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☆ Women prefer to play mobile games. China's Tencent sees an opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Tencent's Honor of Kings mobile game drew a record 33,000 fans to watch a final competition in Beijing on Nov. 16, 2024. Surprisingly, many in the crowd were young women, reflecting how interest in mobile games has broadened out from the stereotypical male player in the days of console and PC gaming. Honor of Kings, which claims 100 million players a day, uses a similar format with two teams of five players each. His analysis found that 95% of women prefer mobile games. A newly branded Honor of Kings global championship was held last month in Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, with Malaysian team Black Shrew Esports winning the $300,000 first prize.

Persons: Evelyn Cheng, Kings, Gao, of, Jackie Huang, Huang, Xiaofeng Zeng, Niko Partners, Zeng Organizations: Kings, CNBC, of Valor, of Kings, global, Tencent, Gaming, Riot, Malaysian Locations: Beijing, Evelyn Cheng BEIJING, China, Shanghai, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Chinese, North America, Europe, Japan, U.S, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Jakarta

☆ Saudi Arabia aims to become a global hub for gaming and esports: Saudi Esports Federation
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSaudi Arabia aims to become a global hub for gaming and esports: Saudi Esports FederationFaisal bin Bandar bin Sultan al Saud, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, says Saudi Arabia has a pathway to create a global hub for gaming and esports.

Persons: Faisal bin Bandar, Sultan al Saud Organizations: Saudi, Saudi Esports, Saudi Esports Federation Locations: Saudi Arabia, Sultan

☆ Podcast: How pro video gaming, or esports, is taking off with big dollars behind it
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +25 min

Finally, and most importantly, for the subject for this week's podcast, he's the Esports World Cup CEO. So if I would have any idea, any understanding on video games, right, I would watch that too. There's always a clear qualifying way to go to the Esports World Cup, right? I mean, in stadiums, security is being paid by the state for big competition, like a World Cup, right? Arjun KharpalAnd Ralf are you likely to keep the Esports World Cup in Saudi if you renew this next year?

Persons: Ralf Reichert, CNBC's, Tom Chitty, Reichert, Paris, Ralf Reichart, you've, it's, Arjun Kharpal Ralf, I've, I'd, There's, Arjun Kharpal, we're, haven't, Ralf Reichart It's, what's, Tom Chitty Ralf, What's, I'm, esports, we've, We've, Ralf, Ralf Reichart I'd, that's, Arjun, Tom, we'll Organizations: Sports League Gaming, MLS, Premier League, esports, Saudi Locations: esports, Riyadh, Saudi, German, Gothenburg, Sweden, Bangladesh, China, East, Africa, Saudi Arabia

☆ Saudi Arabia’s game plan for a thriving esports economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Mark Tutton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: we've, Hulu's, There's, Max Max, Max, It's, Peacock, don't, We've Organizations: Business, AMC, TNT, TBS, CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, ESPN2, ION, NBA TV, NFL Network, MLB Network ABC, MLB, AMC TNT, Pro, Elite, NBA, NHL, TV, FS1, Hulu, Disney Plus, Disney, Nintendo, Showtime, MLB Network, NFL Network ABC, NFL, ION AMC, Tennis Channel, UFC, Doesn't, Paramount, Paramount Plus, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, MTV, UEFA Champions, Paramount Pictures, CBS Sports Network, Big Ten, UEFA Champions League, HBO, Max, Warner Bros, Parks, Recreation, NBC Sports, Amazon, Thursday, Football, Apple, Leagues Cup, MLS Locations: Hulu

☆ Meet the 29-year-old son of a casino billionaire who just took his influencer and esports company public
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Lian Kit Wee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Last Friday, Ho took his company, NIP Group, public on the Nasdaq stock exchange. NIP Group makes money from live streams — both of esports and from third-party influencers — and event production and its esports arm. NIP Group plans to explore esports real estate, digital collectibles, and esports training camps, among other strategies, the company said in a filing. Before the duo cofounded NIP Group, Ho was the chief marketing officer of iDreamsky Games, one of the largest game publishers in China. Though billed as an esports company, NIP Group made the bulk of its revenue last year primarily from managing 36,000 online entertainers — with money coming largely from fees on their live streams.

