Connect with us

Esports

MERCEDES-BENZ & 1. FC KÖLN ACQUIRE ESPORTS ORGANISATION SK GAMING

Published

on

Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz) and 1. FC Köln acquire 67% of ESForce’s shares in German esports organisation SK Gaming.

Esports organisation SK Gaming has announced it has new owners, in the form of Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz) and 1. FC Köln.

In a deal, that is still pending the approval of regulatory authorities, Mercedes-Benz and 1. FC Köln are set to acquire 67% of ESForce’s shares. As part of the agreement, the SK Gaming jersey will feature the Mercedes-Benz logo on the front, and 1. FC Köln’s #effzeh branding on the sleeves.

SK Gaming first partnered with 1. FC Köln in 2017, and has since developed a close relationship, with the organisation benefitting from the club’s expertise and support infrastructure in Cologne, and fielding 1. FC Köln’s roster for the VBL, the FIFA counterpart of the German Fußball-Bundesliga.

Mercedes-Benz have been involved in esports since 2017, when they partnered with ESL, they sponsor Chinese League of Legends team Royal Never Give Up, and they have a Mercedes team in the F1 Esports Series. The company is also heavily involved with sponsoring traditional sports, and will be bringing valuable in-depth experience and resources to SK Gaming.

ESForce, which acquired its stake in SK in 2016, has signalled its intention to focus more heavily on its other esports organisation, Virtus.pro, after the sale.

In a statement, SK Gaming reflected on what a significant landmark it is for Mercedes-Benz, one of the world’s most iconic brands, and 1. FC Köln, one of the world’s largest soccer clubs, to be acquiring the esports organisation that was founded as “Schroet Kommando” in Oberhausen, Germany, back in 1997.

The surge of interest in esports from major motor manufacturers like Audi (see AUDI SPONSOR FOKUS CLAN & SCHANZER ESPORTS), Kia (see KIA MOTORS ENTERS WORLD OF ESPORTS AS MAIN LEC SPONSOR) , and now Mercedes-Benz, once again highlights its growing mainstream commercial importance.

 

READ MORE: BLOCKCHAIN VEHICLE MANAGEMENT STARTUP GAPLESS ATTRACTS INVESTMENT FROM PORSCHE

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Esports

LEXUS SUPPORTS ESPORTS AWARDS FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR

Published

on

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

Continue Reading

Esports

REKTGLOBAL BRINGS TOP GAMING TALENT TO INFINITY FESTIVAL 2021

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Esports

TEAM SINGULARITY TO LAUNCH FAN TOKENS VIA BLOCKSPORT

Published

on

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

Continue Reading

Trending