Matt Petersen’s Post

After a difficult year in 2023, the #esports industry is recovering in 2024 as some brands and #advertisers return to the space. But while esports winter might be thawing somewhat, it’s become clear that not all esports organizations have been equally able to withstand the cold. Here’s a look into how four leading esports orgs are positioning themselves for long-term stability and #sustainability, independent of the whims of brand #marketers. In this piece by Alexander Lee, we speak to Andy Miller, Victor Goossens of Team Liquid, Damon Harman of Integrated Content, and Sabrina Ratih and Henning Christiansson of G2 Esports.

Raleigh, N.C., was ranked a top five Major Esports Event Host Destination between 2021-2023! A recent industry study by esports advisory and advocacy firm PLAYHRDR Advisors has solidified Raleigh/Wake County's position as a premier destination for hosting esports events. The study examined the global trends in hosting major live, in-person esports tournaments in North America, Europe and the Nordic region between 2019 and 2023.

Important topic for anyone interesting in the long term sustainability for revenues in esports.

In this article, brought to you by GG.BET, the firm expands on its annual strategic partnership with tournament operator BLAST Premier to create high-quality, engaging content for the community while simultaneously raising the profile of the esports industry as a whole. In the rapidly evolving world of esports, a strategic partnership between leading market players is about more than just driving profit, it’s about creating the necessary conditions for the industry to develop and grow. In 2024, the one-year global partnership between tournament operator BLAST Premier and betting brand GG.BET has done just that. #EGRGlobal

Most new esports teams content sucks Why? They focus too much on the esports element. Esports teams look to attract an audience and build a follower base, the answer isn't about converting existing esports fans to follow their new team It would be similar to starting a new football club and trying to persuade people that already support other clubs to support your team There's a much larger audience in the gaming space that aren't engaging with esports...yet Here's what I did at SAF to grow our community 1️⃣ Create content that casual gamers relate with 2️⃣ Create content to help casual gamers get better at the game 3️⃣ Create events that gamers can engage with, tournaments, giveaways, even simple things like quizzes 4️⃣ Be consistent And then introduce esports as the top tier level to your team to add credibility to what you've already brought to your new community Casual gamers being converted into fans. You'll get greater buy-in, more engagement and people that pro activity follow your journey Just telling people how your players perform at any given tournament isn't enough.

The Rise of Esports Co-streams & Watch Parties Co-streaming has emerged as a dominant trend in esports and more broadly, boosting viewership numbers and even surpassing the viewership for the primary broadcasts in many cases. It's nothing new -- during the 2022 CS:GO PGL Antwerp Major, Brazilian streamer Gaules' co-stream recorded a peak of 684,000 viewers, far exceeding the 114,000 peak viewers on the official main stream. All the way back in 2021, 31% of the hours watched in top North American esports events came from co-streaming. During the VALORANT Stage 1 Grand Finals, 3 co-streamers brought in over 60% of the 230,000 peak viewers. From Stream Hatchet's 2024 Live-Streaming, Esports, & Social Trends Report: "Co-streaming viewership is up from 10% in 2020 to over 1/3 of the market share in 2023." John Needham, Riot Games' President of Esports, highlighted the importance of co-streaming as "a funnel to onboard new fans to the game," as streamers can better explain game fundamentals; however, as I'm sure John is aware -- co-streaming is much more than a funnel for new fans. If you look at Scump and his watch parties for the Call of Duty League, you can see that Scump's Watch Party is not "just another stream" but the place to be for watching competitive Call of Duty. Co-streams bring a level of personality and audience interaction that you can't get in a traditional broadcast. The numbers don't lie. For the recent Toronto Ultra Major III, Scump controlled over 125K of the 238K peak viewers for the event. Co-streamers engage their audiences at a way deeper level than casters and traditional broadcasters can ever hope to, leading to a better and more engaging viewing experience for both their fans and even "neutral fans". #gaming #esports