Persons: —, Mario Ho, Stanley Ho, Ho, NIP Organizations: Service, NIP Group, Nasdaq, SEC, Business, Group, iDreamsky, MIT Sloan School, Macau Esports Federation, MSI Finance Management Company, Bloomberg Locations: Sweden, China, Oslo, Hong Kong, Asia, Macau

☆ I threw my son's Xbox out the window. Now, he's a national champion gamer playing for college scholarships.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-28 | by ( Kelly Burch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

My sons, Taylor and Tyler, started playing video games when they were 5 and 6. I had never heard of esports — or competitive video gaming — but at an open house, Taylor introduced me to the coach. Because of that, video gaming can now open up opportunities for students the same way traditional sports can, he said. Courtesy of Sherry WilliamsI was convinced, but I still had the rule that the boys couldn't play video games during the week. I even use the streaming platform Twitch to watch games that Taylor has played as if they're real sporting events.

Persons: —, Sherry Williams, Taylor, Tyler, Taylor couldn't, esports, I'm, Johnson, I've Organizations: Service, Business, Smith University

☆ Insider Today: New status symbols
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Joi-Marie Mckenzie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Business Insider's docuseries, "Quiet on Set," just won the Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in News and Information. AdvertisementAt least that's what Denver meteorologist Chris Bianchi told Business Insider's senior science reporter Morgan McFall-Johnsen. Markus Thoenen/Getty ImagesTen better getawaysIt's the busiest time in the travel season, and international travel is especially hot. AdvertisementMore of this week's top reads:The Insider Today team: Joi-Marie McKenzie, editor in chief of life, in New York.

Persons: —, Dan Schneider's, it's, SEAN GLADWELL, Chris Bianchi, Morgan McFall, Johnsen, Bianchi, Morgan, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, Markus Thoenen, Bianca Bagnarelli, Tyler Le, Abanti Chowdhury, Rashida Jones, Nicholas Cage's, Rebecca Zisser, Nordstrom cardholders, Joi, Marie McKenzie, Jordan Parker Erb, Dan DeFrancesco, Lisa Ryan, Amanda Yen Organizations: Service, Television, Nickelodeon, Business, Denver, Getty, Apple, Max, Nordstrom, Amazon Locations: New, United States, Ticino, Switzerland, Italy, AirPods, Whitestrips, New York, New York City

☆ Saudi Arabia Extends Its Embrace of the World of Video Games
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Eli Tan | Katarina Premfors | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The fans flooded through the streets of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by the thousands, kept cool by mist machines in the 110-degree heat. A 30-foot-tall replica gold trophy towered over onlookers at the city’s center. For a moment, covered in beams of brightly colored light, a country defined by tradition looked futuristic. It was the inaugural Esports World Cup, a coming-out party for Saudi Arabia’s growing video game industry. As part of its plan to diversify its economy from oil, the Saudi government has said it will invest $38 billion in video games by 2030 through its Public Investment Fund, known as the P.I.F., a wealth fund that manages $700 billion.

Organizations: Public Investment Fund Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saudi

☆ Esports World Cup: The new tournament in Saudi Arabia causing a big splash and division in the industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The Esports World Cup (EWC) – which began on July 3 – has brought together professional gamers, publishers and fans from across the world for an eight-week competitive gaming bonanza. To bring this on the similar scale as the largest traditional sports events and something that brings together the whole industry,” Reichert said. Discovery – CNN’s parent company – and the Esports World Cup Foundation agreed to a new partnership which includes Eurosport, CNN and other WBD platforms. “From my experience, there are a lot of people in [Saudi Arabia] that love their games, right to the top. “It’s probably unprecedented how quickly Saudi Arabia is moving ahead in its progression.

