Activision Blizzard has announced Johanna Faries will take up the newly created position of Head of Leagues. 

As reported by Kevin Hitt for Esports Observer, Faries, who is currently commissioner of the Call of Duty League, is expected to take up her new role leading both the CDL and Overwatch League, on 12 October. 

The news follows the departure of former Overwatch League Commissioner Pete Vlastelica – who has moved on to other “entrepreneurial ventures” with Activision Blizzard. Vlastelica had replaced Overwatch League’s first commissioner, Nate Nanzer, who resigned and took on the role of Head of Competitive at Fortnite with Epic Games. 

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic throwing plans for live events into disarray, Faries has helped ensure Call of Duty League remains popular and vibrant, with the championship pulling in over 206K viewers. 

Even so, with the virus crisis showing no signs of abating, Faries will have her work cut out for her as she strives to keep both leagues healthy and popular in an online-only format, and attempts to address problems that have surfaced during online competitions – like latency and disconnection issues. 

Before joining Activision Blizzard in July 2019, Faries, a Harvard University graduate, spent 11 years with the NFL, eventually becoming Vice President of Club Business Development. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Faries has more than proven she’s up to the job, in the most challenging circumstances anyone could have imagined, so we’re sure both CDL and OWL will be in safe hands and continue to thrive, whatever mother nature throws at the world over the coming year. 

‘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

Swedish esports organisation Ninjas in Pyjamas has announced two new hires in the form of Vincent Lutz and Anton Fagerhem.

Lutz is joining the Ninjas as Head of Community and Growth, while Fagerham is new Head of Communications and Public Relations. 

Lutz was previously with gaming peripherals brand HyperX, where he spent four years overseeing things like influencer marketing, social media, and content creation for the EMEA region. Fagerham was most recently Creative Director at esports production company Black Molly Entertainment. 

Commenting on the hires, Chief Operating Officer at Ninjas in Pyjamas, Jonas Gundersen, said:

“Getting the right people in the right seats is critical to keep building on our momentum, while sustaining a small and agile organisation. We have a lot of very exciting things coming up, and will keep investing in our people and infrastructure as we further expand our organisation across all departments.”

Brazilian former professional Rainbow Six Siege player, Lucas “yuuk” Rodrigues, has also joined NiP as its latest content creator and streamer. 

Commenting on joining NiP, Rodrigues said:

“To be able to say that I’m an official streamer for Ninjas in Pyjamas, wow, it’s hard to describe what I’m feeling right now. I left my professional career to become a full time streamer, and now I get to join one of the most legendary organizations in the world. Lets go, new home and new battle cry!”

Ninjas in Pyjamas currently field players in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, DOTA 2, VALORANT, FIFA, and Rainbow Six. The organisation is partnered with major betting operator betway, electronics giant Panasonic, gaming peripherals brand Xtrfy, digital trading card platform Epics.gg, and ASUS’ Republic of Gamers gaming brand. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With so many industry shedding jobs by the thousands right now, it’s great to see esports organisations are continuing to invest talent – both on the business front and content creation side of things. It’s been quite a busy year for NiP so far in terms of hiring, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see more before the year is out.

‘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

Stream Hatchet has reported a 73% increase in year-on-year weekly streaming viewership for Q3 2020. 

The video game streaming, esports and influencers analytics company says that, although streaming consumption did drop a little from its Q2 high (which coincided with the height of the global lockdowns), viewership is continuing to see significant growth year-over-year. 

Viewership across Twitch, YouTube, Facebook Gaming, and Mixer (pre-closure), rocketed 73% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2020, with more than 500 million average weekly hours consumed. 

Though Twitch was still out in front as the streaming market leader during the quarter, with 4.7 billion hours watched, compared to YouTube’s 1.7 billion, it did see a ‘slight’ drop of 375 million hours. YouTube Gaming saw the strongest growth, adding more than 150 million hours, while Facebook Gaming also registered strong growth, surpassing 1 billion quarterly hours. 

The most popular game was, unsurprisingly, League of Legends, while Fortnite came in second, and PUBG Mobile had to settle for third place. 

In terms of esports events, the most watched was LCK 2020 Summer Season, coming in at 33.3M hours watched, closely followed by PMWL – Season 0: East, at 33.2M hours, and then LEC 2020 Summer Season at 28.9M. 

Stream Hatchet also noted that xQc was the most watched streamer overall, with 100 Thieves’ Rachel “Valkyrae” Hofstetter (signed exclusively to YouTube) the most watched female streamer  – she was followed by saddummy, and Pokimane (signed exclusively to Twitch). 

Our Q3 report is here!

📈 Live streaming viewership thrives
🥇 @xQc crowned most watched streamer
🌟 @Valkyrae led all female streamers
🏆 @LeagueOfLegends claims most popular game

Check out the latest data, insights, and trends by following this link: https://t.co/PrV2h0rzNq pic.twitter.com/YUAwauBN2F

— Stream Hatchet (@StreamHatchet) October 2, 2020

AYO.NEWS says:

Perhaps no metric better reflects the growth of esports and video gaming in general than streaming viewership, and though a slight drop was expected after the COVID-19 lockdowns eased and millions of people returned to work and more normal daily routines, a 73% year-on-year growth it still quite spectacular. 

