China’s League of Legends Pro League (LPL) has rebranded with a new logo, to better represent the “aggressive playstyle” of its “courageous and fearless” teams.

LPL is run by TJ Sports, a joint venture between Riot Games and Tencent Holdings, and it’s Summer Split is due to start on 5 June, with 17 teams taking part. 

The top four teams from the Summer Split will represent LPL in the 2020 League of Legends World Championship, scheduled to be held in China in October. 

Earlier this month, Chinese authorities said the League of Legends World Championship will go ahead in Shanghai, despite the ongoing COVID-19 situation. 

LPL has many commercial partnerships in place, including with major international brands like Mercedes-Benz, KFC, OMEN, and Intel. 

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Indian esports organisation NODWIN Gaming has partnered with Indian telecoms company Airtel, to launch a national ranking and award system. 

Announced as the “Airtel India Esports Tour”, NODWIN Gaming will adopt the new ranking system for all of its tournaments, including the ESL India Premiership, DreamHack India, KO Fight Nights, The Northeast Cup, and PAN Fest. 

The new system will cover several titles, including Clash of Clans, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, (CS:GO), FIFA, and PUBG Mobile. 

At the end of the year, the top performers on the new leaderboard system will be presented with awards at a show, while the tour itself will be broadcast across Airtel’s digital platforms. Though initially launching with NODIWN Gaming’s tournaments, both companies have said they aim for the Airtel India Esports Tour platform to be used by all tournaments in the region. 

AirTel is one of India’s largest telecommunications companies, providing broadband, mobile, and landline services to much of the country. It is operated by subsidiaries of Bharti Airtel Limited, part of New Delhi-headquartered conglomerate Bharti Enterprises. During Q1 2020, Bharti Airtel Limited reported revenues of USD $3.14 billion. 

In March NODWIN Gaming expanded to South Africa, opening a new base in Johannesburg, and appointing Nathaneal Slabbert as Head of Operations, and Anthony Nell as Head of Sales for the country. 

AYO.NEWS says:

It’s great to see efforts to develop a national esports system in India – a country with vast potential but which is still hamstrung by disparate, patchy infrastructure. Having one of the country’s biggest telecoms providers on-side has to be a big bonus for NODWIN’S expansion plans moving forward too.  

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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France-based global sports and esports marketing agency Lagardère Sports and Entertainment has rebranded as SPORTFIVE. 

According to the company the rebrand, which follows its recent acquisition by HIG Capital, was driven by its shift in focus to a “dual organizational structure of dedicated market areas and global growth units.”

Discussing the news CEO of SPORTFIVE, Stefan Felsing, said:

“Today marks a milestone for our agency. A new leadership team, new ownership and reintroducing to the world of sport a legacy brand name, SPORTFIVE, that not only represents our founding pioneering spirit, but also our strong future of being one of the most progressive and respected partners in sports.

“SPORTFIVE is made up of pioneers in sports across different regions, we believe in the power of sports and that its responsible commercialisation can benefit the society as a whole. I look forward to bringing our tenacity, energy, experience, integrity and trust earned from our stakeholders to make SPORTFIVE synonymous for innovative and emotional sports marketing.”

The agency’s subsidiaries including Lagardère Sports, Lagardère PLUS, U! Sports, VIP Sportstravel will be integrated into the new SPORTFIVE brand

AYO.NEWS says:

Given the agency’s line of work, a major rebrand like this seems a natural thing to do to keep it current, especially given the virtual revolution and the rapid pace of change in the sports and entertainment worlds. Indeed, the brand’s new emphasis on ‘V’ could be seen as a nod to ‘virtual’ in addition to its obvious ‘five’ reference. 

Staying with the former Lagardère Sports, in February we reported that Malta-based blockchain company Chiliz had entered a strategic partnership with the agency, in an effort to get more European and North American clubs and teams interested in its Socios fan engagement platform. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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GRID Esports and Live Media Esports Entertainment have teamed up to offer data and other services for titles including CS:GO and Dota 2 in Latin America. 

Live Media eSports Entertainment is one of the drivers of esports growth in Latin America, having founded Liga Pro Gaming (LPG) in Peru in 2018 – as the country’s first dedicated esports league. LPG currently offers competitive gaming for Clash Royale, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Fortnite, and StarCraft. 

Now sponsored by Spanish telecommunications company Movistar, and known as Movistar Liga Pro Gaming, it recently announced plans to expand into Bolivia, Chile, and Colombia, and add League of Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, and Teamfight Tactics.  

Discussing the partnership Vice President of Sponsorships at GRID, Charles Hanley-Nickolls, said:

“Our vision to bring all esports data to a wider audience becomes much clearer with partnerships with the likes of Live Media. Our mutually aligned goals and the subsequent agreement marks a giant step towards providing the Latin American audience with the data and products they expect.”

While CEO of Live Media eSports Entertainment, Luis Carrillo Pinto, added:

“Unlike other market proposals in Latin American esports, we understand each country’s and its community’s idiosyncrasy. We know which esports work and which do not. To address this, we have managed the licenses with the most important publishers and we have the talents and influencers who are really followed by the fans in each specific region.