Persons: –, Ralf Reichert, ” Reichert, “, Gen.G, Mohammed Saad, Reichert, ”, Sam Mathews, It’s, it’s, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, sportswashing, SGG, Rod Breslau, “ It’s, ” Dana Ahmed, Manahel, Otaibi, Nick McGeehan, FairSquare, Mohamed bin Salman, Liquid’s, Steve Arhancet, Mathews Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, Riot, New York Times, Adidas, Warner Bros, Eurosport, Anadolu, Getty, EWC, EWC Foundation, Saudi, MBS, Fox News, Investment Fund, Gaming, Amnesty, Fnatic, “ Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia, esports, “ Saudi Arabia, Breslau

☆ Top value investor names 'very cheap' global gaming stock as a contrarian bet
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

While NCsoft shares are only traded in South Korea, they are accessible to U.S. and European investors through ETFs. The company's shares have been hit hard over the past few years, with the stock price declining significantly from its peak in 2021 and falling 40% over the past 12 months. German, co-manager of the Emerging Market Value strategy at Schroders , attributes the sell-off to several factors. In addition, NCsoft also announced a cost-cutting program and a share buyback program earlier this month which have already boosted the company's stock price by around 10%. Most analysts have a hold rating on the stock, giving shares only a 2% upside, according to FactSet data.

Persons: Vera German, NCsoft, Nexon Organizations: Esports, CNBC Pro, Investor Conference, South Korean Locations: Korean, South Korea, London, Korea

☆ Meet WiFi Money: Wealthy Finance Influencers Who Infuriated Investors
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

The Texas couple were staring down more than $100,000 in debt, much of which they had poured into WiFi Money. Those who give their money to WiFi Money are often encouraged to sign up other people in return for a cut of their profits — and perhaps, one day, a chance to become part of the WiFi Money crew. As the money poured in, WiFi Money gained a patina of mainstream credibility. AdvertisementThrough WiFi Money, Moeller and Frederick had created a virtuous cycle of money and influence. The same month investors took WiFi Money to court over the stores, DBC announced it was closing down.

Persons: Alex Moeller, influencer, Jasmine Sadry, Joey Martin, Martin, Moeller, Chris Frederick, Casa Moeller Martinez, MentorCI, Kim Kardashians, Gary Vee, Uber, Etsy, Farnaz Ghaedipour, Frederick, Jay Gatsby, Scott Fitzgerald's, Brandon Celi, There's, Billy, Chris Casey, There's Todd Cahill, Liz Friesen, Tana Mongeau, Kardashian, —, James Ragano, BI Moeller, wouldn't, Kyle McDougal, Sadry, Kyncey, McDougal, hustlers, Kevin O'Leary, Jordan Belfort, Ronaldinho, Glenn Beck, I've, he'd, Daemon, I'm, they'd, It's, Chris Costello, Francis, Ashley, Costello, Gatsby, Casey, Avery Williamson, Victor Bermudez, DBC, They're, Instagram, Rolex Submariner Organizations: WiFi, Lamborghini, McLaren, Fox News, YouTube, Invest, Stanford University, PBS, BI, Social, Yahoo Finance, Business, Times, Piccadilly Circus, Fort, DMs, Kyncey Investments, Amazon, Kyncey, Investors, CNN, Fox Business, Big Tech, Florida Tropics Soccer Club, Royce, WiFi Money, Federal Trade Commission, WifiMoney, IRS, NFL, Dallas, Rolex Locations: Instagram, Mexico, Texas, Dallas, Quito, Ecuador, @amoeller, Florida, pecs, Maryland, Europe, Illinois, Mita, Burj, Fort Worth, dropshipping, Brazilian, New York City, ensconced, Minnesota, Los Angeles, Munich

☆ How soccer club Juventus is becoming one of the leading sports brands on social media despite 'tough times' on the pitch
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Juventus is a 127-year-old Italian soccer club with a long history of success. With 32.7 million followers, Juventus' account is the fifth-most-followed soccer team on the platform, and its audience is bigger than that of the NBA or WWE. It's also the sixth in the world across all social media, according to data from the soccer analysis platform Football Benchmark. From left: Juventus players Wojciech Szczęsny and Kenan Yıldız with YouTuber Celine Dept during the launch day of Juventus Creator Lab. One of the areas of the new Juventus Creator Lab.

