In-game advertising platform, Adverty, has appointed Anders Rössel as Chief Financial Officer.

Adverty delivers seamless advertising, connecting brands and audiences through revolutionary technology, built specifically for gaming. Rössel will be responsible for the company’s financials, while providing strategic counsel to the CEO and members of the Board. 

Prior to joining Adverty, Rössel was CFO at Howden Insurance Brokers, in Sweden, where he drove a Finance Transformation Project, and was also responsible for IT and HR. 

He has also been Head of Business Control at Cherry – a holding company for iGaming investments, which was subsequently acquired by a British private equity fund. He started his career as a management trainee at MTG, after which he held executive positions at various multinational companies. 

Regarding his new appointment Rössel said:

“I am excited to get stuck into my new role in such an innovative and fast-growing media company. Adverty provides unique ad formats, and its potential is huge – despite a challenging trading environment as we start the new year. 

“Adverty is genuinely setting a new standard for generating revenue and we anticipate many high-value deals and strategic long-term partnerships in the pipeline, both in the short and the long term.”

While CEO and founder of Adverty, Niklas Bakos, added:

“We are delighted to welcome Anders to the team. He is a well-respected leader with business experience which is both deep and incredibly diverse, thanks to a wide range of finance and development roles across many industries and geographies. His skills set stands us in great stead as we look forward to future success.”

Earlier this month, Adverty released its Unity SDK (Software Development Kit) on the Unity Asset Store, making it more accessible to developers, while at the end of 2020 the company grew its in-game ad reach through a partnership with global mobile-first adtech company InMobi. 

AYO.NEWS says:

As the effectiveness of traditional advertising platforms continues to diminish, in-game advertising offers incredible potential for brands looking to connect with global audiences in a low-friction manner. 

In September 2020, AYO.NEWS’ very own Simona Pinterova , caught up with Adverty CEO and Co-founder Niklas Bakos, to find out more about the company and its plans. Don’t miss the video below. 

‘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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Nestlé chocolate brand KitKat is yet another partner returning to support the League of Legends European Championship in 2021. 

KitKat will once again be inviting players to “have a break” during LEC broadcast breaks, and its branding will be appearing in the Summoner’s Rift via in-game banners. Fans will also be treated to exclusive KitKat drops throughout the season. 

As in 2020, the partnership was secured by global sports business agency SPORTFIVE, which also produced a hero commercial for the kick-off.

Commenting on the news Marketing Manager for KitKat in Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Georg Fischer, said:

“After our successful partnership in 2020, we are stoked about the continuation in 2021 and everything that comes with a Main Partner level, enabling more and bigger opportunities to bring fun, entertainment, and breaks into the community/

“We prepared a lot of content and actions for LEC fans hoping to bring value to everyone who loves the Riot universe.”

While Head of Sponsorships & New Business EU Esports at Riot Games, Alban Dechelotte, added:

“We’re so happy to be signing on again with KitKat as one of our main partners for 2021. We had such a fruitful time together in 2020, with KitKat helping us to deliver some top level content for our fans.

“KitKat started with a pilot initially, with a relatively low level of activity; so it’s incredible that they have recognised the value of our partnership to the extent that they are now one of the major league esports partners across the LEC and local leagues and teams across Europe.”

The LEC returns on Friday 22 January at 17:00 CET on lolesports.com.

After a well-deserved break, we’re pleased to announce that the @LEC returns this Friday with KITKAT as a main partner in 2021!🥳So buckle up and get ready for the ultimate #GamingBreak coming your way 🍫 pic.twitter.com/r35yqPAiae

— KITKAT Gaming 🎮 (@KITKATGaming) January 20, 2021

AYO.NEWS says:

It’s a great sign for the LEC that so many big name sponsors are returning to support it in 2021, especially considering the challenges of the last year. Earlier this week, Riot confirmed that gaming peripherals brand Logitech G, car maker Kia, energy drink brand Red Bull, gaming chair company Secretlab, and appliance brand Beko, and Warner Music are also continuing their support this year. 

Staying with KitKat, earlier this week the brand also announced partnerships with the Brazilian League of Legends Championship (CBLOL) and Spanish esports organisation Vodafone Giants. 

‘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, 2019-2021.

North American esports organisation Counter Logic Gaming (CLG) has teamed up with gaming rewards platform Playfull. 

The marketing partnership will see Playfull offer CLG merchandise and memorabilia as rewards to its community members, and both parties may collaborate on marketing and promotions. 

Playfull offers League of Legends players rewards, including premium merchandise, snacks, games, and more, for their in-game achievements, along with a range of competitive and social play features, like Challenges, Leaderboards, and Badges. 

The platform also has its own digital currency, Playpoints™, designed for redemption within the exclusive economy of premium awards in the Playfull Shop. 

Discussing the agreement Chief Operating Officer at CLG, Dan Fleeter, said:

“CLG is always looking for unique opportunities to engage our fanbase and we believe this partnership allows us to connect with CLG fans and the esports community.”

“Playfull has built an environment where people can learn, enjoy and celebrate their love of gaming and esports and we are thrilled to be working with them.”

While CEO and Co-founder of Playfull, Patrick Lu, added:

“Through strategic partnerships with organisations like CLG, we continue to gain traction as the premier rewards platform for gamers. 