“Now our partnership with a company of GRID’s pedigree we can bring our competitive data to our amazing fans and give them new ways to interact with their favorite players, teams, and leagues.”

In April we reported GRID had partnered with UK-based esports betting site Midnite for #HomeSweetHome – a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament.

AYO.NEWS says:

With data playing an ever more important role in esports, this partnership stands to significantly boost the esports infrastructure available to the Latin American community, and again shows Live Media is determined to follow through on its ambitious plans for the region. 

We are GRID, pleased to meet you! pic.twitter.com/STQsU6gnd7

— GRID (@GRIDesports) May 14, 2020

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Automobili Lamborghini is entering esports with the inaugural one-make series The Real Race, in partnership with Assetto Corsa Competizione by Kunos Simulazioni.

A new sim racing championship “blending the real and virtual worlds of racing”, The Real Race marks Lamborghini’s first official entry into esports. The tournament starts on 29 May with five qualifier weekends, before culminating with a live final at Lamborghini’s headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy.

The top three players from the live finals will get to enjoy a three-day experience in Italy, having a chance to train alongside Lamborghini Squadra Corse drivers and to drive a real Lamborghini race car at an internationally- renowned racetrack.

Discussing the series Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automobili Lamborghini, Stefano Domenicali, said:

“Sim racing is one of the fastest growing sectors in esports, with esports increasingly important to younger generations. I also follow it closely! 

“This is an opportunity for us to combine the excitement of virtual racing with the appeal of Lamborghini cars and our motorsports program. Esports creates an environment where race heroes and top drivers can be challenged by anyone. This encourages wider engagement with real-life racing, reflected by Lamborghini’s investment in this new sports platform.”

While David Coulthard MBE, former Formula One racing driver, who will be the studio-based commentator for the live event, added:

“I’ve paid close attention to the rise of esports. Seeing the realism of racing games and how drivers are using racing simulators to practice, or professional esports players going from simulation to the real thing, is just incredible.

“The Real Race is designed to portray realism and professionalism. Skills in sim racing are so transferable, which is why Lamborghini wants to give players an opportunity to test drive the real thing as part of the prize. There’s nothing quite like getting behind the wheel of a Lamborghini.”

Assetto Corsa Competizione was developed alongside car manufacturers and provides a dynamic platform for Lamborghini’s latest racing series. The game is also used by official Lamborghini Squadra Corse test and race drivers in their real-world preparations. 

The luxury super sports car brand will fuel the sim racing community by creating an immersive esports competition at the wheel of the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO: the three-times winning car of the Daytona 24 Hours. 

Lamborghini’s Centro Stile, its in-house design department, has created 12 exclusive race liveries for competitors, with each car displaying the trademark logos of long-standing Lamborghini Squadra Corse partners, Pertamina, Pirelli and Roger Dubuis.

AYO.NEWS says:

Sim racing really is going through a revolution right now, with the COVID-19 crisis leading millions of people to discover just how exciting it is to watch, and many real-world drivers getting involved with esports organisations. 

It’s not just about four wheels either – just yesterday we reported the Isle of Man TT is going virtual for 2020. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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Online bookmaker Betway has added the BLAST: Bounty Hunt tournament to its growing portfolio of esports events. 

The four-day Dota 2 tournament will see Europe’s best compete for the coveted Bounty Hunt title, with teams battling for a share of the USD $145,000 prize pool. 

Betway-sponsored Ninjas in Pyjamas will join top sides including Alliance, Team Secret, Team Nigma, OG, and Team Liquid, with the first game scheduled for 9 June. 

Commenting on the news Head of Esports at Betway, Adam Savinson, said:

“We have had an incredibly successful 2020 working with BLAST across their Counter Strike tournaments, making it a very easy decision to support their entry into DOTA 2.  We are excited to see BLAST bring their innovative and exciting approach to a new game, and are proud to help them on that journey.”

While Commercial Director for BLAST, Leo Matlock, added:

“The expansion of this deal is testament to the impressive collaboration between BLAST and Betway over the last 18 months as we both strive to be industry leaders in esports and entertain fans the best we can.

“We look forward to continuing this innovative partnership as we expand into one of the world’s most played and loved games in the shape of DoTa 2. We can’t wait to deliver the world class DOTA 2 tournament that fans have been asking for, and are delighted that Betway are supporting and working with us to ensure we achieve this.”

Dota 2 remains one of the world’s most viewed esports, with 2019’s The International, peaking at a concurrent viewership of almost 2 million. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Betway was one of the first mainstream online gambling operators to take esports seriously, and the COVID-19 crisis has very much justified its investment in the vertical. It is now one of the few major bookies that can really command the respect of dedicated esports fans and gamers. 

Earlier this month Betway announced it had further expanded its esports portfolio, sponsoring CS:GO tournament DreamHack Masters Spring. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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