Japanese esports content provider PlayBrain has secured USD $6 million in a Series A financing round. 

The round saw BITKRAFT Esports Ventures as a returning investor, and brings PlayBrain’s total funding since launch to $8 million. Buddy Marini, Founder and CEO of Mangamo, has also been appointed as a member of PlayBrain’s advisory board. 

According to the company, the new capital will be used to grow its footprint, expand into more esports and entertainment properties, and double down on its support on leading the creative direction, operation, and commercialisation of Riot Games’ League of Legends Japan League (LJL). 

A full-services esports tournament and media company, PlayBrain helps brands and publishers reach fans via large-scale event production and marketing. Its partnership with LJL is now in its second year, and has helped the league set viewership records. 

PlayBrain also counts major names like Activision Blizzard, EA, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Twitch, Supercell, Alienware, and Intel as clients. 

Discussing the news Playbrain Founder, Mike Sheetal, said:

“PlayBrain helps global games and brands reach Japanese audiences by producing market-leading esports events and by creating our own portfolio of major esports platforms and formats, tailored to the Japanese market.

”Although the Japanese esports market had a late start in comparison to the rest of the world, the esports market in Japan is expected to grow 250% over the next four years. We are proud to play an integral role in establishing and building the esports market in Japan and helping it gain more ground in the global esports industry.”  

While BITKRAFT Founding General Partner, Malte Barth, added:

“We not only saw the momentum and growth of the Japanese esports market as a whole but also witnessed PlayBrain’s instrumental role in establishing the esports-ecosystem in Japan. We are very excited to be backing the next phase of growth with this financing and our active support.

“If you are a brand or publisher that wants to get your foot in the door in the Japanese esports market, PlayBrain is undoubtedly the go-to-partner.”

PlayBrain also recently soft-launched taiyoro.gg, a media platform that houses esports content that introduces esports culture and entertainment to Japanese esports fans. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Japan is something of an anomaly when it comes to esports – despite being a world leader in video games, it has been slow to embrace competitive multiplayer esports. But, this means companies like PlayBrain still have a vast field of opportunity in front of them, and we’re sure they’ll put this latest investment to good use. 

As we reported earlier this year, the Japanese government is also keen to promote the local esports industry, and has unveiled ambitious plans to boost the sector. 

‘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. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Curacao-licensed betting operator Pinnacle has entered an esports data partnership with Abios. 

The deal will see Abios supply Pinnacle with enriched data, including a greater selection of odds across a range of titles and markets, to enhance its esports offering. 

Discussing the partnership Pinnacle Trading Director, Marco Blume, said:

“A lot has changed at Pinnacle since we started trading esports over a decade ago. The industry is doing its best to catch up with odds for the biggest titles and major events now available at most bookmakers. However, there’s an important difference between simply offering odds and providing customers with a true esports betting experience.

“Whether it’s the quality of our odds, the number of titles and markets we offer, or the engaging content we produce, we know we’re second to none. It’s no secret that we need data to continue to improve and we’re pleased to be able to take things to another level through our partnership with Abios.”

While Abios Founder and CEO, Oskar Fröberg, added:

“With the continued growth of esports betting, an increase in demand for reliable and well-structured data has followed, especially among top tier clients around the world. It’s therefore a natural fit for Abios to partner with Pinnacle, one of the front runners and power-houses in esports betting. 

“Given the long esports history and reliability of the Abios and Pinnacle product offerings, both having been first movers in our respective fields, this is just the first step in what will be a long and thriving partnership.”

Abios also has partnerships in place with other esports betting operators, including Unibet, Luckbox, and Win.gg. 

Staying with Pinnacle, earlier this month the operator re-opened its Swedish site after a two-year absence from the market. 

AYO.NEWS says:

For a large mainstream online bookmaker, Pinnacle has invested heavily in esports for some time. Not only does the operator offer an extensive range of titles and markets, but it also supports esports events. In March the operator became the first sponsor of CS:GO League FLASHPOINT.

Want to find out more about how Pinnacle is capitalising on the rapidly growing esports sector? Check out Simona’s chat with Pinnacle CEO, Paris Smith. 

‘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. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Malta-based gambling operator Esports Entertainment Group (EEG) has appointed two Argyll Entertainment executives to key leadership positions.

Stuart Tilly has been named new Corporate Secretary, while Dan Marks has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). 

Tilly is co-founder and current CEO, and Marks is CFO, of Argyll Entertainment, the UKGC-licensed operator of SportNation.bet. 

Tilly has also held several in-house legal residences with major gaming companies, and in 2012 founded the iGaming Counsel – a regulatory and commercial advisory service for the industry.

Marks has nearly two decades of experience in financial and operations leadership roles, mainly in the corporate banking sector, including as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the UK Coverage team at Barclays, and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for large US-based corporations and mid-market enterprises at HSBC in New York.  