Persons: It's, Juventus, Mike Armstrong, Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala, Armstrong, Filippo Alfero, he's, we've, fandoms, it's, Wojciech Szczęsny, Kenan Yıldız, Celine, Daniele Badolato Organizations: Juventus, UEFA Champions, NBA, WWE, Business, Juventus FC, Amazon Prime, YouTube, EA Sports, Getty, Juventus FC At Locations: Italian

☆ I'm a 26-year-old software engineer making $75,000, and still dream of becoming a professional e-sports athlete. Here's how I balance work and my gaming endeavors
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Andy Collins, a 26-year-old software engineer from Chicago pursuing a professional esports career playing the first-person shooting game Valorant. Being a professional esports competitor wasn't the most well-known or traditional career path at the time. Valorant has only been out for four years, but its professional esports scene is rapidly growing in popularity. Even though I'm playing far fewer hours per day than before — I only spend around four hours after work each day playing other teams and strategizing for my weekly matches — I'm in my best-ever form. Are you a professional esports athlete and want to share your story?

Persons: —, Andy Collins, didn't, would've, Valorant, — you've, DarkZero, Valorant esports, I'm, wasn't, I've Organizations: Service, Business, Robert Morris University ., Valorant's Challengers League, North American, League, —, The Guard, Riot Games, DoorDash, Starbucks, Madison Locations: Chicago, United States, Austin, Valorant, mhall@businessinsider.com

☆ Influencer-marketing startup Grin has laid off staffers in a new round of cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Amanda Perelli | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The influencer-marketing platform Grin has laid off "many" staffers — in the company's third round of layoffs in recent months — a spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider. As the company grew, "a distance also grew" between the platform and its customers, the Grin spokesperson said in a statement. First, in November 2022, the company laid off 60 staffers, mostly in Grin's sales department, the company confirmed to BI at the time. Then, in March 2023, the company laid off several staffers across multiple departments, sources close to the company told Business Insider. The impacted staffers in this latest round of cuts will receive a three-month severance package and extended healthcare benefits, the Grin spokesperson said.

Persons: —, Grin, Brandon Brown Organizations: Business, Red, BI Locations: France

☆ Meet the diehard music fan who runs one of the world's busiest arenas
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Chris Johnston | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

London's O2 Arena is one of the world's busiest and sold a record 2.5 million tickets last year. The venue is managed by Steve Sayer, a music fan who previously worked for Manchester City. The O2 Arena presents comedy, boxing, UFC, esports and even monster trucks as well as music. AdvertisementIt may not be the world's most famous, but London's O2 Arena is now one of the busiest. Elton John on his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" Tour at the O2 Arena in April 2023.

Persons: Steve Sayer, —, Tom Jones, James Bond, Jason Derulo, Luke Dyson Sayer, Ateez, Olivia Rodrigo, Noah Kahan, Prince, Sayer, Elton John, Monty Python, Adele, Simone Joyner, they're, Philip Anschutz, Dua Lipa, Karwai Tang, Joseph Okpako, there'd, that's, Madonna, Kevin Mazur AEG, It's, Liam Gallagher, Girls, Billy Joel's Organizations: London's O2, Manchester City, O2 Arena, UFC, Service, O2, AEG, London, AEG Europe, Billboard, The O2, WWE, Gorillaz, National Health Service, Qatar Airways, Madison Locations: Manchester, Paris, Berlin, Hamburg, Dua, London, New, COVID

☆ Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, worth more than $60M, hopes to send ‘positive message’ to struggling industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Boasting the largest prize pool in esports history, this year’s inaugural 2024 Esports World Cup (EWC) could prove to be a pivotal moment for the industry. Clubs will be able to choose which games they participate in before the best performing team across the various championships will be crowned the ultimate Esports World Cup champion for the very first time. Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, hopes this new competition in Saudi Arabia can be a game changer. “Setting the record for largest esports prize pool is a remarkable achievement, but what I’m most proud of is the positive message this sends to the wider esports and gaming community,” Reichert said in a statement. In 2023, Saudi launched ‘The National Gaming and Esports Strategy’ (NGES) which hopes to make the country the center of the competitive gaming world by 2030.

