eSports
NBA 2K LEAGUE ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF TEAM BUSINESS AWARDS FOR 2020 SEASON
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
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.
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
North Star Network Acquires Um Dois Esportes
North Star Network has acquired Um Dois Esportes, a sports coverage and analysis site created from the merger of Gazeta Do Povo and Tribuna do Paraná in 2020.
Julien Josset, co-founder of North Star Network, said: “Thank you to the team at GRPCOM for their faith in us to take the brand forward. Um Dois Esportes is an established and renowned site in Paraná State, and we’re excited about the challenge of developing this asset.
“We’re happy to maintain the collaboration with the existing editorial team, and look forward to working with them, bringing our unique NSN approach, to take UDE forward.”
NSN’s signing of Um Dois Esportes is the media house’s fourth acquisition of 2024, following the recent deals to purchase UK-based SportsMole and MrFixitsTips, as well as Chilean site AlAireLibre, which was announced in March.
The latest addition to the North Star media portfolio joins existing assets including Top Mercato, Afrik-Foot, and Vringe. The Paris-based company already oversees a significant Brazilian operation, delivering over 6 million sessions per month, from the likes of Trivela, Premier League Brasil and Lakers Brasil.
NSN will retain Curitiba-based journalists from the Um Dois Esportes legacy team to maintain the asset’s unique tone and popular coverage of the Paraná sports scene across site and social.
Rafael Mello, Director of GRPCOM, said: “We were surprised by the interest, and initially had no intention of selling Um Dois, but as the conversations evolved, we realised this was a serious group with good intentions. We were very happy to see our project being valued by a large international group and going global, demonstrating the quality of the content we produced.
“We’re also proud that North Star inherited our journalists, who are truly responsible for the success of the product we offer readers every day.”
eSports
L&G esports team founded by Alona Shevtsova won the national Dragon EC Cup tournament
Ukrainian esports team L&G won the Dragon EC Cup tournament, held on the 20th of April by Dragon Esports Club. Four teams competed in the tournament’s final: Lazer Cats, L&G, which received a direct invitation to the final stage, EsportsBattle, and ThunderFlash, which had open qualifiers. During the Grand Final, the L&G team competed with Lazer Cats on Mirage, Anubis, and Vertigo maps.
“This victory is a testament to the exceptional talent and commitment of our players, as well as the collective effort of our coaching staff and support personnel,” said Alona Shevtsova, founder of L&G Esports. “We are immensely proud of their accomplishments and grateful for the unwavering support of our fans.”
L&G is among the top 5 Ukrainian teams in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It was founded in 2021. The previous name was Leogaming, and it was created on the initiative of the famous Alona Shevtsova from the fintech sector.
The team began competing in top tournaments and almost immediately made it to the Advanced division of the ESEA League Europe competition. The team also participated in and took prizes in European tournaments such as the SCL League, WhiteBit Crypto Open, Phoenix League, and local competitions. The team players are marat2k, r0ublE, kr1vda, kL1o, OneUn1que, rji (coach).
The winners received a 50,000 UAH prize. Dragon Esports Club also prepared a 15-skin giveaway for the broadcast’s viewers.
It is worth mentioning that the L&G team created its merch items, which are available for order worldwide. To get more information about the team, visit the L&G Instagram page, Twitch, or Telegram Channel.
eSports
Introducing iSports at iCode: A Cutting-Edge Esports Program for Aspiring Gamers
iCode, a premier coding and STEM learning program for kids, announced its latest addition to its program offerings: iSports, a one-of-a-kind esports program geared towards young gamers aged 8-13.
Starting the week of June 3, 2024, this innovative 12-week esports course will be offered across the entire iCode franchise and is dedicated to introducing students to the thrilling world of competitive gaming in a safe and secure environment. This season will revolve around the popular game Fortnite, which will feature a special iCode-only map within the platform.
“iSports will serve as a great summer activity for kids to get out of the house, but the overall goal is to foster personal development through the many dynamic skills competitive gaming requires. The iSports program places a strong emphasis on developing important life skills like sportsmanship, teamwork and strategic thinking. It will keep participants engaged and learning while school is out, and parents can rest assured knowing that their children are playing in a controlled environment,” Abid Abedi, founder and CEO of iCode, said.
Throughout the 12-week iSports season, participants will dedicate one hour per week to gameplay and skill development. All sessions are led and supervised by knowledgeable iCode coaches. Their administration along with the exclusive iCode-only map is specifically designed to provide a secure gaming experience with a safe, monitored environment. The program culminates in the opportunity to compete in a tournament-style championship to crown the best gamer across iCode national network.
iCode is partnering with MSI to supply an array of state-of-the-art gaming equipment including high-quality headsets and top-tier gaming computers equipped with speedy processors. Gamers will also have access to advanced gaming chairs for maximum efficiency and comfort. This setup will ensure that every participant enjoys a premium gaming experience, mirroring the standards of professional esports environments. In addition, MSI will provide prizes to the top iSports gamers, including one of their brand new Claw handheld gaming devices.
“MSI has been dedicated to cultivating gaming and esports for years with significant achievements. We’re thrilled and honored to partner with iCode to develop this community to another level,” David Chou, VP of Sales at MSI, said.
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