Business of Esports: Recent Episodes
Paul Dawalibi
The Business of Esports podcast explores the intersection of business and esports - the fastest growing entertainment phenomenon of this generation.
In the latest weekly news show, we discuss the NFL doing a Super Bowl activation inside Roblox, the Grammys handing out an award for game music, Samsung building their own VR and metaverse hardware, Saudi Arabia announcing a very vague partnership with Sandbox, Meta pivoting their Horizons product to target teenagers, F1 driver Max Verstappen supposedly building a sim rig inside his private jet, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news show with special guests Joanie Kraut (WIGI), Ben Paro (YouGov), and Danielle Rourke (Dell Technologies), we discuss special YouGov data focused on female gamers and female esports fans, EA ditching Apex Legends on mobile, Phil Spencer declaring that Xbox put out too few games in 2022, Saudi Arabia announcing the Gamers8 festival for 2023, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show, we discuss China video game sales slowing, Gala Games announcing a partnership with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Mark Wahlberg then retracting it, the Australian Open doing a metaverse activation in Roblox for 2023, L'Oreal jumping on the metaverse bandwagon, Gen.G's CEO offering a grim prediction on esports, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show, we discuss Microsoft defying the FTC, 100 Thieves making significant layoffs, Sony teasing a gaming EV brand, Razer and others launching haptic gaming products at CES 2023, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss Sentinels leaving the competitive Fortnite scene, Tencent receiving licenses to release more games in China including Valorant, the Indian government providing more support for gaming and other entertainment industries, Trainwrecks claiming Twitch has a viewbotting problem, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Jonathan Brovda (Co-Founder & CEO of GamerGains), we discuss play-to-earn gaming, web3 rewards for web2 games, increasing gamer engagement, GamerGains' beta launch, solving some of the challenges of crypto in gaming, and so much more!
In this episode (321) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss The Professor's top five predictions for 2023!
In this episode, we come to you live from the L.A. Comic Con in Los Angeles, California where we discuss the overlap between video games and other niche communities in the entertainment sector, with special guests Erin Ashley Simon (Co-Owner of XSET), Clinton Sparks (Grammy-Nominated Music Producer and XSET’s Co-Founder), Cy Chang (Co-Founder of Lightwork and easylive.io), Eyal Zafir (Investor for Liberty Global Ventures), and our very own “Judge” Jimmy Baratta serving as moderator!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss Epic Games agreeing to pay over $520 million in fines and refunds, High On Life dominating Xbox Game Pass, BMW reducing its esports sponsorships, Chris Metzen returning to Blizzard to work on WoW, Free Fire seeing a 90% drop in viewership, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guests Andrew Drake (CEO of Bad Moon Talent) and Reed Trimble (Vice President of Partnerships at Bad Moon Talent), we discuss how to identify top talent, creating successful partnerships with brands, the shifting power dynamic in the talent space, Bad Moon Talent's record year, working on metaverse experiences in Fortnite, and so much more!
In this episode (317) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss William attending The 2022 Esports Awards, how the show played out, and why The Esports Awards matter!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss GameStop posting a massive decline in quarterly revenues, the Microsoft acquisition of Activision-Blizzard being challenged by the FTC, a judge authorizing a class-action lawsuit against Fortnite for the game being too addictive, Riot Games suing NetEase for copyright infringement, Epic Games launching child-friendly accounts, Fortnite dominating Pornhub searches, MrBeast hosting a $1 million Fortnite tournament, Steam launching on Tesla vehicles, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guests Kristin Anderson (CEO of FitGMR) and Samir Bolar (COO of FitGMR), we discuss launching the FitGMR app, working with Cloud9, promoting health in esports, the impact of health & wellness on performance, and so much more!
In this episode (314) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss The Esports Awards securing a sponsorship with Amazon Music!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss YouTube not being mentioned in the Call of Duty League's broadcast announcement, Trainwreck launching a platform to rival Twitch, Bethesda planning a mobile game, CD Projekt launching a Game of the Year edition of Cyberpunk 2077, Geoff Keighley shortening The Game Awards, Newcastle United teaming up with VOV, Cooler Master Gaming Pods, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Jordan "Laz" Lazarus (CEO of Xen Gaming), we discuss starting an esports organization right out of college, running Fortnite tournaments, working with content creators, hacking audience growth on social media, choosing games to compete in, building an esports team without venture capital backing, and so much more!
In this episode (311) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss the Call of Duty League Major 2 coming to Boston this February!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss EA Sports reviving College Football video games, Apex Legends Mobile being named iPhone game of the year on the App Store, Rivalry announcing it just had its best quarter ever, God of War Ragnarök breaking a PlayStation record, Activision relaunching Call of Duty: Warzone, Sony officially launching esports tournaments for the PlayStation 5, and so much more!
In this episode, we come to you live from GITEX GLOBAL's Future Blockchain Summit in Dubai, UAE where we discuss if NFTs are dead, with special guests Dirk Lueth (Co-Founder of Upland), Batis Samadian (Founder of SPACE), Tina Nemat (Co-Founder of tonicLABS.io), Dana Howell (Founder of MetaDana.io), and our very own Paul “The Profit” Dawalibi!
In this episode (308) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss some of the biggest titles in video games using 3D billboards to promote their games, including the new VALORANT ad for Harbor!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss World of Warcraft leaving China, the Chinese media claiming video games are okay again, Ubisoft games returning to Steam, Allied Esports launching a stock repurchasing program, Amazon Luna being hit with major layoffs, Texas A&M looking to bring esports to a local mall, Shroud teaming up with MAINGEAR, the CEO of Guild Esports stepping down, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Scott Cole (Ambassador for Philips Norelco, Creative Influencer for Wasserman, Broadcaster for The Montag Group), we discuss the rise and history of Call of Duty esports, broadcasting for both traditional sports and esports, endemic sponsorships in the gaming space, monetization in the esports scene, how looking good makes you play good, and so much more!