‘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 betting platform VulkanBet has been confirmed as title sponsor of Russian organisation Gambit Esports. 

The partnership will see VulkanBet sponsor Gambit’s CS:GO, Dota 2, and Apex Legends rosters through October 2021. 

Discussing the collaboration Chief Gaming Officer at Gambit Esports, Konstantin Pikiner, said:

“VulkanBet sports book has already made a name for itself in the esports industry, and we are happy to have this modern and innovative company among our partners. We have ambitious goals and we are certain that it will be easier to achieve them together! Welcome on board, VulkanBet!”

While Director of Communications at VulkanBet, Anna Dmitriyeva, added:

“Gambit Esports is a successful professional team that has been present at the international scene for a long time and is a medalist of many tournaments. Strong line-ups, presence in multiple disciplines, dynamic games, passion for esports and strive to win – these are the things that VulkanBet is looking for. We are certain that this partnership is mutually beneficial and will strengthen both brands in the new esports season.”

Gambit Esports also has commercial partnerships in place with Abios, Cougar, LG Electronics, MTS, and WASD TV. 

In addition to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, and Apex Legends, Gambit also competes in Fortnite, League of Legends, and VALORANT. 

VulkanBet is a new title partner of our squads in CS:GO, Dota 2 and Apex Legends!

Glad to have you on board! Welcome, @VulkaneSports! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/rpaO3I2JRd

— Gambit Esports (@GambitEsports) October 1, 2020

AYO.NEWS says:

Despite also offering traditional sports betting and online casino, VulkanBet is typical of the new breed of betting platforms, placing a strong emphasis on esports – and we’re sure the partnership with Gambit will help grow their user base, particularly in the important CIS region. 

‘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

Guild Esports has successfully completed its public market flotation on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), with a market cap of £41.2 million (€45.5/$52.3 million).

The London-based esports organisation, which is co-owned by football legend David Beckham and raised an initial £20m since launching in June 2020, is the first esports franchise to list on the LSE. 

According to Fieldfisher, the law firm specialising in gaming, sports and tech deal, which advised Zeus Capital and Mirabaud Securities in their capacities as joint bookrunners and brokers on Guild Esports initial public offering, we can expect to see more IPOs and buyouts of esports businesses in the near future. 

Fieldfisher corporate partner Anthony Brockbank, who led the legal team advising Zeus Capital and Mirabaud Securities, commented:

“We are excited to have been involved in the first UK-listing of an esports business and to have assisted our longstanding broker clients on delivering a highly successful IPO for Guild.

“While the Covid-19 pandemic has been a testing time for many companies, it is inspiring to see new businesses emerge from and capitalise on the changes in habits brought about by the lockdown.

“Anecdotal evidence suggests the curtailment of other leisure opportunities is driving consumers towards at-home pursuits and activities that do not involve mingling or travelling.

“We expect to see more transactions in this area as other esports companies look to follow Guild in embarking on deals to expand their activities and market share.

“The London IPO market is showing signs of heating up again and is proving attractive to new kinds of businesses like esports looking for ways to extend their reach and accelerate their growth.”

As previously reported, Guild is initially fielding teams in Rocket League, FIFA, and Fortnite, and is planning to use the proceeds from its IPO to fully establish these teams, build its brand, and expand into more titles and activities. 

AYO.NEWS says:

We absolutely agree with Fieldfisher’s take on esports. Though many observers still dismissed esports as a fringe sector, or ‘flash in the pan’ driven by hype, even into the first few months of the COVID-19 crisis, it is now clear that the crisis could drag on for many more months or even years, and that even when the pandemic has passed there will be no return to the old normal. Things have changed, and video gaming and esports are now firmly at the heart of entertainment and pop culture. 

‘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

Gaming platform developer Rival has partnered with the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, and announced a new key hire. 

The Pistons are the first pro sports organisation in the US to partner with Rival and launch a gaming community for their fans – a place for Pistons fans to communicate, compete, and earn reward points that can be exchanged for team merchandise and other prizes. Games supported include popular sports titles like NBA 2K, Madden, EA NHL, and FIFA, on both Xbox and PlayStation. 

Based on Rival’s white label back-end tech, the Pistons new Motor City Rivals esports community will launch with an NBA 2K21 tournament, sponsored by Gamestar, in November. In addition to cash prizes, fans can get the chance to play online against Pistons guard Bruce Brown, or another mystery NBA player. 

Rivals has also announced the appointment of former ESL Senior VP/Brand Partnerships, Paul Brewer, as executive vice president of global business development. Brewer has previously held positions with ESPN, Turner Broadcasting, and Samsung. 

Commenting on his new role, Brewer said:

“The traditional sports side is trying to get younger and engage with different audiences, and they’re trying to figure it out through gaming and esports and haven’t really done that yet …  (Rival) hits on that white space or empty space for traditional sports teams because of what the product is and what the platform can do to engage traditional sports fans who we know are gamers.”

AYO.NEWS says:

With fans still unable to attend games in many places due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, it’s never been more critical for sports organisations to embrace digital to engage with their fans and keep their communities strong. Creating an online community where fans can enjoy esports and hang out with each other, while still engaging with their team, seems like a fantastic solution, and we’re sure other pro league teams will follow the Pistons’ lead. 

‘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