Persons: Ralf Reichert, ” Reichert, Saudi Arabia –, “, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ” Organizations: CNN, Apex, EA Sports FC, of, League, Riot, New York Times, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Saudi, National Gaming, Saudi’s, New Global Sport Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saudi

The pay data includes salaries ranging from a data scientist position that offers $170,000 per year at Discord to a staff engineer role that earns $250,000 or more at Patreon. AdvertisementHere are the annual salaries for a job at FaZe Clan:Legal Counsel: $142,273 median starting range; from $133,308 to $194,437FaZe Clan did not respond to BI's request for comment. At LTK, a senior software engineer would make $130,000Courtesy of LTKLTK, formerly known as RewardStyle, is an affiliate-marketing and social-commerce platform used by influencers across Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. At Teachable, a level II senior software engineer would make $190,000Teachable is a platform where creators can build and sell online courses and coaching programs. Here are annual salary ranges for several jobs at Teachable:Data Analyst : $69,826 to $85,000: $69,826 to $85,000 Senior Software Engineer : $160,000 to $180,000: $160,000 to $180,000 Senior Software Engineer - Core : $150,000 to $170,000: $150,000 to $170,000 Senior Software Engineer II : $190,000: $190,000 Software Engineer: $125,000 to $135,000Teachable did not respond to BI's request for comment.

Persons: upstarts, we're, Justin Kenna, they've, ByteDance, Teachable, Konstantin Savusia, James Nord, Brandon Brown, Ryan Brown, Brian Mechem, Warby Parker, Grin, Amanda Perelli, Anthony, Alex Zaccaria, Nick Humphreys, Linktree's, Amber Venz, Baxter, Read, Sydney Bradley, economy's, Patreon, Chris Best, Jason Henry Substack Organizations: YouTube, Business, FaZe, Safety, Software, Security, Enterprise Security, FaZe Clan, Fohr, Inc, Grin Technologies, Facebook, Keli Network Inc, Business Affairs, Jellysmack, Linktree, Ops, RewardStyle Inc, Networks, Mighty Networks, Mighty Software, Engineering, Sydney, Sydney Bradley One, BI, Staff, Social, Data Engineering, Trust, Quality Assurance, Hotmart, & $ Locations: California, New York, Texas, FaZe, Fohr, Jellysmack, Karat, Linktree, LTK, Instagram, Dallas , Texas, Teachable

☆ 37-year-old Microsoft Excel world champion: Here are my best spreadsheet tips for budgeting and productivity
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Andrew Ngai is a 37-year-old Australian actuary with an unexpected side gig: Microsoft Excel world champion. Ngai has competed against fellow Excel enthusiasts since 2018, and won his third straight Excel championship at Las Vegas' HyperX Esports Arena last month, taking home a prize of $3,000. Those challenges have ranged from creating complicated financial models to, in one case, analyzing fictional asteroid mining data from a space-themed multiplayer role-playing game called Eve Online. You don't have to be an actuary or Excel champion to use the software to become more productive at work or create a budget that can save you money, he says. Here are Ngai's top tips for Excel users at any level of expertise to use the program for budgeting and productivity:

Persons: Andrew Ngai, Ngai, Ngai —, he's, Taylor Fry Organizations: Microsoft, Las, YouTube, ESPN Locations: Las Vegas, Sydney

☆ 16 VCs that are funding the future of entertainment by backing generative AI and other disruptive tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

AdvertisementAfter a period of "wild west" investing in AI, Blank believes activity will favor AI companies that respect artists' consent and compensation. It recently co-led a $1 million seed round in Conduiit, which centralizes entertainment companies' production finance operations. Endeavor Venture InvestmentsEndeavor Venture Investments is the venture arm of entertainment and sports behemoth Endeavor. SWaN & LegendThe Virginia-based VC firm has a broad consumer portfolio that includes a number of entertainment investments. With Hollywood in contraction, SWaN has largely hit pause on new entertainment investments to get its portfolio companies on a strong footing.