In this episode (305) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss McDonald's releasing the PERFECT gaming chair!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss TSM responding to the massive failure of FTX, fans calling the new Call of Duty game "an algorithm," God of War Ragnarök making franchise history, YouGov insights with Ben Paro, Apple Arcade reportedly having over 100 million subscribers, Phil Spencer saying Xbox needs to do more with mobile gaming, Apple planning a lot for its mixed reality headsets, Fnatic getting involved with music, and so much more!
In this episode, we come to you live from GITEX GLOBAL's Future Blockchain Summit in Dubai, UAE where we discuss the future of Web3 Gaming, with special guests Cevat Yerli (Co-Founder of Crytek), Damian Urvois (Founder of Room11), moderator Brian Rose (host of London Real podcast), and our very own Paul “The Profit” Dawalibi!
In this episode (302) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss the God of War Ragnarök trailer that featured celebrity fathers like LeBron James, Ben Stiller, and John Travolta talking with their kids about parent-child dynamics!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss Embracer shutting down a mobile studio, Take-Two's mobile business suffering, Capcom seeing more success in PC gaming, Blizzard claiming that Overwatch 2 attracted over 35 million players in its first month, Blizzard announcing that its licenses will soon expire in China, McDonald's developing the next evolution in gaming chairs, Palmer Luckey creating a VR headset that can kill you, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Andrew Spalter (Founder & CEO of East Goes Global), we discuss western influencers entering the Chinese market, helping Ninja bring his brand to Chinese social media platforms, the state of the Chinese gaming industry, how even small influencers can benefit from a presence in China, and so much more!
In this episode (299) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss how Overwatch 2 has been crushing it since the game was launched on October 4th, 2022, and what that means for the gaming industry!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss Phil Spencer providing information on several aspects of the Xbox business, esports potentially coming to the X Games, the Saudi gaming market experiencing growth according to a YouGov report, China seeing its video game market decline, Nike sponsoring its first esports athlete, Tundra Esports winning The International 2022, Henry Cavill showing interest in producing a video game, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Sean Pate (Brand Marketing and Communications Officer at Zenni Optical), we discuss targeting the gaming audience with innovative products, partnering with influencers, teams, and leagues, building a marketing strategy when entering the gaming market for the first time, becoming an endemic brand, and so much more!
In this episode (296) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss the upcoming Halo events calendar now that the Halo World Championship has concluded!
In this episode (296) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss the upcoming Halo events calendar now that the Halo World Championship has concluded!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Sony reportedly trying to limit Call of Duty's presence on Game Pass, Xbox trying to make a mobile gaming storefront, Netflix opening a fifth game studio, Embracer Group giving an update on The Lord Of The Rings, Burberry teaming up with Minecraft, Steam breaking the record for concurrent players, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Sony reportedly trying to limit Call of Duty's presence on Game Pass, Xbox trying to make a mobile gaming storefront, Netflix opening a fifth game studio, Embracer Group giving an update on The Lord Of The Rings, Burberry teaming up with Minecraft, Steam breaking the record for concurrent players, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Martin Kim (Chief Revenue Officer of Gen.G Esports), we discuss Gen.G's approach to creating new partnerships, how esports companies are able to thrive, transitioning from traditional sports to esports, how working with Major League Baseball and the Dodgers prepared Martin for his current job, and so much more!
In this episode (293) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss FIFA partnering with Roblox to launch the FIFA World experience on the children's gaming platform!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss the ups and downs of Overwatch 2, FIFA expanding its presence into other platforms, Homa Games raising another $100 million, G4 TV being shutdown, Valve registering a trademark for a potentially new IP, and so much more!
In this episode, with our special guest Lachlan Power (YouTuber and the Founder of PWR), we discuss creating PWR, choosing the esports that his organization participates in, the evolution of the Fortnite esports scene, being a famous content creator, how PWR is different from every other gaming org, leveraging fame to create success in esports, and so much more!
In this episode (290) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss how the EU, Japan, and South Korea have all taken steps to bring some rules and regulations to the metaverse!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Microsoft considering an investment in Zupee, Indian streamers dealing with pay cuts, Twitch responding to rev-share complaints, Milk claiming it's the official performance drink for gamers, Logitech teaming up with Herman Miller for a $1,000 gaming chair, and so much more!
In this episode, with our special guest Jeff Donnelley (CEO of MegaFans.com), we discuss the growth of mobile gaming, hosting esports tournaments, the growth of esports in different parts of the world, the business model around providing tools to game developers, extracting data from esports tournaments, and so much more!
In this episode (287) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss how the EU, Japan, and South Korea have all taken steps to bring some rules and regulations to the metaverse!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Google finally shutting down Stadia, FaZe Clan revealing that $71.4 million of its backstop commitments defaulted on their obligations, CD Projekt planning new games based on Cyberpunk and The Witcher, the founder of 100 Thieves launching an energy drink, Sony acquiring esports events as they pivot to PC gaming, Tamagotchi developing a line of Baby Yoda devices, GameStop running into problems with video game preorders, a tattoo artist winning a lawsuit against Take-Two and the WWE, Verizon and Razer joining forces for a handheld console, a new type of gaming chair, and so much more!
In this episode, with our special guest, Daniel Marcus (Founding Partner at Hustle Law and Adjunct Professor of Esports Business At New York University), we discuss teaching the business of esports, why so many sports team owners buy esports teams, the similarities and differences between traditional sports and esports, esports adopting business models of traditional sports, and so much more!
In this episode (284) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss the incredibly successful beta launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, which ran from September 24th to the 28th!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), with special guest Nicole Pike of YouGov, we discuss David Beckham renegotiating his deal with Guild Esports, Disney wanting two Star Wars games a year, Ludwig launching a new agency that is working with xQc, Cyberpunk surpassing the 1 million daily player mark, Logitech releasing a new handheld gaming console in October, and so much more!
In this episode, with our special guest, Liam Savarese (Head of Business Development at Botisimo), we discuss breaking into esports after non-esports careers, managing content creators, leveraging loyalty to drive engagement and monetization, working with YouTubers and esports orgs, being acquired by Optic, and so much more!
In this episode, with our special guest, Liam Savarese (Head of Business Development at Botisimo), we discuss breaking into esports after non-esports careers, managing content creators, leveraging loyalty to drive engagement and monetization, working with YouTubers and esports orgs, being acquired by Optic, and so much more!
