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DAVID BECKHAM-BACKED GUILD ESPORTS LAUNCHES

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Guild Esports has formally launched, with David Beckham and Blue Star Capital as investors.

Guild is developing an esports talent pipeline in the UK, based on the traditional academy model, to enable the most promising players to receive coaching and support from industry leaders. The company is also planning to form a roster of scouts to continually find and sign the best young talent. 

Headquartered in London, Guild Esports is aiming to raise GBP £25, and has so far received investments from both David Beckham, via DB Ventures, and Blue Star Capital.

The company’s management team comprises esports veterans with extensive experience of professional level playing, coaching, and media. Guild Executive Chairman, Carelton Curtis, is well-known in the industry and architect of the Overwatch League and Call Of Duty Leagues. Prior to joining Guild, he held senior esports roles at Activision Blizzard and Red Bull. His expertise complements David Beckham’s position in the world of mainstream sports to create a unique esports proposition.

Over the course of the 2020/2021 season, Guild says it intends to develop into various esports disciplines. Its first team is slated to debut in Autumn 2020, competing in popular titles like Rocket League, FIFA, and Fortnite. 

David Beckham’s move into esports is described as a natural progression, given his extensive experience in developing traditional sports businesses, notably through his co-ownership of Inter Miami CF in the MLS, and his passion for enabling youth talent to achieve excellence. 

London-based artist Fergus Purcell, creator of the iconic identity for skate wear label Palace, will be designing Guild’s brand and developing it for a lifestyle apparel line. Fergus has previously collaborated with high-profile fashion designers including Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith, Alexander McQueen, and music artists like 2manydjs.

Commenting on the news CEO of Blue Star Capital, Tony Fabrizi, said:

“We are very pleased to announce today’s news from Guild regarding its global launch and the association with David Beckham. The team behind Guild is incredibly strong and gives us great confidence that the company has an exciting future.”

 

While David Beckham added:

“Throughout my career I’ve been lucky enough to work with players at the top of their game, and I’ve seen first-hand the passion and dedication it takes to play at that level. I know that determination lives in our esports athletes today and at Guild we have a vision to set a new standard, supporting these players into the future.”

 

 

AYO.NEWS says:

With so much high-profile talent and expertise already onboard, and the backing of Blue Star Capital, things are looking very promising indeed for Guild! It’s fantastic to see the company has solid plans for building a well-rounded commercial brand, while also investing in the development of UK esports talent. We’re definitely looking forward to seeing what happens with this. 

 

 

‘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

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Esports

LEXUS SUPPORTS ESPORTS AWARDS FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR

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Luxury carmaker Lexus is returning to support the Esports Awards for a third year running

As Official Auto Partner of the awards, the company will be working with the Esports Awards on a number of activations that incorporate their vehicles. Lexus will also sponsor both the Esports Organisation of the Year and Streamer of the Year awards. 

Lexus made its esports debut with the Esports Awards in 2019, when it provided several supercars from blockbuster movies, which took centre stage at the Esports Stadium Arlington. Last year, the carmaker collaborated on exclusive content as part of the highly successful virtual ceremony. 

“It’s an honour to be able to welcome Lexus as a partner for the third year in a row. After supporting us through a successful virtual ceremony last year, it speaks volumes that Lexus has once again committed to going all-in and driving the esports ecosystem forward. Both of our brands focus on prestige and excellence, and I look forward to showcases our joint values as we return to a physical event in November,” said Michael Ashford, Managing Director, Esports Awards.

READ MORE: EXPEDIA MAKES ESPORTS DEBUT AS SPONSOR OF THE ESPORTS AWARDS

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REKTGLOBAL BRINGS TOP GAMING TALENT TO INFINITY FESTIVAL 2021

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ReKTGlobal, the digital entertainment and esports organization, has been named one of the official presenters of gaming content at the 2021 Infinity Festival. 

On 3 November, superstar gaming creators Ally Battaggia (a.k.a TheGeekEntry) and Gabby Murray will join Stove’s Kitchen and Paul Shaw in a panel exploring the content creator economy. In addition, ReKTGlobal CCO Kevin Knocke will share his unique expertise in a panel on esports.   