Discussing the appointments CEO of Esports Entertainment Group, Grant Johnson, said:

“We’re excited to officially welcome Stuart and Dan to the Esports Entertainment team. As CEO and CFO of Argyll Entertainment, they have proven their ability to execute in our industry, growing the business from start-up to $12 million in revenue annually in just a few short years. As we continue to ramp the Vie.gg platform this experience will be invaluable.”

Commenting on his new role Tilly said:

“Esports Entertainment is ideally positioned to capitalize on a wealth of opportunities as growth in the esports industry continues to gain momentum. I am excited to be part of the team and look forward to my role in building a leading global brand.”

While Marks added:

“I am delighted to be joining Esports Entertainment at such an exciting time, after becoming the first online e-sports betting company to list on NASDAQ. I look forward to working with the strong leadership team and assisting the Company in achieving its strategic and financial goals.”

AYO.NEWS says:

It seems like everything is full-steam ahead at EEG, and the company is certainly attracting some heavyweight talent from the world of iGaming and finance. 

Earlier this month the company announced the appointment of esports and gaming industry veteran, Magnus Leppäniemi, as Vice President of Marketing and Head of Esports at betting platform VIE.gg. 

The company also recently set up a New Jersey subsidiary, GMBL New Jersey Inc., and started onboarding new affiliate partners.  

‘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. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Simona chats with David Minns, founder of Joystick.dating – the new dating service specifically designed for the gaming and esports community. 

Find out the inspiration and logic behind setting up a niche service in a sector dominated by huge players like Facebook and Tinder, and what makes Joystick special. 

Don’t forget to check out Joystick.dating

Esports betting brand BUFF.bet has announced its acquisition of eSporbet – an established esports betting site serving the EMEA region. 

XB Systems-managed BUFF.bet recently merged with X-bet.co to strengthen its presence in the esports betting space. 

According to the company, the acquisition of eSporbet.com will now create further opportunities to acquire, convert, and retain fans and followers who bet on esports, especially CS:GO, Dota 2, League of Legends, and sports simulators like FIFA, NBA 2K, and NHL. 

Discussing the acquisition, CEO of XB Systems, Daniel Miller, said:

“With the ever-increasing demand of the esports betting vertical, we have been looking to make another successful business partnership. Esporbet is the right choice holding a growing opportunity for us. 

“It’s already attracting a massive audience of esports users, who will definitely enjoy betting on BUFF.bet with its modern and easy-to-use interface as well as the unrivaled esports options.”

AYO.NEWS says:

As esports betting explodes, and giants begin to emerge among even the specialist esports betting operators, like Unikrn and soon-to-list Luckbox, we expect to see a lot of acquisition and consolidation activity among smaller operators and affiliates. 

‘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. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

The International Esports Federation (IESF) has announced five new member nations, and has announced plans to launch the World Super League (WSL).

Five new member nations

The new member nations are represented through their respective national Esports associations:

• Bosnia and Herzegovina: E-Sport Association Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Brunei: Esports Association Brunei
• Montenegro: Alliance of electronic sports of Montenegro
• Peru: Asosiación Deportiva Peruana de Deportes Electrónicos
• San Marino: San Marino e-Sports Association – SMeSPA

Welcoming the latest members, IESF Board Member and Director of Memberships, Boban Totovski, said:

“The IESF family continues to grow globally, and I would like to congratulate our new members. The criteria for IESF affiliation is strict, so we are thrilled that we were a to add these five new nations as members. 

“With additional membership applications processing, we look forward to the continued growth and our work on building the foundations of this global esports ecosystem.”

Founded in 2008 by organisations from nine European and Asian nations, the South Korea-based ISEF now has 72 national members. 

World Super League

On 26 June the IESF announced plans to launch the World Super League (WSL), as another major esports tournament to complement its annual Esports World Championship. 

WSL will be launched in partnership with Technoblood, which will take responsibility for hosting and operating it in coordination with Member Nations of the IESF.  

According to IESF:

“Each participating country will select the most popular titles in each country and host national leagues for each event throughout the year. Once a year, players representing their own nations with the best results in each event will gather to WSL where the finals will be held.

“WSL will select the most popular Esports events among member countries and hold a national competition to pick the best players to represent each member nation. The representatives from each country will meet once a year to participate in a battle of national teams to determine the top global team for each event.”

The new league is expected to host its first international competition in 2021. 

AYO.NEWS says:

As various international esports bodies vie for power and loyalty, the IESF is stepping up to the challenge presented by the Singapore-based Tencent-backed Global Esports Federation (GEF). Just last month the IESF announced a partnership with the World Esports Consortium (WESCO) to promote unity with the sector.  

‘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. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020