In this episode (281) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss Guild of Guardians teaming up with eight of the world's most recognizable esports organizations!
In this episode (281) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss Guild of Guardians teaming up with eight of the world's most recognizable esports organizations!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss the future of the Saudi Arabian esports and gaming scene following the Next World Forum, GTA VI being leaked, the VALORANT Champions skin bundle generating $32 million, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss the future of the Saudi Arabian esports and gaming scene following the Next World Forum, GTA VI being leaked, the VALORANT Champions skin bundle generating $32 million, and so much more!
In this episode, with our special guest, His Royal Highness, Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Sultan Al Saud (President of the Saudi Esports Federation), we discuss the Saudi Esports Federation, the success of the Next World Forum, what’s next for the Saudi esports scene, the rise of gaming and esports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and so much more!
In this episode (278) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss eVenture Limited, the owner of the VPN service hide.me, acquiring the Croatian esports org Valiance!
In this episode, we come to you live from the Next World Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where we discuss all the exciting panels and events that took place during the conference, with special guests Lucy Hedges (Technology Editor for Metro UK), Mark Cai (Enterprise Influencer Relations for NVIDIA), moderator Georgia Tolley (Journalist & Radio Presenter for Dubai Eye 103.8), and our very own Paul “The Profit” Dawalibi!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), with special guest Ben Paro of YouGov, we discuss TikTok struggling to find success with its gaming efforts, Valve reportedly having "a lot of games in development," Square Enix shutting down Babylon's Fall, YouGov providing insight into metaverse awareness, the NFL launching Tuesday Night Gaming with Enthusiast, Saudi Arabia looking to become a global hub for esports, and so much more!
In this episode, we come to you live from the Next World Forum conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where we discuss gaming and esports business model innovation, with special guests Abdulaziz Baeshen (Assistant Minister for Sport and Sport Affairs at the Ministry of Sports, Saudi Arabia), Grant Johnson (CEO of Esports Entertainment Group), Kishan Deepak Palija (CEO of Geekay Group), Yannick Theler (CEO of Savvy Games Studios), moderator Lucy Hedges (Technology Editor for Metro UK), and our very own Paul “The Profit” Dawalibi!
In this episode (274) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss Evil Geniuses having two CS:GO teams competing in Fragadelphia 15, and the organization’s player management strategy!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)) with special guest Marius Adomnica (https://segev.ca/ (Segev LLP)), we discuss Erind “Froste” Puka alleging 100 Thieves had him in a predatory contract, a rumor that Amazon is looking to acquire EA, Phil Spencer claiming Microsoft wants Activision-Blizzard for mobile gaming, Amazon wanting to bring voice-powered gaming to big-name titles, Sony planning a price hike for PS5s, VCT tickets selling out the day they're released, AMD launching the world's "fastest processor" this month, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guests Jeffrey Maganis and Ivan Kan (co-founders of Crowdcreate), we discuss marketing for web3, gaming, and crypto, best practices for new game developers, the future of the web3 gaming space, the importance of focusing on community, the effects of the ongoing crypto winter, insights on building a successful marketing agency, and so much more!
In this episode (271) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss a demo of Street Fighter 6 being showcased at the Tokyo Game Show 2022 and the shrinking nature of game demos!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss EA honoring a massive pricing blunder, PlayStation being sued for $5.9 billion, MultiVersus surpassing the 20 million player mark, Embracer Group acquiring the IP rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, Unity rejecting AppLovin's $17.5 billion proposal, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Todd Harris (CEO of Ghost Gaming and Skillshot Media, Co-Founder of Hi-Rez Studios), we discuss the market positioning of Ghost Gaming, global vs regional esports teams, vertical integration and tournament production with Skillshot Media, making the greatest game of all time, Hi-Rez Studios making games that people love, the intersection of esports orgs and game development, some of the titles announced at 2022 Gamescom, and so much more!
In this episode (268) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss the Daily Mail's exclusive story with Fnatic and how the company covers esports!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Microsoft stating that Sony pays to keep games off Game Pass, Sony potentially creating a new PC Launcher, EA claiming fans "love" loot boxes, Dr Disrespect breaking character to go after YouTube Gaming, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Jimmy Baratta (Investor in XSET and our Chief Gaming Officer), we give you a sneak peek at one of the interviews that was taped for our upcoming leadership series. Tune in for amazing learnings and insights that you can only get from the C-suite and gaming elite, and can only be brought to you by the Business of Esports!
In this episode (265) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss Monaco being named the host of the Sim Racing World Cup and Sim Racing as an esport!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Blizzard and NetEase canceling a World of Warcraft mobile game, Activision making more money off mobile games, Tencent reportedly wanting to hold a more significant stake in Ubisoft, the BBC holding the first video game music concert, Sentinels breaking a North American VALORANT viewership record, AppLovin submitting a $17.5 billion bid to acquire Unity, VR gaming's popularity increasing, Ouyu Technology bringing a virtual manager to Tencent's esports hotel, Metalfish releasing a gaming PC case that doubles as a fish tank, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Bobby Baird (Vice President of Customer Success at Stream Hatchet), we discuss the demystification of streaming data, the way major customers such as Riot use Stream Hatchet, the challenge with Chinese steaming metrics, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Diablo Immortal making over $100 million, Microsoft seeing gaming revenues decline, Google denying rumors that it's shutting down Stadia, Microsoft claiming there's "nothing unique" about Activision-Blizzard, Burberry partnering with Gen.G, Dr Disrespect's game demo getting a lot of hate, Tencent calling for more esports talent in China, Indonesia banning important games/services, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Rishi Chadha (Head of Gaming Partnerships for Twitter), we discuss how Twitter fits into the gaming ecosystem, Twitter as a platform for growth and monetization, Twitter as a second screen experience in gaming, working with content creators & publishers, and so much more!
