GINX Esports TV has entered a content partnership with esports talk show network Preediction. 

Under the agreement, Preediction’s talk shows, which cover titles including Call of Duty, DOTA 2, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros., will be broadcast on GINX, with shows like Esports Talk, Bananaslamjaron and the Codcast available from this month. 

Commenting on the partnership Marketing and Content Director at GINX Esports TV, Solenne Lagrange, said:

“GINX TV is no stranger to producing and distributing high quality content for gaming enthusiasts around the world. With Preediction, we have found a natural partner. Their wide array of talk shows naturally complements our already extensive line-up of news, event-coverage, guides and various shows dedicated to esports lifestyle.”

While CEO and Founder of Preediction, Aron Glatzer, added:

“GINX Esports TV’s global reach and well-regarded programming line-up is a perfect partner for Preediction to continue expanding its esports & gaming audience into new verticals.”

The collaboration will also see GINX and Preediction working together to promote their offerings to networks and brands across the UK and Europe. 

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Swedish esports platform Challengermode has made a key leadership hire and promotion, following substantial growth and a $12M investment round. 

Dan-Alp Lindberg has been appointed Chief Financial Officer, while Philip Hübner has been promoted to Chief Business Development Officer. 

Hübner joined Challengermode in 2017 as Head of Business Development, and had previously been responsible for onboarding the company’s very first partners, in addition to devising its partnerships and business strategy. He initially got involved in esports as a competitive DOTA player, and went on to work in a variety of roles, from marketing and communications, to product management. 

Regarding his new role, Hübner said:

“I’ve always been keen to help grow esports as an industry, even back when I was a competitor – so I am excited to be bringing that accumulated experience to my new role as CBDO.

“For all its recent success, the esports industry is still relatively young, and is still in a process of change. While sponsorships and big event tournaments will continue to be important, our mission is to create new partnerships and new opportunities that will drive growth in the grassroots level of esports in the years to come.”

As Chief Financial Officer, Lindberg will be responsible for the company’s revenue growth and profitability, while managing risks and compliance. He has more than fifteen years of management experience at both large companies and scale-ups, including roles at IKEA and creative agency and entertainment company B-Reel. 

Looking ahead, Lindberg commented:

“I am super excited to step into the role of CFO at Challengermode and look forward to continuing to roll out our esports platform internationally. I truly believe the team and this platform has incredible potential to accelerate the growth of esports, harness the space’s commercial potential, facilitate new business models and establish new revenue streams along the way.”

In August, Challengermode secured $12M USD in a funding round led by eWTP Innovation Fund, Alibaba’s global investment division.

AYO.NEWS says:

Despite all the doom and gloom we’ve got used to in the age of COVID, it’s fantastic to see the esports and video gaming sector still powering ahead, attracting investment, and recruiting and promoting talent. 

‘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.

Global esports giant ReKTGlobal has welcomed Griffin Johnson and Josh Richards, two of the world’s biggest TikTok stars, to its ownership team. 

Johnson and Richards are original members of the popular TikTok collab house Sway LA, and have amassed more than 50M combined followers, and expanded their social media careers into the music and entertainment industries.

In their new roles, the pair will be developing content, merchandise collaborations, and promotional activations for ReKTGlobal’s team’s, Team Rogue and Call of Duty League’s London Royal Ravens. 

Before joining the ReKTGlobal family, Josh Richards co-founded TalentX Entertainment, a creator management company known for its “creator-first” mentality. Within six months, TalentX had grown a roster of the top one percent of TikTokkers. In May 2020, ReKTGlobal and TalentX Entertainment joined forces for a new venture, TalentX Gaming – a talent management company built for gaming and esports athletes and streamers. 

Since then, Richards has gone on to sign a recording contract with Warner Records, and has focused on both investment opportunities and philanthropic efforts, including donating 20,000 masks to his hometown high school to help combat COVID-19. 

Avid gamer and Call of Duty fan, Griffin Johnson left Sway LA this summer to head up the new Sway Gaming House. Created by TalentX Gaming, SwayGaming is a hub for social media stars and creators to hone their skills. 

Welcoming Johnson and Richards to the company, CEO of ReKTGlobal, Dave Bialek, said:

“Griffin and Josh have uniquely captured the attention of Generation Z and beyond, and their influence is undeniable. They are both incredible additions to the ReKTGlobal ownership team.

“They have strong business instincts, a unique talent for developing viral content, and an understanding of how to connect with younger audiences and casual gamers. They are natural born hustlers and have leveraged their TikTok fame to step into acting and music, becoming entrepreneurs and investors in the process.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome them to the ReKTGlobal family as we continue to bridge the gap between the world of esports, entertainment and pop culture.”

While Johnson added:

“The fact that I can now say I own part of London Royal Ravens and Team Rogue is unbelievably surreal. I am thankful to Dave and Amish for allowing me into the ReKTGlobal family with open arms. Can’t wait to get to work and help bridge the gap between traditional social media and esports.”