Battaggia, who has a growing following across social media, took on streaming during lockdown, joining the fan-favorite NoPIxel GTA RP server. Since then, she’s become a mainstay participant, even crafting a NFT/TCG collection from her beloved GTA RP character. With 9.6M social media followers, Murray has built a fanbase as a multi-talented lifestyle and gaming content creator, with a Discord community that is expanding by the day.

Top gaming creator Stove’s Kitchen (whose real name is Steven Cho), part of the Team RAR (Rare and Ridiculous) internet group, has a devout fan following on his YouTube channel, where he posts gaming and challenge videos. Meanwhile, Shaw oversees Special Projects at TalentX Entertainment, a subsidiary of ReKTGlobal. The four will join forces for Making a Living as a Content Creator: Much More Than Gaming — a panel that explores what sets livestream content monetization and strategy apart from pre-produced content. 

Also on 3 November, Knocke will take part in an esports panel with Darin Kwilinski, Lead Content Producer at IGN Entertainment, and Amanda Solomon, CEO at Tyrus Talent Management. The panel, Esports or Esports? Does It Matter? will break down misconceptions about esports to separate the hype from actual substance. 

Knocke, who has been competitively gaming since he was a kid, has years of involvement with high profile companies and events in the esports business – specifically Blizzard Entertainment, IGN, SiriusXM, Sony, South by Southwest, E3, PAX, and Ubisoft — giving him a broad perspective on the industry. Before joining IGN, Kwilinski, a lifelong gamer, was a senior editor for esports at ESPN, establishing its vision and voice. Solomon is an executive with a well of expertise in the strategic sales and partnerships realm, specializing in esports, gaming, and talent. 

Now in its exciting fourth year, the forward-focused Infinity Festival is the place where Hollywood meets Silicon Valley. The multi-day annual event, held in Los Angeles, brings together Hollywood’s finest storytelling talent with the innovative creators of cutting-edge technology. For 2021, Infinity Festival will blend in-person and virtual events for a unique hybrid experience. 

The in-person portion will be held in several adjacent Hollywood locations with most events happening at Goya Studios and the Dream Hotel; the online component will be presented through the easy-to-use FNvirtual event platform. The festival will continue its theme of “Story Enabled by Technology” with an entirely new slate of innovative programming, including industry-leading speakers, panel discussions, an exhibition hall, innovation labs, and a fine art gallery, each with an emerging-tech focus.

For tickets and additional information, visit infinityfestival.com.

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TEAM SINGULARITY TO LAUNCH FAN TOKENS VIA BLOCKSPORT

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Danish esports organisation Team Singularity has extended its partnership with Swiss fan engagement platform Blocksport.

The multi-year agreement will see the launch of the $SNG Fan Token, giving holders access to unique opportunities to influence team-related decisions, enter the fast-track at SNG Academy, access exclusive content, train with professional esports athletes and more.

$SNG Fan Tokens are expected to launch in December 2021 with a supply of 3M, and will be priced at €1 each in the initial sale.

Commenting on the news, Atle S. Stehouwer, CEO and Founder of Team Singularity, said: “I am happy that our partnership with Blocksport is officially extended and we can finally announce the next step in our collaboration.”

Vladimir Liulka, CEO and Co-Founder of Blocksport, added: “We are happy to extend our exclusive partnership with Team Singularity and launch $SNG Fan Token for their fans. Singularity has a global and awesome fan community. The Token opens up a new world – an environment in which they have the chance to be very close to their favorites players and team”.

Team Singularity currently fields rosters in CS:GO, Fortnite, Rocket League, League of Legends, FIFA, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six, VALORANT, Free Fire, Teamfight Tactics, Hearthstone, Quake, League of Legends Wild Rift, Call of Duty, Call of Duty Mobile, Call of Duty Warzone, PUBG, PUBG Mobile, DOTA 2, Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, Battalion 1944, H1Z1, Tekken7, Rogue Company, Brawlhalla, and Clash Royale.  In addition to Blocksport, the organisation has commercial partnerships with PWC, Pluck GG, Raven, SCUF, KontrolFreek, Randers FC, Esportal, Challengermode, MYESPORTSCARD, and MYFUTCARD. 

Staying with esports and Blocksport.io, just yesterday we reported the platform had partnered with Jordanian sim motorsports organisation Desert Fox Racing. 

READ MORE: SPORTSTECH PROVIDER BLOCKSPORT PARTNERS WITH MOZZART

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