In this episode (260) of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss Shueisha, the publisher of Weekly Shonen Jump, getting into the video game development space!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Meta raising the price of Quest 2 VR headsets, VALORANT struggling to bring in viewers, Misfits Gaming Group leaving the LEC, Riot Games looking to make more competitive titles, TSM FTX partnering with GMC, Wisdom Gaming making the Mall of America an esports hub, Russia trying to get back into the gaming scene with its own titles and engine, Logitech launching a line of "inclusive" gaming accessories, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Grant Zinn (Founder and CEO of Beastcoast), we discuss the history and founding of Beastcoast, pivoting Beastcoast to content creation, the Beastcoast approach to participating in some of the less obvious esports, the popularity of Pokémon, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, we discuss FaZe Clan going public and trading on Nasdaq!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss FaZe Clan going public on the Nasdaq, 100 Thieves laying off members of its social media and content teams, Guild Esports hiring Kit Brunswick as its safeguarding and well-being lead, Dr Disrespect considering a two-year hiatus from streaming to focus on his game studio, Nintendo buying an animation studio, Elon Musk saying Steam will be available in Teslas soon, D-BOX filing a patent for a motion simulation gaming chair, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Emil Vanjaka (Co-Founder of Able Esports, and Board Member at Québec Esports Foundation), we discuss how Able Esports was created while still managing a day job, supporting esports activities through the Québec Esports Foundation, the opportunity for esports in Canada, catering to a local esports market, building a local gaming ecosystem, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)) with special guest Grant Paranjape (Washington Justice), we discuss Shroud unretiring to join Sentinels, ReedPop taking over as the new organizer of E3, the ALGS becoming one of the most talked about gaming leagues on Twitter, Dr Disrespect providing new info on his upcoming game, Heroes of the Storm being on life support, Amouranth earning $33 million on OnlyFans, The NPD Group predicting Elden Ring to be the best selling game in the United States this year, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Felix LaHaye (Founder of United Esports), we discuss engaging with esports fans, influencer marketing in the video game space, venture investing in esports organizations, gaming bars & cafés, esports growth in Asia, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Summer Games fest telling fans to "manage" expectations, 2022 being a bad year for video games, people thinking video games should be part of school curriculums, Fortnite helping gamers burn calories, Amouranth launching a company for content creators, Dr Disrespect teasing a collaboration with Nike, Niantic, Unity, and Guild esports cutting jobs, Razer changing the gaming chair space with a new acquisition, Québec hurting its video game sector with a newly proposed law, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Arnold Hur (CEO of Gen.G), we discuss the unique positioning of Gen.G in the esports space, how esports orgs can navigate the challenges of the esports winter, the role of digital economies and play-to-earn games in the esports space, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss ByteDance generating $1 billion in player spending through mobile games, Riot reportedly receiving 150 applications for its VALORANT partnership program, Riot recording in-game communications in VALORANT, Dr Disrespect using a Times Square billboard to tease Midnight Society news, Sony unveiling a new line of PC gaming peripherals focused on esports, the next Apple TV having gaming potential, Blizzard acquiring a new studio to bolster World of Warcraft, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Stu Grubbs (CEO and Co-Founder of Lightstream), we discuss Lightstream's streaming software and tools, mobile & IRL streaming, partnering with Xbox, Stu's long history in gaming, the competitive landscape for streaming tools, the demographics of streamers, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor is joined by his first-ever guest, Matthew Archambault (Head of Commercial Partnerships for Riot Games in North America), who responds to https://thebusinessofesports.com/2022/05/04/office-hours-grubhub-lcs-feeding-frenzy/ (William’s grade) for Riot’s partnership with Grubhub!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Overwatch 2 saying it will get rid of loot boxes, Asmongold wanting to talk about microtransactions and pay-to-win mechanics with senator Ted Cruz, Team Liquid rebranding its League of Legends team, Netflix Games hitting the 13 million download mark, Razer leading a $4 million investment round into crypto payments startup TripleA, Vaxis creating a gaming chair for the Oculus Quest 2 with a D-pad for your feet, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Knut Spildrejorde (streamer, entertainer, internet personality and world-class bodybuilder), we discuss working out vicariously through the internet, IRL streaming on Twitch, the secrets to becoming a famous streamer, his thoughts on platforms paying for streamers to jump ship, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor discusses Team Liquid rebranding its League of Legends roster to Team Liquid Honda!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Call of Duty Modern Warfare II costing $10 more than the last game in the series, T-Pain claiming he has made more money from gaming than from music, Misfits Gaming Group signing Chess grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, Riot Games partnering with Xbox Game Pass, YouGov Insights on NFTs with Ben Paro, Netflix making games based on hit TV shows, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Christopher LaPorte (Founder of RESET), we discuss creating the original gaming bar/nightclub Insert Coins, the future of gambling and betting in the gaming space, the role of Las Vegas in the esports industry, the growing opportunity in cannabis and gaming, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor discusses Comcast Spectator deciding to make the Fusion Arena it is building a multi-purpose venue rather than a space strictly for esports!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Diablo Immortal receiving backlash for pay to win mechanics, Paris’ OWL and CDL teams moving to Las Vegas, Disney hiring an Apple Games executive, Saudi Arabia investing $1 billion in Embracer Group, Saudi Arabia launching the Gamers8 gaming festival, Pizza Hut Gaming hosting a Middle Eastern esports tournament, iOS 16 supporting video game controllers, Luminosity Gaming leaving the VALORANT scene, XSET launching gaming cabanas at Drai’s nightclub in Las Vegas, Razer teaming up with TUMI for esports-themed bags, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Andy Ochiltree (VP of Gaming at Subnation), we discuss how Subnation looking to create their own esports league, differences between PUBG esports in North America and Andy's experience with the Overwatch League and Activision-Blizzard, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor discusses Dolce & Gabbana partnering with the Italian esports org Mkers and why he DOESN’T like the project they’re working on!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Daybreak Games canceling its Marvel MMO project, Lee Trink updating FaZe Clan's shareholders on the company's plan to go public, Activision-Blizzard allowing esports teams to defer payments for two years, Microsoft confirming Project Keystone, Sony reportedly making $2 billion off a bunch of free-to-play PS4 games, France banning English gaming terms, Epic Games hosting its first in-person Fortnite event since 2019, Gamerji launching in the Middle East, Shaq saying gamers are real athletes, the most played games of Q1 2022, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guests Scott Norcross (Partner at KJK) and Paige Rabatin (Associate at KJK), we discuss Kohrman Jackson & Krantz providing legal and consulting services for the gaming and esports space, advice for esports startups and entrepreneurs, the current state of esports LAN centers and arenas, guiding professional sports athletes to esports opportunities, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor discusses Andreessen Horowitz launching a $600 million fund for esports and gaming!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Gucci launching a gaming academy, EA looking to be acquired, xQc generating $119 million in bets for Stake.com, TikTok attempting to enter the gaming space, Zach Katz joining FaZe Clan as the company's new president, EA laying off customer service staff in Texas, Enthusiast Gaming shareholders pushing for new leadership, Nintendo releasing over 11,000 games in the last 39 years, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Cliff Morgan (CEO of GFuel), we give you a sneak peek at one of the interviews that was taped for our upcoming leadership series. Tune in for amazing learnings and insights that you can only get from the C-suite and gaming elite, and can only be brought to you by the Business of Esports!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor discusses the 2022 Esports Awards including categories, nominees, sponsorships, and this year's event being moved to Las Vegas, Nevada!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss the split between EA and FIFA, 100 Thieves developing a video game, Apex Legends hitting $2 billion in earnings, PUBG Mobile revenues exceeding $7.5 billion, Hulu partnering with Xbox Game Pass, Boost Mobile encouraging players to game in exchange for discounts, Saudi Arabia investing in Nintendo, Razer launching luxury gaming suites with Fairmont, Thermaltake launching a new gaming chair designed by Porsche, the Google Store getting rid of its "gaming" tab, VR technology advancing, and so much more!