“Reaching CLG’s phenomenal community helps us bring the intrinsically fun and fulfilling experience of earning and receiving rewards through the Playfull platform to an even broader player base.”

In 2020, Los Angeles-based Playfull entered a partnership with another North American esports organisation, Cloud9. 

CLG was founded in 2010 as a League of Legends team, and today fields teams in titles including League of Legends, Fortnite, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Apex Legends, and Super Smash Bros.

AYO.NEWS says:

With so many competing distractions, engagement is becoming paramount across the entire digital entertainment industry, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see Playfull onboard more esports organisations over the coming months. 

‘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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Sports betting software expert Sirplay and B2B esports odds feed and risk management provider Oddin have announced a Latin America-focused partnership. 

The agreement will deliver an engaging esports betting solution to multiple bookmakers, with a focus on the rapidly growing Latin American markets. By integrating Oddin’s iFrame solution, Sirplay will be able to offer providers a dedicated esports solution to cater for the growing demand for esports betting in the region.

Commenting on the deal CEO at Sirplay, Bart Esposito, said:

’There is a booming demand for esports in Latin America. Our clients have been requesting a better esports betting offering for quite some time and thanks to Oddin we will now be able to deliver it in the upcoming weeks.’’

While Head of Partnerships at Oddin, Marek Suchar, added:

‘’At Oddin we see LATAM as one of the key regions for esports betting. We have been in touch with multiple potential partners and in Sirplay we have found the right partner to start with. Together, we will be able to establish a strong position within esports very quickly.’’

Latin America is one of the fastest growing regions for esports betting, with Counter-Strike particularly popular in Brazil, and Dota 2 a favourite in Colombia. 

Staying with South American esports, earlier this week Garena unveiled details of the upcoming 2021 Brazilian Free Fire League. 

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California-based entertainment company Allied Esports has confirmed it is selling its poker-related business assets, including World Poker Tour (WPT) to Element Partners, LLC. 

The deal, worth a total of $78.3M USD, will see Element pay $68.3M upfront, and a further $10M over three years. Following completion, Allied Esports will be rebranding as a publicly traded holding company, with a focus on “online entertainment, including but not limited to, real money gaming and other sectors.”

Already cleared by the company’s Board of Directors, the transaction is expected to close in late January or early February 2021, subject to approval from shareholders and regulators. 

WPT tournaments now take place on five continents, award $1B in prizes, and are broadcast to 150M people each year. However, over the past year, events have mainly been held online due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Included in the agreement is a 5% revenue share scheme of WPT-branded tournament entry fees for Allied Esports. 

Despite the cancellation of in-person events, WPT saw new registrations at its online ClubWPT platform surge 61%, and total revenue rose 56%, year-on-year, during Q3 2020. In the same period OTT household viewership of the WPT television show also increased 368% year-on-year, with linear household viewership also growing 77%. 

Commenting on the news CEO of Allied Esports Entertainment, Frank Ng, said:

“Despite the many challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the WPT business has delivered substantial, impactful results, specifically through its online platforms and services, and has made meaningful contributions for the Company.

“In addition, Allied Esports, with its world-renowned HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas and best-in-class production services, has generated market attention as the esports industry gained momentum during the pandemic.”

While CEO of the WPT, Adam Pliska, added:

“I want to thank Frank Ng and the entire AESE management team for its support in allowing WPT to flourish during this period. My management team and I are excited about this next chapter and the tremendous new opportunities for the WPT brand and business.”

In response to the massive growth in video gaming and esports, driven by the pandemic, Allied Esports is also reported to be exploring strategic options for its esports business, including a possible sale, and has hired Lake Street Capital to this end.

Founded in 2002, WPT went public in 2003 and was purchased by PartyGaming for $12M plus revenue share. The company was purchased by Ourgame International Holdings Limited in 2015 for $35M, and then by NASDAQ-listed Black Ridge Acquisition Corp. as part of a wider deal, which valued it at $50M, that resulted in the listing of the company as Allied Esport Entertainment.

Staying with Allied Esports, earlier this month the company renewed its naming rights deal with HyperX for the Esports Arena Las Vegas. 

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Psyonix, developer of Rocket League, is partnering with ESPN’s upcoming X Games in Aspen, Colorado. 

In addition to launching X Games-inspired items in the Rocket League store, there’ll also be a new Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) X Regional event for North America, held online on 23-24 and 30-31 January. 

The new competition is going to be part of the RLCS X circuit in addition to being an official X Games Aspen event, with some of the best North American teams competing. 

Viewers can watch the action live on the ESPN app Twitch, and YouTube. Those Twitch viewers who watch for the duration of the RLCS X Games will also get the chance to earn fan rewards. 

Special X Games-inspired items, including an Octane Decal, X Games Wheels, and a new Topper, will be available in the Rocket League shop from 21-24 and from 28-31 January. An X-Skis Player Banner and X-Board Player Banner will also be available to claim free. 

It’s not the first time San Diego-based Psyonix has teamed up with X Games, having previously partnered wor the 2017 FACEIT X Games Rocket League Invitational with X Fest in Minneapolis. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With the X Games returning to Aspen for 2021 without any spectators due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, it’s fantastic to see Psyonix help boost engagement with this Rocket League collaboration. 

Staying with Rocket League, earlier this month the BBC expanded its coverage of the title into 2021.

‘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, 2019-2021.