnering with Supercars and taking their esports strategy to a new level. Racing titles are exciting and easy to comprehend, with a significant crossover into real-world motorsport. It’s a unique opportunity for brands to engage both the massive existing audience in Supercars and rapidly growing esports community.”

Gfinity will be holding open qualifiers, with each of the twelve teams selecting an ‘elite driver’ – registration will be open in July.

AYO.NEWS says:

Motorsports is a natural fit for esports – with perhaps the closest relationship between the traditional and digital worlds. So, it’s great to see Supercars back for a second, even bigger Eseries season, and it’s a fantastic way to get new, younger fans engaged with the sport. It also gives the teams an incredible commercial opportunity to expand their franchises.

European Esports Federation planned in collaboration with national esports organisations from a dozen countries across the continent.

A European Esports Federation is set to be launched in collaboration with national esports organisations from a dozen countries.

The organisations involved thrashed out the details at the European Esports Meeting Berlin on 10^th April, with a document called “The Berlin Declaration” being created to outline the project’s vision for European esports.

Initially, the Berlin Declaration and planned federation is being backed by esports organisations from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. More discussions and planning will take place at the Swiss Esports Federation on 28^th May.

At the moment the federation is planned to be more of a “moderating partner” than a governing body, with it governing its own competitions and tournaments. This has led some observers to question why it’s needed in the first place, but the answer to that may lie in what President of eSport-Bund Deutschland, Hans Jagnow, said:

“We realized that we all shared an esports vision for Europe. To have this process actually started in Berlin and bringing so many nations together is an important step for structuring esports in the region. There are many details yet to decide, but this will be part of the ongoing negations. We stand united by the goal of establishing a European Esports Federation.

“In times like these, we feel that the idea of Europe is a fragile one. A commitment from esports is a strong sign: Europe is the future for many young people. Like no other sports movement esports profits from the freedoms the European Union provides.

“The Berlin Declaration puts an emphasis on that identity. Following up on the development of grassroots esports on the national level, coming together as a European federation is the next big step. As ESBD, we want Europe to become the model region for structuring esports on an international level.”

AYO.NEWS says:

While the proposed organisational and operation plans for the federation still need to be formalised, we can’t help but agree with Hans Jagnow; Europe is more than a geographical place, it is an idea, and that idea, with the freedoms and rights it enshrines, has been enormously valuable to young people across the continent. Esports, perhaps more than any other sport, brings together young people from across the continent – with the European Union project removing outdated borders and petty nationalistic politics from the equation.

With the resurgence of poisonous, regressive, introverted nationalism across Europe – especially in places like the UK and Hungary – its has never been more important for young people to create strong organisations to protect what they believe in. Hopefully esports, which is already notable for its competitive but inclusive, positive and internationalist nature, can position itself as one of the popular bulwarks against the creeping tide of extremism.