In this episode, we come to you live from the FTX SALT - Crypto Bahamas 2022 conference in Nassau, where we discuss the intersection of gaming and crypto, with special guests Clinton Sparks (Owner of XSET), Gregory Landegger (VP of Parsons & Whittemore Inc.), Jace Hall (Co-Founder of HiDef Entertainment Inc.), moderator Janay Symonette (Head of Marketing & Communications, Deltec), and our very own Paul "The Profit" Dawalibi!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor discusses how game sales have declined by 8% from April 2021 to April 2022!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Nintendo’s having big concerns about its next console, Sony investing $300 million into first-party games, Riot releasing a 2023 roadmap for VALORANT, Turtle Beach exploring a sale, Take-Two’s CEO receiving a big bonus thanks to microtransactions, Sony claiming it won’t make Bungie games PlayStation exclusives, the Saudi Esports Federation hosting an esports tournament series, Noblechairs celebrating Star Wars Day, Nintendo announcing a list of the ten best-selling games for the Switch, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Nate Clauss (Managing Partner & CEO of New Level Recruiting), we discuss New Level Recruiting, hiring and headhunting for major companies in the gaming industry, finding the right people for esports, the state of jobs in the video game world, the reality of recruiting in our industry, working for Riot Games & PUBG, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor discusses OG Esports partnering with LDN UTD to create a new VALORANT venture called OG LDN UTD.
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Embracer Group acquiring IP and studios from Square Enix for $300 million despite huge losses on Marvel games, the creator of It Takes Two saying video games don't have to be fun, Sykkuno joining YouTube Gaming despite widespread criticism of the platform, Dr Disrespect showing no love for Overwatch 2, Pokimane teaming up with xQc to bash Riot Games and Valorant, British gamers playing more than the rest of the world, Ben Baller creating a golden gaming headset, Warner Bros. considering selling its gaming studios, a Call of Duty: Warzone update causing huge traffic spikes on Virgin Media's network, Microsoft seeing a rise in Game Pass subscribers, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Sam Speaker (Founder & CEO of gamrpod), we discuss innovation in esports furniture, the challenges of building hardware, the target customers and business models for gamrpod, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor discusses how Grubhub was pleased with the results from its Feeding Frenzy marketing campaign targeted at LCS fans.
In this episode, we come to you live from the PAX East 2022 conference in Boston, Massachusetts where we hosted the most stacked esports industry panel with special guests Steven Blickensderfer (Lead Privacy Counsel for Krafton), Julien Benichou (Senior Director, Partnerships Strategy, and Execution for Gen.G), Thomas Hajduk (Director of Marketing at OTK Media), and Greg Selkoe (Co-Founder of XSET), not to mention our very own Jimmy "the Judge" Baratta and Lindsay "The Boss" Poss!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor discusses Santander bank signing a five-year partnership deal with Riot Games to sponsor all Brazilian League of Legends events.
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Niantic’s new augmented reality virtual pet game, Microsoft wanting ads in free-to-play games, Apple patenting mobile controllers, Nimo TV shutting down operations, Tencent blocking access to foreign games, Blizzard polling fans about NFTs and P2E games, Amazon launching its first Amazon Kids+ original mobile game, an expansion coming to Cyberpunk 2077 next year, Coachella joining forces with Fortnite, Irish Spring creating the world’s first gaming shower, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guests Rob Moore (CEO of Sentinels) and Riley Jamison (VP of Marketing and Creative Lead at Sentinels), we discuss how Sentinels has emerged as one of the premier esports organizations in the world, Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf’s rise to fame after winning the Fortnite World Cup, Sentinels fielding one of the few successful VALORANT teams to come out of North America, how the company creates drama to bolster its marketing efforts, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor discusses how Epic Games raised $2 billion from Sony and Lego, at a flat $31.5 billion valuation.
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss Tencent shutting down their Penguin streaming platform, Loaded selling for $20 million to private equity, teachers alleging PlayVS strong-armed high school esports programs, Epic Games raising $2 billion in a flat round, Max Verstappen unveiling his new esports racing team, the Overwatch community complaining about lazy skin re-colors, Panasonic creating speakers to wear around your neck, Bauhutte launching the ultimate gaming bed, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guests Truman Wilson (Founder of The Truman Factory and the Gen Z Wonka) and Derek Wilson (CEO of The Truman Factory), we discuss Truman launching his candy company at the age of 14, the organization partnering with Gamers Outreach, creating a culture "where the young help the young", connecting software to candy, competing against Mr Beast, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor discusses SK Gaming partnering with the NH Hotel Group of Central Europe. Also, The Professor revisits Coca-Cola’s soft drink for gamers!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss E3 2022 being canceled, Sony's Jim Ryan saying the company plans on making more acquisitions, FTX considering an investment in India's MPL, Upper Deck launching Call of Duty League trading cards, A Halo cookbook coming out this summer, Epic launching Unreal Engine 5, Twitter sharing new data about gaming, EGDC buying a 96.18% stake in SNK, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Steve Arhancet (Owner of Team Liquid), we discuss the origin story of Team Liquid, how Team Liquid positions itself against other esports organizations, Team Liquid's charitable efforts, how Team Liquid chooses what competitive leagues to be a part of, how Team Liquid recruits players and content creators, what the future looks like for competitive esports teams, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor discusses Coca-Cola releasing a drink line aimed at gamers called Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte, a video game-themed “pixel-flavored” soda.
