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NBA 2K LEAGUE ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF TEAM BUSINESS AWARDS FOR 2020 SEASON

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The NBA 2K League recognized outstanding achievement in team marketing and business operations for the 2020 season when the league presented its NBA 2K League Team Business Awards.

Raptors Uprising GC won three awards – the Partnership of the Year Award, Digital Campaign of the Year Award and Business Influencer Award – while Wizards District Gaming was honored with the Pitch of the Year Award and Hawks Talon GC was presented with the Best Livestream Award.

All 23 teams that competed during the 2020 season were invited to submit entries for each category, with the winners chosen by NBA 2K League representatives.

“The NBA 2K League Team Business Award recipients embody the fortitude and innovative thinking that was necessary for our league and its teams to turn the challenging year of 2020 into a transformative season of growth,” said NBA 2K League President Brendan Donohue.  “By setting high standards of excellence and a commitment to reach fans around the world, these teams and individuals further established the league’s global presence.”

Partnership of the Year

Raptors Uprising GC received the Partnership of the Year Award for its one-of-a-kind partnership with Bell, the Canadian telecommunications leader.  A finalist for Partnership of the Year in 2019, Raptors Uprising GC and Bell created the iconic #BellFibeHouse, a state-of-the-art home which was converted into a gaming facility where the team played during the 2020 season and went on to produce a regular season 16-0 record, win two in-season tournaments (THE TIPOFF and THE TURN Powered by AT&T), and advance to the semifinals of the 2020 NBA 2K League Playoffs Delivered by DoorDash.

As the home and gaming facility for the team, the #BellFibeHouse served as a unique platform to produce captivating content showcasing the lifestyles of the Raptors Uprising GC’s players throughout the season.  At the forefront was Fibe House, a content series in which the team satirized classic sitcoms and commercials from the 1990s, which were showcased on the Bell Fibe social and digital platforms.

Additional finalists for the Partnership of the Year Award included Raptors Uprising GC for their partnership with Ontario-based lottery company OLG, and Nets GC for their partnership with Zenni Optical.

Pitch of the Year

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Wizards District Gaming received the Pitch of the Year Award for its renewed partnership with home automation and monitoring services company, Alarm.com.  The award recognizes best incremental or new business execution during the 2020 season.

In its pitch, Wizards District Gaming positioned the NBA 2K League as an opportunity for Alarm.com to enter into the esports space and shared the long-term business advantages of connecting with the NBA 2K League’s attractive audience.  Wizards District Gaming engaged in a multi-step process to educate Alarm.com, working closely with the company to develop a marquee platform and align with the brand’s objectives.

The partnership included an Alarm.com jersey patch worn by Wizards District Gaming players during their 2020 championship season.  Additionally, Wizards District Gaming hosted its Draft Night War Room at the Alarm.com Demo House during the 2021 NBA 2K League Draft on Saturday, March 13.

Cavs Legion GC was a finalist for the award for its TCP partnership pitch, which featured naming rights of the team’s training facility, Legion Lair Lit by TCP.

Best Livestream

Hawks Talon GC was presented with the Best Livestream Award, which recognized the best livestreamed program, Talon Takeover.  The first-of-its-kind series achieved higher-than-average measured viewership last season and blurred the line between music and esports by featuring celebrities, entertainers and influencers playing NBA 2K on the team’s Twitch channel.

Raptors Uprising GC was a finalist for the Best Livestream Program Award.

Digital Campaign of the Year

After being a finalist for the award in 2019, Raptors Uprising GC won the Digital Campaign of the Year Award, which honored the best season-long marketing campaign.  The team’s digital campaign focused on engaging both their core audience and new fans by incorporating players, content creators and partners.

In its Fibe House content series, the team replicated the episode structure of popular commercials.  The content exemplified creativity and went outside the scope of gaming while providing fans with easily digestible and highly sharable content and created a behind-the-scenes dialogue with fans of the team.

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Pacers Gaming was a finalist for the award for its work developing the team’s YouTube channel.