Persons: Michael Blank, Blank, Jon Miller, Miller, Slack, Garnet Heraman, BDMI, Urs Cete, Michael, TMRW, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Elysian Park Ventures Jay Adya, Grant Lamos, Tom Brady, Gotham Chopra, Michael Strahan, Jay Adya, Morgan, Kushaan Ahuja, Drew Glover, Glover, Alex Harris, they've, Noah Doyle, Payback India, Jed Katz, Rich Greenfield, Rich, Ilya Pozin, Jamie Seltzer, LightShed, Steve Cohen's, it's, Sri Chandrasekar, Tripp Shriner, Ishan Sinha, That's, Wondery, Ian Doody, Raine, Gordon Rubenstein, Joe Ravitch, Jeff Sine, ‐, Fred Schaufeld, SWaN, that's, Oscar, Jose, Schaufeld, Sam Wick, Alex J, Investcorp, Paul Yoo, Edgar Bronfman Jr, Daniel Leff, Waverley, Leff Organizations: Service, Creative Artists, Connect Ventures, Business, Hollywood, Veteran, TPG, Integrated Media Co, Advancit, CAA, Bertelsmann, Waverley, Octopus Ventures, Accel, Facebook, Venture, Aperture Venture, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, Fremantle, Connect, CAA Connect Ventures, New Enterprises Associates, TMRW Sports, Disney, Universal, Elysian Park Ventures, Elysian, Sports, Endeavor Venture, Endeavor Venture Investments, behemoth Endeavor, Dapper Labs, Fiat Ventures, Fiat Ventures Fiat Ventures, Fiat, Payback, Rent, LightShed, Rich Greenfield Influential, LightShed Ventures, Pluto, Apple, Octopus Ventures Octopus Ventures, Investments, Corp, Etsy, Re, Point72 Ventures New York Mets, Range Media Partners, Point72 Ventures, Sri, Powerhouse, Athletic, The New York Times Co, Evolution Media, Creative Artists Agency, Astro, Rave Digital Media, Accel Entertainment, Jose Andrés Media, Berliner, UTA Talent, UTA, UTA Ventures, Ventures, VR, Amazon, PFL Locations: blockchain, —, Conduiit, fintech, London, Australia, Papercup, Los Angeles, Virginia, UTA.VC

☆ With Washington Capitals, Wizards move to Virginia, owner Ted Leonsis pursues his vision of a $10 billion sports empire around Washington, D.C.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-14 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Glenn Youngkin (L) looks on during the announcement of a new sports arena for the Washington Wizards NBA basketball team and Washington Capitals NHL hockey team, on December 13, 2023 Virginia. Win Mcnamee | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesTed Leonsis, the owner of the NBA's Washington Wizards and the NHL's Washington Capitals, has a grand vision for growing a regional sports empire. Glenn Youngkin announced that the Capitals and Wizards have agreed to move to a new arena in Alexandria, Virginia, as part of a $2 billion entertainment complex in 2028. How will they compete with big market teams? "We could have a billion-and-a-half-dollar revenue run rate and a $10 billion to $15 billion trend of valuation," Leonsis said.

Persons: Ted Leonsis, Glenn Youngkin, Win Mcnamee, Leonsis, we'll, aren't, I'm, it's, It's, David Rubenstein, David Blitzer, Blackstone, James Dolan, Stan Kroenke, Kroenke, I've Organizations: Monumental Sports, Entertainment, Virginia Gov, Washington Wizards NBA, Washington Capitals NHL, Getty, Washington Wizards, NHL's Washington Capitals, CNBC, Summit, Washington , D.C, AOL, Capitals, Wizards, Washington Mystics, Capital, D.C, Sports, Mystics, NHL, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, MLB, Carlyle Group, Bloomberg, Orioles, Red Sox, Fenway Sports Group, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins, Premier League's Liverpool, Philadelphia 76ers, New, New Jersey Devils, Washington, Cleveland Guardians, MSG, Sphere Entertainment, Madison Square Garden Entertainment, New York Knicks, Rangers, MSG Networks, Atlanta Braves Holdings, Liberty Media, Sports & Entertainment, Nuggets, Avalanche, Los Angeles Rams, Premier League's Arsenal FC, Qatar Investment Authority, MSG Sports, NHL's Rangers, NBA's Knicks, Phoenix Suns, NBA, Ottawa Senators, Braves Locations: Virginia, Alexandria , Virginia, Washington ,, Washington, London, Richmond, Delaware, New Jersey, Real Salt Lake, Denver, MLS's Rapids, Colorado, Monumental