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by https://business.yougov.com/sectors/gaming-esports/boe (YouGov)), we discuss an HP report confirming that PCs will always be better than mobile gaming, analysts saying a "Netflix of games" isn't likely, PlayStation releasing a new service to compete with Xbox's Game Pass, Kappa Bar acquiring Meltdown Bars, Bifrost unveiling its new gaming desk, Romain Grosjean partnering with Motorsport Games, Mike Frazzini stepping down as the head of Amazon Games, Amazon introducing Amazon Web Services for games, EA Sports rebranding its soccer video game series, Ninjas in Pyjamas creating a line of pajamas, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Brandon Hoffman (Senior Investment Manager for Samsung Next), we discuss the investment arm and early-stage investment activities of Samsung, the investment focus of Samsung Next, their thesis around Web 3 and companies like The Sandbox and Ready Player Me, the intersection of crypto and gaming, and so much more!
In this legal-focused episode of the podcast, with special expert guest Marius Adomnica (a partner at Segev LLP), we discuss the law as it applies to esports and video games and what we can learn from current cases, a recent court ruling on loot boxes, legal battles surrounding big gaming mergers & acquisitions including Activision-Blizzard, legal considerations for esports athlete contracts, G2 fighting with a supplier, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor talks about the Kappa Bar chain merging with Meltdown Bars to create the Kappa Meltdown Group, which aims to be the world's largest franchise focused on esports bars.
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss changes being made to Fortnite, people connecting online through video games, Andbox admitting failure and rebranding to NYXL and unveiling its plans for the New York City esports scene, Rocket League coming to Fortnite, G2 Esports suing an NFT company, Sony acquiring Jade Raymond's Haven Studios, CD Projekt Red announcing the development of a new game in the Witcher series, Dr Disrespect attacking YouTube Gaming, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Alex Kornilov (Founder of BETEGY), we discuss sports data platforms, data visualization systems, how esports betting companies can use content to acquire new customers, how esports media companies can better use data, innovation in the esports betting space, the differences between sports betting and esports betting, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor gives ALDI France a D+ grade after the supermarket chain announced the launch of the amateur esports team, Continuity.
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Riot Games investing in the animation studio behind Arcane, a Super Nintendo World theme park coming in 2023, the Ontario Government setting aside $1 million for collegiate esports scholarships, Dr Disrespect launching gaming NFTs, Loco raising $42 million, Audi introducing VR capabilities in its cars, Dutch courts ruling in favor of EA on the subject of lootboxes, Reggie Fils-Aime commenting on his departure from GameStop's board of directors, Activision-Blizzard being uninvited by South By Southwest, VTech developing a gaming chair for toddlers, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Kyle Pendergast (CEO of BeyondRanked), we discuss the state of esports and video game commentating, founding the Indy Gaming League, the importance of casters in live streams, ingesting esports and video game data, the future of gaming commentators, artificial intelligence, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Omar Batterjee (Head of Marketing, Communications, and Partnerships for the Saudi Esports Federation), we discuss Omar's background in video games, the growth of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region as a gaming hub, the importance of fostering community in building a gaming and esports scene, the favorable population demographics of Saudi Arabia when it comes to esports, the booming Middle Eastern esports market, the acquisition of ESL and FACEIT by a Saudi investment group, what the future holds for MENA esports, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor discusses the government of Ontario launching a $784,000 scholarship to support students enrolled in esports and other gaming industry-related college programs.
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Sid Meier talking about game monetization, Barry Diller denying insider trading allegations, shareholders suing Activision-Blizzard over its sale to Microsoft, Snoop Dogg joining FaZe Clan, G Fuel partnering with Ninja, Griffin Gaming Partners launching a $750 million fund, ESL Gaming and Qualcomm creating a mobile esports league, Xbox Series X receiving hate on Twitter, Facebook Gaming being overrun by spam, Star Wars Eclipse being delayed until 2027, Bandcamp becoming a part of Epic Games, Guild Esports making leadership changes, FIFA 22 removing Russian entities from FIFA Ultimate Team, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Vijay Koduri (Co-Founder of Sizzle.gg), we discuss using artificial intelligence to create highlights for esports events and streamers, Vijay spending over seven years at Google, building a B2B product vs B2C, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor discusses the esports organizer BLAST partnering with Fortress to bring a major CS:GO tournament to Australia.
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Gabe Newell thinking the Steam Deck can have an iPhone-like impact, Valve not planning to release a Steam Pass subscription service, Netflix buying up another video game development studio, a DICE Awards Show host saying "f*** Bobby Kotick" on stage, EA's CEO telling employees that FIFA is holding back the franchise's success, celebrities backing Backbone's mobile gaming controller, Esports Technologies filing a quantum computing patent, Activision making changes to its mobile gaming unit's leadership positions, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Eric Lay (Founder & CEO of Elventus), we discuss how Eric became a professional League of Legends player, Eric's transition from a pro gamer to an esports coach, video game coaching at the highest level, the role mental health plays in gaming, and so much more!
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William “The Professor” Collis, The Professor discusses North Carolina State University receiving $16 million to build esports facilities on its campus.