Business Influencer Award

Recognizing team personnel for leadership, support and outstanding business results for NBA 2K League team endeavors, the first-ever Business Influencer Award was given to Sumit Arora, a Senior Director of Strategy at Raptors Uprising GC and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.  Arora’s efforts resulted in success across the team’s business and gaming operations.  His authentic drive to further implement innovation established his place as contributor to the team’s success.

NBA 2K League teams nominated six additional personnel for the award, including Adam Ward, Digital Content Specialist (Blazer5 Gaming); Mark Mazzagatti, Manager of Franchise Partnerships (Cavs Legion GC); Jerry Ferrara, Head Scout (Knicks Gaming); Greg Nared, Senior Vice President of Esports, Youth Basketball & Player Relations, Dallas Mavericks (Mavs Gaming); Rachael Lewis, Director of Communications, BSE Global (Nets GC); and Jim Van Stone, President of Business Operations, Monumental Sports & Entertainment (Wizards District Gaming).

 

eSports

Emmy-Winning Director R.J. Cutler’s Docuseries Esports World Cup: Level Up Premieres June 6 on Prime Video

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Prime Video, one of the leading entertainment destinations, will premiere the five-part documentary Esports World Cup: Level Up on June 6, with new episodes released weekly. Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler (Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, Elton John: Never Too Late and Martha), the series goes behind-the-scenes of the inaugural Esports World Cup (EWC) in 2024 — a defining moment in global esports, where over $60 million in prize money ignited a high-stakes, multinational battle to crown the world’s top esports Club.

The series is produced by This Machine (a part of Sony Pictures Television), with R.J. Cutler directing, John Dorsey serving as showrunner, and Jane Cha Cutler, Trevor Smith, Elise Pearlstein and Mark Blatty executive producing. Level Up will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Esports World Cup: Level Up offers a rare look inside a global competition that’s redefining what it means to be a champion for a new generation of athletes and fans. R.J. Cutler and his team of expert storytellers embedded themselves within the eight-week tournament – watched by over 500 million fans globally – to uncover the personal sacrifices, rivalries and stakes driving the action.

Shot in verité style, the series combines intimate home visits from around the world and on-the-ground coverage from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It follows a wide cast of characters – from Club CEOs orchestrating million-dollar strategies to rising stars chasing life-changing wins – while capturing the pulse of elite esports competition.

“What drew me to the Esports World Cup was the compelling human stories unfolding within this high-stakes arena. Level Up isn’t just about the incredible competition and prize money; it’s about the dedication, the passion, and the sheer will of these athletes and teams pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Under high pressure, we discover the true character of the competitors who vie for $60 million, but who also expose their humanity in the process,” said Cutler.

At the heart of Level Up is the “EWC Club Championship,” an unprecedented, multi-title tournament format where Clubs compete across more than 20 games, earning points toward a single leaderboard. Every match, every point, reshapes the race for global dominance. With the highest prize pool in esports history on the line, the EWC is not just a tournament – it’s a proving ground for the next generation of sports icons.

“A win might make the headlines — but the real story is the people behind it. Level Up dives into the human side of esports: the pressure, the ambition, the sacrifices. It’s about what it really takes to compete at the highest level — and why it matters. R.J. is the best at bringing those stories to life, and this one captures the heart of what we’re building,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation.

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Esports Charts Wins “Esports Innovation Award” at the EsportsNext Industry Awards

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Esports Charts Wins “Esports Innovation Award” at the EsportsNext Industry Awards

 

Esports Charts, a Ukraine-born analytics company that aggregates real-time viewership insights about esports, has won the Esports Innovation Award at the EsportsNext Industry Awards, hosted by the Esports Trade Association (ESTA) in Dallas, US.

The Esports Innovation Award recognizes an organization or individual that has introduced groundbreaking technology, services, or strategies significantly advancing the esports industry.

Esports Charts was honored for its scalable analytics platform, which provides comprehensive tournament and viewership statistics across more than 25 livestreaming services — helping stakeholders from publishers and teams to fans make smarter, data-driven decisions.

