The Lagardère Sports agency has made its first move into the esports media-rights sector by agreeing a deal to distribute rights for the new Counter-Strike Blast Pro Series.
Lagardère Sports has signed an exclusive worldwide deal with the RFRSH Entertainment company, organiser of the new tournament, which will launch next month at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The series is set to feature events in a number of major cities across the globe before returning to Copenhagen in November 2018.
Next month’s event will feature six teams competing for a $250,000 (€213,000) prize fund.
Lagardère Sports already manages sponsorship sales for a range of esports teams but the Counter-Strike Blast Pro Series agreement marks its entry into the media-rights sector of the industry.
Nikolaus von Doetinchem, senior vice-president of media for Lagardère Sports, said: “Lagardère Sports is becoming a leading marketing agency within the esports industry and it was a natural step for us to also start lending our expertise in media rights – particularly with the phenomenal explosion in the esports market and huge surge in spectatorship for live tournaments.”