The Esports Advocate
Esports business news: deals, legal, and governance.
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LCS Spring Finals Create $1.6M in Economic Impact: Raleigh
The League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) Spring Finals, held in Raleigh, North Carolina, generated an estimated $1.6 million in economic impact for the local area.
- The two-day League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) Spring Finals in Raleigh generated an estimated $1.6 million in economic impact for the city.
- Approximately 8,000 people attended the event at the PNC Arena, with 3,000 hotel room bookings recorded.
- Approximately 70% of event attendees were visitors traveling from outside the local area, including from other U.S. states and Canada.
Team Vitality Partners With CHERRY XTRFY
Team Vitality has entered into a two-year partnership with gaming gear manufacturer CHERRY XTRFY.
- Team Vitality has entered a two-year partnership with gaming gear manufacturer CHERRY XTRFY.
- CHERRY XTRFY will supply keyboards, mice, and mouse pads to Team Vitality’s players and its facilities, including V.Hive in Paris and performance centers in Berlin and the Stade de France.
- The partnership includes plans for both companies to collaborate on the development of future co-branded products for the gaming and esports market.
Talon Esports Enters Pokémon UNITE Esports
Talon Esports, a prominent Southeast Asia-based organization, has officially expanded its competitive footprint by entering the Pokémon UNITE esports scene.
- Talon Esports has officially entered the Pokémon UNITE competitive scene by signing a professional roster based in the Philippines.
- The newly formed team is scheduled to compete in the APAC-EAST regional qualifiers held on April 15–16, 2023.
- The primary objective of the new roster is to qualify for the Pokémon World Championship Series 2023.
Arknights Developer HyperGryph Sponsors China’s Only StarCraft II Tournament World Team League
Shanghai-based game developer HyperGryph, creator of the mobile title Arknights, has entered into a sponsorship agreement with the World Team League (WTL), China’s only remaining StarCraft II tournament.
- HyperGryph, the developer of Arknights, has become the chief sponsor of the World Team League (WTL), China’s only StarCraft II tournament.
- HyperGryph is contributing ￥46,6K ($68K USD) specifically toward the tournament's prize money.
- The total prize pool for the WTL this year is confirmed to exceed ￥2M ($291K USD).
World Series of Warzone Returns in 2023
Activision Blizzard has announced the 2023 return of the World Series of Warzone, a global competitive circuit for the Call of Duty: Warzone franchise.
- Activision Blizzard has announced the return of the World Series of Warzone with a total prize pool of $1.2 million USD.
- The competition features a global final in September, which includes a $500,000 prize pool for the main event and a $100,000 prize pool for a solo event.
- Regional finals for North America and Europe are scheduled for May 18 and May 17 respectively, each offering a $150,000 prize pool.
CLG’s LCS Team Being Sold to NRG Esports
The Los Angeles-based esports organization Counter Logic Gaming (CLG) underwent a significant structural transition in April 2023, resulting in the shutdown of its primary operations and the transfer of its League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) team to NRG Esports.
- Counter Logic Gaming (CLG) is shutting down its operations as part of a deal to merge its League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) team with NRG Esports.
- Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE), the former controlling owner of CLG, has transitioned to holding a non-controlling minority equity interest in the combined NRG-CLG entity.
- Despite the shutdown of CLG, MSGE will continue to own and operate its NBA 2K League team, Knicks Gaming.
PIVOT Partners With Golden State Warriors
PIVOT Agency has entered into a strategic partnership with the Golden State Warriors to manage business development and corporate partner acquisition for the organization's esports divisions, Golden Guardians and Warriors Gaming Squad.
- PIVOT Agency has entered a strategic partnership with the Golden State Warriors to manage business development and partner acquisition for their esports entities, Golden Guardians and Warriors Gaming Squad.
- The scope of the partnership includes securing corporate deals for team naming rights and facility naming rights.
- This agreement expands an existing multi-year partnership between the Golden State Warriors and PIVOT Travel.
Call of Duty League Will Be Broadcast on Both YouTube and Twitch
Activision Blizzard announced in April 2023 that the Call of Duty League would expand its broadcast distribution to include both YouTube and Twitch.
- As of April 7, 2023, the Call of Duty League (CDL) began broadcasting live on both YouTube and Twitch.
- This move reverses the league's December 2022 announcement that the 2023 season would be exclusive to Twitch.
- The CDL's previous three-year exclusive broadcasting rights deal with YouTube, valued at $160 million, officially expired in January 2023.
The Path: Nate Schanker
The professional trajectory of Nate Schanker serves as a case study for how early entrepreneurial experience in digital marketing and social media management can facilitate entry into the competitive esports industry.
- Nate Schanker co-founded the esports organization M80 alongside Marco Mereu, following his tenure as head of socials at XSET.
- Schanker began his career at age 14 by building a network of Instagram accounts that reached 8 million followers, which he monetized through brand shoutouts and account flipping.
- At age 15, Schanker founded a sneaker and streetwear resale business called Hyped KC, which generated $150,000 in revenue using automated purchasing bots.
Rumor Killer: Sentinels Not Actively Pursuing an LCS Slot
The esports organization Sentinels is not actively pursuing a franchise slot in the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS).
- Sentinels has officially denied rumors that it is pursuing a slot in the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS).
- A high-ranking Sentinels employee confirmed to The Esports Advocate that the organization is not currently in discussions with any parties regarding an LCS entry.
- Speculation regarding a potential move by Sentinels originated from social media reports on April 3 and 4, 2023, suggesting the team was inquiring about pricing for available LCS slots.
NetEase Buff Becomes Title Sponsor of Rare Atom’s CS:GO Squad
NetEase’s in-game items exchange platform, Buff, has secured a title sponsorship deal with the Chinese esports organization Rare Atom for its Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) squad.
- NetEase’s in-game item exchange platform, Buff, has become the title sponsor for the Chinese esports organization Rare Atom’s CS:GO squad.
- The team has officially rebranded to 'Rare Atom Buff' as a result of the sponsorship agreement.
- Financial terms of the partnership between NetEase Buff and Rare Atom were not disclosed.
Horizon Union Partners With Sorare
The UK-based esports organization Horizon Union has entered into a strategic partnership with the global sports entertainment company Sorare.
- UK-based esports organization Horizon Union has entered into a partnership with the global fantasy sports platform Sorare.
- Under the agreement, Horizon Union’s roster of FIFA professional players and content creators will promote Sorare’s fantasy sports game through digital content and activations.
- The partnership includes the launch of a private in-game league where participants can compete for prizes, including digital player cards and Premier League tickets.