“Winning the Innovation Award from ESTA is an important milestone for us as a leading esports analytics service in the world. Also, we’re especially proud to represent Ukraine-born innovation on an international stage.

“From day one, our mission has been to bring clarity and transparency to the world of esports data. And this recognition from the industry is both an honor and a motivation to keep raising the bar.

“Thank you to our incredible team and partners, who believed in us from the start. This award is a shared success — and we’re just getting started,” Artyom Odintsov, co-founder and CEO of Esports Charts.

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TEAM VITALITY WINS INTEL EXTREME MASTERS DALLAS 2025

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Today, leading esports club Team Vitality was crowned champions at the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Dallas 2025, held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre. Most Valuable Player (MVP) Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut guided the team to an imperious victory in Texas, delivering standout performances throughout the tournament, particularly in the Grand Final against MOUZ. With this victory, Team Vitality is crowned the champions of IEM Dallas 2025, bouncing back from a narrow 2-1 defeat in the 2024 tournament, where they finished as runners-up.

ANOTHER TROPHY LIFTED IN TEAM VITALITY’S LEGENDARY RUN

The powerhouse lineup of Dan ‘apEX’ Madesclaire, Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut, Shahar ‘flameZ’ Shushan, William ‘mezii’ Merriman, and Robin ‘ropz’ Kool all shone on the server, defeating several top-tier clubs, with “ZywOo” being named as the tournament’s MVP.

Kicking off their run in Group A, Team Vitality’s first match saw an impressive 2-0 win over South American side Legacy, showcasing their strength on both Inferno and Dust 2. The Upper Bracket Semifinals presented a closer challenge against GamerLegion, yet Team Vitality held firm and secured another 2-0 victory.

In the Upper Bracket Final, the French powerhouse faced Mongolian org, The MongolZ. The series began with a 13-10 Team Vitality victory on Inferno, but the MongolZ answered back with a 13-7 win on Nuke. However, the Bees levelled the series back on Mirage, where flameZ delivered a standout performance, leading them to a 13-11 victory. This victory continued Team Vitality’s 28-game win streak and secured their spot in the Playoffs Semi-finals.

The Semi-Final saw a rematch of the IEM Melbourne 2025 Grand Final, as the Bees faced off against Team Falcons. Dust II went the way of Team Vitality, with a commanding 13-7 win. However, the opposition roared back to take Train 13-6, setting up a grandstand final round on Inferno. Here, Team Vitality rallied together and managed to see off their rivals in close fashion, winning 13-11 to set up the Grand Final against MOUZ.

Team Vitality kicked off the Grand Final with a stunning comeback victory on Dust II, winning 13-11 from being 8-11 down. The Bees continued their early form into Mirage, asserting their dominance early to take a 13-9 win. The French club finished the 3-0 sweep on Inferno, taking a 13-8 win to secure the victory.

TEAM VITALITY EXTENDS THEIR REIGN IN COMPETITIVE CS2

The 2025 IEM Dallas title marks the club’s sixth Counter-Strike tournament win of the year. By defeating MOUZ at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre, Team Vitality extends their historic streak – a triumph made even more meaningful by taking place in Dallas, a city deeply rooted in Counter-Strike’s competitive legacy.

Fabien Devide, President of Team Vitality, said: “I’m extremely proud of our CS team for securing yet another major title with this IEM Dallas victory. Team Vitality continues to showcase the strength and excellence of French esports organisations on the global stage, and we have no intention of slowing down anytime soon.”

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With the IEM Dallas title under their belt, Team Vitality have established their status as the team to beat for the remainder of the 2025 competitive calendar. Their unstoppable run will continue at the BLAST Austin Major next month, followed by IEM Cologne in July, where the team will look to continue winning trophies. By winning IEM Dallas, Team Vitality has already taken the first step in securing back-to-back ESL Grand Slams, a feat never before achieved by any other esports club.

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