In this episode of Office Hours, with our host William "The Professor" Collis, The Professor discusses Riot Games releasing a new logo, the organization's new press website, rebranding, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Eric Hartness (Vice President of Esports at Learfield), we discuss how Learfield leveraged their college network to break into the college esports space, the fragmentation of collegiate esports, Eric's time at Amazon Games Studio and other major gaming companies, the role influencers play in marketing, gaming industry trends over the last 20 years, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Electronic Arts recognizing the failure of Battlefield 2042, Dr Disrespect saying COD: Warzone has hit rock bottom, Peloton officially releasing its Lanebreak gaming mode, Hitomaku producing sake for gamers, Hasbro investors demanding a shakeup for its gaming division, Meta investing $40 million into Playco, Riot Games launching a new logo and press website, gamer apartments popping up in Japan, Cooler Master developing a sneaker-shaped gaming computer case, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Mitch Marner (NHL and Toronto Maple Leafs superstar), we discuss Mitch's journey to the NHL and gaming roots, the winning mindset that a professional athlete brings to esports, how gaming fits into an athlete's schedule, the overlap between esports and traditional sports, how gaming and streaming help Mitch to reach new and existing fans, esports as a retirement plan for hockey players, using gaming to raise money for the Marner Assist Foundation, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Lost Ark becoming the second most popular game on Steam, the gaming and movie rights for Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit going up for sale, Thanko developing a video game peripheral for the truly lazy, VALORANT potentially coming to consoles, Brandon Snow leaving Activision-Blizzard, Noble Esports deleting its Twitter account after employees claimed they are owed money from the company, Pokimane re-signing with Twitch, Sony A.I. beating a world champion Gran Turismo racer, the Indian government banning Free Fire, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Rohan Bose (Associate at Teknos Associates), we discuss how his organization values esports companies, how Teknos Associates serves clients like Roblox, Rohan's thoughts on the prices paid for Activision-Blizzard and Bungie, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss studies showing almost half of all parents want esports added to school curriculums, Call of Duty: Vanguard underperforming, TSM losing 30 million followers on social media over the last six months, Rockstar Games announcing the development of GTA 6 is well underway, a Malaysian peanut butter company launching a snack designed for gamers, Sony offering Bungie employees a $1.2 billion retention plan, PlayStation and Switch sales suffering as the console war intensifies, MSI releasing a line of metaverse-ready laptops, xQc mocking esports teams for making NFTs, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Danny Martin (Co-Founder & CEO of Esposure), we discuss the intersection of education and esports, teaching real-world skills to high schoolers through gaming, traditional sports being a direct competitor in some markets, the state of scholastic esports, challenges dealing with educators, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Sony buying Bungie for $3.6 billion, ValkyRae sticking with YouTube Gaming, Activision reportedly farming out Overwatch League operations to a third-party, Paramount+ confirming a League of Legends mockumentary is coming this year, Ford developing a spy-themed concept game for cars, The New York Times acquiring Wordle, PortalOne raising $60 million, Call of Duty fans saying Scump's retirement will be bigger than Tom Brady's, Nintendo blocking 1,300 YouTube videos for music copyright violations, Saudi Arabia looking to be a global leader in gaming by 2030, Harry Potter games being shut down, Ubisoft executives saying regular gamers "don't get" NFTs, 100 Thieves releasing a championship chain, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Chris Matthews (Co-Founder of Gamerabble), we discuss the challenges of building an esports coaching platform, video game training development programs, eliminating toxic behavior in the gaming space, selling esports coaching to parents, launching products that cater to younger audiences, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Blizzard developing a new survival game, Sony expecting Activision titles to continue to operate on multiple platforms, Bobby Kotick considering buying Kotaku and PC Gamer, Saudi-based Savvy Gaming Group buying ESL Gaming for over $1 billion, Guild Esports opening a new headquarters, China denying trademark applications for metaverse related terms, Spyke Games raising $55 million in seed funding, Netflix trying to offer the "best gaming service available", and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Bruce Stein (Founder and former CEO of aXiomatic Gaming), we discuss founding aXiomatic Gaming and their investment strategy, backing Team Liquid and what makes them different, the importance of IP in gaming as well as the toy business, gaming's place in the bigger entertainment ecosystem, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Microsoft turning the gaming world on its head after acquiring Activision-Blizzard for almost $70 billion, Cary North Carolina wanting to build an esports hub next to Epic Games, Riot Games expanding its Queue Dodge buyout program for employees, ValkyRae taking a break from streaming and YouTube, Microsoft discontinuing the production of Xbox One consoles, Dr Disrespect making a bold claim about Mercedes, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Tips Out (Co-Founder and COO of OTK Media), we discuss One True King Media focusing on content creation, how they are different from other esports orgs, how OTK elevates and grows the influencers in their network, what works best when it comes to original content creation, how to succeed on Twitch and other streaming platforms, working with creators like Mizkif and Asmongold, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Tencent reportedly acquiring BlackShark Gaming, Take-Two buying Zynga for more than $12 billion, the co-founder of Reddit saying that play-to-earn cryptocurrency games are the future, G2 Esports launching a record label, Razer unveiling a vibrating gaming chair, the topic of gaming dominating Twitter, Nexon investing in AGBO, Sega taking a cautious approach with NFTs, Phil Spencer complimenting Netflix's gaming endeavors, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Josh Otero (Co-Founder & CEO of NutriGMR), we discuss performance-enhancing gaming products, the role health plays in the gaming space, the challenges of the energy drink market and consumer-packaged goods for gamers, nutrition in esports, the role of influencers in marketing gaming drinks, drinks for elite esports athletes and soldiers, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Nadeshot and Carlos' having problems with Dr Disrespect's latest claims about esports team profitability, Activision getting heat from the Call of Duty owners and players, Activision suing EngineOwning for selling and distributing cheats, Dr Disrespect taking a jab at Twitch, Gordon Ramsay potentially coming to Twitch, Paris Hilton inviting Cardi B to Roblox, an engaged couple fighting over a gaming chair, the global gaming chair market, China's video game licensing freeze extending into 2022, 14000 gaming firms shutting down in China because of crackdowns, Samsung creating a gaming hub, Sony developing an SUV, Alienware launching Concept Nyx, 