☆ TikTok owner ByteDance is laying off hundreds of workers in a retreat from gaming
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant behind TikTok, is pulling back from video gaming in a shift that will result in hundreds of job cuts. “Mobile gaming revenue is in decline while user acquisition costs are rising,” he told CNN. She suggested ByteDance was simply looking to cut its losses, particularly since gaming still made up just a tiny sliver of its business. “[Even] if ByteDance exits game development and publishing, it will not dramatically impact their own business,” she added. China is the world’s biggest mobile and PC gaming market, according to Niko Partners.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — ByteDance, Nuverse, ”, ByteDance, Niko, we’ve, ” “, “, Lisa Hanson, Niko Partners, Neil Barbour, Tencent, ” Hanson, Hanson Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Niko Partners, Big Tech, P Global Market Intelligence, “ Mobile Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, Pico, China

☆ How FaZe Clan's future owner hopes to rein in pissed-off talent and build a sustainable influencer business
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Several of its top talent have revolted against the company on social media over the past year. Beginning in late 2022, Nordan "FaZe Rain" Shat posted a series of YouTube videos criticizing FaZe's leadership and spending decisions. He would oversee the brand alongside Thomas "FaZe Temperrr" Oliveira, FaZe's proposed president, and Yousef "FaZe Apex" Abdelfattah, set to become FaZe's COO. GameSquare CEO Justin Kenna, a former CFO at FaZe, said he knew he needed buy-in from FaZe talent for the deal to move forward. GameSquare wrote in a press release announcing its FaZe deal that it expects to record more than $18 million in savings by cutting "duplicate corporate costs" and other expenses following a merger.

Persons: Shat, FaZe's, influencer Richard, FaZe, Bengtson, GameSquare, Thomas, Oliveira, Yousef, Justin Kenna, Kenna, Bengston, Lee Trink, Tyler, Ninja, Blevins, we're Organizations: FaZe, Nasdaq, Ninja Labs

☆ Esports joins Pan Am Games, but medals won't count
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But any medals won will not be added to their country's official total as they were at the recent Asian Games where esports had full medal status and was one of the most popular events drawing huge enthusiastic crowds. Like the Asian Games the Pan Am competition will be closely watched by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as Esports makes a push for a spot on the Olympic programme. While esports is making its Pan Am Games debut, gamers have been part of many other multi-sport competitions, including the Commonwealth and the European Games. One reason esports medals are not being counted at the Pan Am Games is that gamers are not subject to doping controls like every other athlete in Santiago. Authorities in Hangzhou ploughed $627 million into building a new esports venue while the Pan Am Games competition will be staged in a tent in a grassy corner of the Games fan zone.

Persons: SANTIAGO, Esports, esports, Paul Foster, Foster, Steve Keating, Toby Davis Organizations: Pan American, Asian, International Olympic Committee, Pan Am, Commonwealth, European, IOC, Global Esports Federation, Doping Agency, Esports, Ams, Pan Am Games, Thomson Locations: Sunday's, esport, Santiago ., Hangzhou, Santiago

☆ FaZe Clan's plummeting valuation shows how risky it can be to bet your company's future on influencers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Dan Whateley | Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

While esports as a category has broadly struggled with monetization , FaZe's difficulties stemmed more from its reliance on just a few influencers for revenue. The company makes money through revenue splits with its talent, brand partnerships, and esports winnings. For FaZe, that revenue is often concentrated on the backs of a few big stars. "This was too nascent of a business model to be publicly traded with too much 'key person risk' around influencers," Chapman said of FaZe. GameSquare has subsidiaries like merchandise brand Mission Supply Co., influencer-marketing platform Sidekiq, and streaming data analytics firm Stream Hatchet, all of which could potentially be applied to the FaZe brand.

Persons: Influencers, Clan, monetization, Michael Metzger, Josh Chapman, FaZe, Chapman, Justin Kenna, Kenna, we're Organizations: Drake, Konvoy Ventures, Clubhouse Media, YouTube Locations: influencers, GameSquare

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