Richards and Johnson are joining a diverse team of A-list ReKTGlobal investors including EDM legend Steve Aoki, international producer and DJ Nicky Romero, Grammy-winning rock band Imagine Dragons, Latin record producer and songwriter Tainy, two-time NBA defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert, pro tennis player Taylor Fritz, NFL strong safety Landon Collins, Find Your Grind CEO Nick Gross, hip-hop music executive and CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, and Vikram Singh Barn, aka YouTube’s Vikkstar and face of the London Royal Ravens. 

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Gaming and esports entertainment and events company, TGS Esports, has announced the formation of Discover Management. 

A full-service management company aimed at esports influencers, content creators, and players, Discover Management is being led by Riley Trimble, formerly with content creator management firm Spire Management, and specialist esports lawyer Marius Adomnica of Segev LLP. 

Regarding the new venture TGS Esports Co-founder and CEO, Spiro Khouri, said:t

“At TGS we are working with creators on a daily basis. One constant we have dealt with is that creators love creating but may not have the experience with brand deals or legal matters.

“We’re helping creators legitimise their career path and guiding them through that process. At the same time, we’re able to connect our partner brands with creators to create mutually beneficial relationships.”

While General Manager of Discover Management, Justin Simpao, added:

“We understand the value that content creators bring to the table. At the same time, we can help influencers deal with niche situations that arise from the growing ecosystem of influencer business. 

“This includes curating partnerships, innovating ways to help our creators grow their personal brand, and handling the complex administrative details such as self-incorporation and finance management.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Forming Discover Management is just the latest indicator that TGS has serious expansion plans – the company having also acquired Volcanic Media, and announced plans to acquire competitive gaming platform Pepper Esports. 

Given the fact that every content creator and player is basically a brand in themselves in the esports and video gaming world, and most of them organically found themselves in what is a rapidly changing industry, it’s perhaps not surprising that talent management is going through something of a boom right now. 

Last month saw the official launch of talent and management agency EMERGE Esports in Singapore, while in October Gushcloud International invested in Japanese esports management agency RELATION X, and earlier this year we saw management company Forevr launched by music industry veteran Marc Ogihara. 

‘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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The esports and gaming division of Ford Models is latest to be added to the lineup of supporters for the Save the Children #GamingTuesday initiative. 

Launched by Save the Children back in 2015, the two-week “Giving Tuesday” initiative for gamers has so far raised $500K, and this year runs from Tuesday 24 November to Tuesday 8 December. 

Tomorrow, the esports and gaming division of the iconic New York-based Ford Models, which launched in summer, will be joining the cause, streaming from 6pm to 9pm. Ford’s talent line-up will include Twitch streamers Drew “Frozone” Bienusa, Eric “CLipZ” Rivera, Paul “Rabies” Santoro, Ivan “OGKINGCURT” Curtiss, in addition to Avori “Avori” Henderson on Facebook Gaming.

This year saw the number of gamers involved cross the 100 mark for the first time, and the event is running across several streaming platforms, including Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and Facebook Gaming, in addition to livestream fundraising platform Tiltify. 

With activations across North America, Europe, and Asia, the event is being supported by Save the Children’s Stream Team, which includes content creators like Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, Hank and John Green, and many more. Elgato is also supporting this years’ fundraising efforts, providing rewards and a match up to $10K. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating existing crises around the world, the world of charities like Save the Children has never been so urgently needed, so it’s brilliant to see this years’ #GamingTuesday initiative is attracting so much support, and kudos to Ford Models for throwing their talent behind it. 

‘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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The Monaco Esports Fédération, Monaco eSports, and Nicecactus have teamed up to launch the Monaco Gaming Show. 

Planned to be an annual event, the inaugural edition of the new esports show will feature competitions in Rocket League and Fortnite, with €20K prize pools for each title, and give amateurs and semi-pros the chance to go up against professional players. Also included in the line-up will be influencers, esports figures, and esports industry partners. 

The Fortnite final is scheduled for 18 December, and the Rocket League final for 19 December. Online qualifiers get underway on 4 December. Talking to Esports Insider, Nicecactus said plans for the Monaco Gaming Show had been hit by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, and that future post-COVID events will be larger. 

Established in 2017, the Monaco Esports Federation recently joined the International Esports Federation (IESF), and is dedicated to establishing the Principality of Monaco as a top esports destination.

AYO.NEWS says:

Considering the insane wealth concentrated in Monaco, the prize pools for this event are quite paltry. But, Monaco does pack some serious prestige, being associated with events like the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, and it is a favourite playground of the rich and famous. In non-COVID times, we’re sure the pull of Monaco would be irresistible to many, but it’s tough to see how this edition is going to stand out. Still, it’s a start for Monaco, and if it can hang on in there through the crisis, it might be able to establish itself. 

‘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.