Exciting news from the Esports industry as GRID Esports reveals the first details regarding Season 2 of their Champion of Champions Tour. The anticipated return of the Counter-Strike 2 tournament series will commence on April 15 with a sizeable prize pool of $1.5M USD, concluding with a global finals in 2025. Season 2 will feature 36 region-focussed online events across Europe, South America, North America, and Oceania. One significant change includes the consolidation of Europe into one region, in contrast to being split into divisions in the previous season. GRID's initiative simplifies the competitional framework for Europe, presenting a streamlined yet challenging path to the Global Finals. Partnerships have been forged with Malta-based EDEN Esports and New Zealand-based LetsPlay.Live for event organisation and broadcast production of these happenings. There is no doubt that these developments will bring interesting dynamics to the Esports landscape. For stakeholders within the industry, this provides more significant opportunities for collaboration and sponsorship. For the newcomers, this serves as evidence of how vibrant and lively the Esports scene continuously evolves. Here at Winzard, we stay on top of these developments and trends to provide our partners and clients with strategic insight and expert solutions in Project Management, Marketing, and Production. As an expert full-service agency, Winzard is committed to fueling the growth of the Esports industry, moving together with its ever-evolving pace.

𝐀𝐧 𝐄𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐮𝐩? It is exciting to see a new programme that addresses the esports industry at all levels, attempting to both put on best-in-class esports events whilst also thinking about sustainability of the ecosystem behind it. It is already impressive what Ralf Reichert and his Esports World Cup Foundation team are doing. It is fair to say that Gamers8 (the EWC’s predecessor) had its challenges in terms of attracting eyeballs. The EWC is going to need to be mindful of the core audience it is trying to attract and how to position and market itself to be received in the best way. They've already announced a number of great relationships they have built with games publishers, which is key to making this event successful. Looking forward to seeing the first instalment in Riyadh this summer! It would be remiss of me when talking about these events not to give a nod to the work that Brian Ward & the Savvy Games Group are doing, which almost single-handedly is creating a growing trend that a section of the esports industry is moving towards the Middle East. The investment from the region is welcomed by the majority of the ecosystem as we’re entering a phase where the esports industry is becoming more concentrated. This however, provides great opportunities for investors and brands because it is clearer today where the value lies.

🚨 IT'S TIME TO BRING ESPORTS TO THE FOREFRONT OF ENTERTAINMENT🚨 I’m thrilled to announce that we at BLVKHVND and Independent Film & Music Collaborative, LLC are gearing up for a multi-million-dollar esports league, set to air next year, featuring some of your favorite celebrities as competitors! 🎮✨ This groundbreaking event will bring together top-tier gaming talent, your favorite streamers and celebrity personalities in an electrifying competition like no other. This league is set to break the standards of your regular esports league. Not only are we set to broadcast the event to millions of viewers, but we are also offering the opportunity for fans to attend the live matches and experience the explosive vibes of attending an esports event in person. With millions of eyes on the action, we are looking for forward-thinking brands to join us as official sponsors and become a part of the next big thing in entertainment and esports! From prime visibility to exclusive brand integrations, there are endless opportunities to get involved and connect with a highly engaged audience. If you want to align your brand with innovation, excitement, and the future of entertainment, we’d love to have you on board! Don’t miss out on being part of this game-changing experience! Let's talk about how we can make this league an unforgettable success for all involved. DM me for more details or reach out at [email protected] #Esports #SponsorshipOpportunity #GamingLeague #CelebrityEsports #BrandPartnerships #NextLevelEntertainment

Rambling late night thoughts... Questions I'm often asked as someone that runs an esports team: "What is esports?" "How do you make money from esports as an Org?" The second question is a popular topic at nearly every networking event I've attended over the last three years I think the answer to the second question, depends on how you answer the first question. From a team/organisation's perspective, you'd think that chasing glory, trophies, prize money, travelling the world and making content about the 'behind the scenes' trips are what makes esports... I think it's actually much simpler... Esports is content. Team's are Content Channels. Content Channels have ad space to be monetised Teams that make great content, generate more views. More views = the potential to sell more ads/products/my spare kidney if the money was right 😂 The thing is, the audience for esports compared with the audience for the overall gaming community is rather small (by small I mean TINY). Teams have become to focused on the small niche esports audience rather than focus on the wider gaming community. Switch up your content, make it more appealing to the wider gaming communities, increase viewership outside of LAN Tournaments and on your own team channels, the money will follow the views, as it always does.