It’s been another busy week in esports, with G2 attracting investment from the likes of FC Barcelona midfielder André Gomes grabbing many a headline. Elsewhere: Mercedes Benz and ESL have partnered ahead of ESL One Hamburg; Sliver.tv has raised over $9 million and Betway has become the official betting partner of the ESL Pro League.
G2 attract investment
The esports organisation’s funding round was concluded with a diverse group of investors on board, who bring with them a wealth of experience from the entertainment, financial, and traditional sport sectors.
The most prominent of the investors is without a doubt FC Barcelona midfielder André Gomes. Others include Eric Mindich’s Everblue Management, MACRO Ventures, and Marc Lemann of Go4It, among others. This initial growth capital will be used ‘to enhance G2 Esports’ talent infrastructure as well strengthen their content and brand initiatives’.
Portuguese midfielder André Gomes had this to say: “In this increasingly digital world, I see tremendous potential in esports. Carlos’s vast experience as a successful player, entertainer and successful team owner combined with G2’s impressive track record makes this investment a perfect fit. Esports is the next generation of sports and League of Legends is its cornerstone. I couldn’t be more thrilled to invest in and partner with G2 Esports.”
Read the full article here.
Sliver.tv raise $9.8 million
SLIVER.tv, a 360º virtual reality broadcasting technology company, has raised $9.8 million (£7.7m) in Series A funding in its bid to transform the esports spectator experience utilising VR.
The round of funding was led by Danhua Capital, and Heuristic Capital Partners joined ZP Capital as fellow investors. Mitch Lui, CEO of Sliver.tv said he was “thrilled” to welcome the trio aboard. The haul brings funding up to a current total of $17.5m (£13.7m). Existing seed contributors DCM, Sierra Ventures, The VR Fund, Samsung Next Fund and Sony Innovation Fund also joined in for the round.
The platform operates by submerging viewers in a fully immersive 360° in-world stream using virtual camera array technology. The company describes the arrangement as akin to ‘giving them courtside seats’, allowing fans to delve right into the action.
Read the full article here.
ESL and Mercedes Benz enter partnership
This new partnership will ‘include tournament sponsorships across several global markets’. First up events wise is ESL One Hamburg 2017, the Dota 2 tournament and Major with with a prize pool of €1,000,000.
Ralf Reichert, CEO of ESL said: “We are thrilled to partner with Mercedes-Benz as the premiere automotive brand. This partnership represents an important step not only for us but for the whole esports industry – allowing us to explore exciting mobility solutions for the fans and players across the world, growing esports together, and getting it to the next level.”
Read the full article here.
Betway announce ESL Pro League Season 6 partnership
Undeterred by the Ninjas in Pyjamas sponsorship news last week, Betway and ESL have announced a partnership that will see the bookmaker become a sponsor for Season 6 of the ESL Pro League.
The deal will see Betway enhance the ESL Pro League experience by adding live odds to the broadcast, much in the same way as they demonstrated at ESL One Cologne. The release also states that viewers will get an insight into the content that unique content Betway has produced.
Anthony Werkman, Director of Marketing and Operations at Betway stated: “We are delighted to continue our market leading partnership with ESL. After the huge success of our ESL One Cologne sponsorship, supporting CS:GO’s most prestigious league was the logical next step.”
Read the full article here.