Esports tournament organiser Blast has mutually terminated its deal with Saudi future city project NEOM in response to anger from teams, staff and fans. Callum McCarthy examines where the deal went wrong.
Riot Games on a mission to turn 100m-plus League of Legends players into viewers
Luxury brands and streaming platforms are desperate to tap into more of League of Legends' 100m-plus player base, but making them accessible is a challenge even for the game's publisher, Riot. Callum McCarthy reports.
“We will not accept putting our content behind a paywall” | Jamie Lewin, Riot Games
Media rights are the fastest-growing revenue stream in esports – particularly in Asia – but, according to Riot Games’ head of strategic partnerships Jamie Lewin, they’re still a secondary target for game publishers. Kelvin Tan reports.
Huya acquires exclusive rights for LoL Demacia Cup
Chinese streaming platform Huya has acquired exclusive media rights in China for the 2021 edition of the upcoming League of Legends 2021 Demacia Cup esports competition
American Express extends PSG deal, backs esports team
Payment services giant American Express has renewed its sponsorship of Paris Saint-Germain, with the new deal to incorporate the French Ligue 1 club’s esports team.
Huya adds ESL Gaming events to esports offering
Chinese digital platform Huya has acquired exclusive rights in the country to events sanctioned by esports organisation ESL Gaming
IESF picks Indonesia as host for 2022 World Championships; discusses GAISF membership
The International Esports Federation has announced that the Indonesian territory of Bali will host its 2022 World Championship Finals
Simon Cummins | Three C-suite sports business trends to watch in 2022
Simon Cummins, partner and head of the global sports, gaming, and media practice at executive search firm Odgers Berndtson, discusses three C-suite sports business trends he expects to play out next year
MLS ready to create new Thanksgiving Day tradition after incredible ratings success
MLS vice president of media Seth Bacon tells SportBusiness the league would jump at the opportunity to stage annual games on Thanksgiving Day after the historic viewership success of the recent Colorado-Portland game on Fox.
Saudi Arabia’s F1 Grand Prix a key moment in the Kingdom’s event hosting ambitions
With the first-ever Saudi Arabian Grand Prix taking place this weekend, SportBusiness speaks with Charlie Beauchamp and Chris Long of CSM Sports and Entertainment, who are acting in advisory capacity for the race. They talk about the Kingdom's commercial goals and what will be needed to make the event a success. Adam Nelson reports.
DAZN’s Diquattro: ‘A physiological adjustment was required in the market’
In an exclusive video interview filmed at The Square, DAZN’s new production facility outside Milan, Veronica Diquattro, the media company's chief revenue officer Europe, talks to SportBusiness about the platform’s first season as the primary broadcaster of the Italian football league, Serie A, and its wider ambitions.