2021's biggest esports investments, Allied Esports exploring options with an investment banker, video games dominating Reddit, Team Vitality raising $56.5 million, Steam unveiling last year's best-selling games, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Jonathan Pan (Head of Strategy & Operations at Facebook Gaming), we discuss behind the scenes insights from Amazon Games and Riot Games, the outlook for esports leagues, why Mixer failed, building esports startups, the initial success of Amazon's New World compared to previous failures, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Incheon International Airport opening an esports arena, Japan planning to launch an esports high school, China banning the global version of Steam, Baidu laying off 100 employees, Secretlab creating Pokemon gaming chairs, Bauhutte developing a gaming finger massager, Fanatec quickly selling out of its BMW sim-racing wheel, Nintendo dominating Amazon's top sellers in the gaming category, Tesla implementing restrictions on in-car gaming, CCP Games' CEO talking about how gaming should be a viable retirement plan, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Yevgen Vershynin (Chief Operating Officer of 27 Nerds), we discuss Yevgen's background in research and software, outsourcing software development to 27 Nerds, the needs of esports teams in today's market, building software for the esports industry, esports software development talent exploding in Eastern Europe, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss TikTok developing a live-streaming desktop application, CD Projekt settling a $1.85 million lawsuit, Secretlab launching a gaming chair based on The Witcher, 100 Thieves' President saying the company isn't worried about profits, China's gaming regulations causing slowing growth, PlayVS exiting the collegiate space in failure as expected, one of the lead people behind Arcane getting into tabletop gaming, Rec Room securing $145 million at a $3.5 billion valuation, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Johnny Ward (Co-Founder & CEO of Damage - The Esports Agency), we discuss esports and creative agencies, keys to approaching endemic vs non-endemic brands, delivering campaigns for companies like Intel, Subaru, Ubisoft, and TikTok, the new season of The Witcher, Arcane's continued success, Netflix's gaming content, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss NXZT raising $100 million in a recent funding round, Dr Disrespect's new gaming studio (Midnight Society), Ubisoft's NFT offering in Ghost Recon, Kraft Sports Group buying a Call of Duty League team, Razer's Hello Kitty gaming chair, xQc showing off his $320,000 McLaren, Phil Spencer talking about Kinect's impact on the industry, Henry Cavill being interested in a role in the Mass Effect series, the 2021 YouTube Streamy Awards, Epic Games Store finally creating a shopping cart, the collaboration continuing between Fortnite and Marshmello, Tesla's gaming capabilities being a cause for concern on the road, and so much more!.
In this episode with special guest Kevin Caldwell (Founder & CEO of Evolved Play), we discuss the intersection of gaming and education, the challenges of edtech, Kevin's background with major publishing companies like Activision-Blizzard, Riot Games, and EA, insights into the game development process, the benefits of parents being involved in their children's gaming, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss 100 Thieves securing $60 million in a Series C funding round, UTA raising $200 million for a SPAC, Games & Esports Experience Acquisition Corp. announcing the pricing of its upsized IPO, Lamborghini developing a gaming chair, Valve confirming the lack of exclusive games for the Steam Deck, Gabe Newell sharing information about the future of Valve and brain-computer interfaces, rumored Apple AR / VR headset focused on gaming and content, ValkyRae providing details on her YouTube Gaming contract, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Matthew Jackson (CEO of Ultimate Gaming Championship), we discuss establishing premier esports events and competitions, UGC expanding into other areas like online events, content creation, and live productions, creating a gaming company early in the space, Jimmy Baratta’s new nickname, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Ludwig making the move to YouTube Gaming from Twitch, Xbox reportedly beating PlayStation on Black Friday, consoles and games being nominated for the Golden Joystick 2021 Awards, Avocado securing $18 million in a recent funding round, Complexity launching a gaming division for celebrities and pro athletes, Arkadium Advantage offering gaming subscriptions to seniors, Atari acquiring MobyGames, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Anita K. Sharma (Founder of Sharma Law PLLC), we discuss trends in digital media and entertainment law, Ludwig going from Twitch to YouTube Gaming, DMCA issues and potential solutions, where lawyers fit in the talent management stack, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss World of Warcraft potentially coming to consoles, Razer possibly going private valuing the business at $4.5 billion, Arcane being renewed for a second season, Epic Games acquiring Harmonix, Enthusiast Gaming buying U.GG, Hendrick’s Gin launching a gaming chair, Sega unveiling a line of colognes, Cloud9 partnering with The Smurfs, Battlefield 2042 becoming one of Steam’s worst-rated games, Moncler collaborating with Fortnite, and so much more.
In this episode with special guest Bryan Waddell (Head of Creators, Gaming, and Esports at Nestlé USA), we discuss Nestlé USA's gaming and esports strategy, how the brands under Nestlé think about their target market and gamers, successful activations and influencer partnerships with Hot Pockets, best practices and learnings for other brands looking to reach the gaming audience, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Tim Sweeney renewing his attack on Apple, Netflix sharing some revenues with Apple, Call of Duty: Vanguard sales being down in the UK, Roblox surpassing Activision-Blizzard as America's most valuable gaming company, Xbox launching a free multiplayer beta for Halo Infinite, Gucci and Xbox partnering with one another, Secretlab making an April Fool's Joke a reality, Valve delaying the Steam Deck, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Wes Byrd (CEO of Skullz Inc.), we discuss the genesis of Skullz and how their business has evolved over time, what goes into creating a successful esports apparel line and e-commerce offering, how the clothing partnerships are formed, the difficulties associated with the gaming accessories market, the state of high school esports, looking good translating to better gaming performance, what goes into collaborations with educational institutions, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Riot Games confirming talks with the Olympics, the League of Legends World Championship breaking viewership records, Arcane finding success on Netflix around the globe, rule changes being made for coaches during the PGL Major Stockholm 2021, Immortals relocating its headquarters to the Great Lakes Region of the United States, OpTic Gaming And Envy Gaming merging to form OpTic Texas, Roblox beating market estimates, Nintendo unveiling plans to release new hardware sometime this century, and so much more!
In this episode with special guests Tyler Endres (Founder and CEO, Esports Arena) and Luke Brue (Chief Sales Officer, Esports Arena), we discuss the story and history of Esports Arena, their company joining forces with Walmart, the organization’s Overpowered line of gaming hardware products, what these guys have learned over the last 15 years in the esports industry, the expected sales competition between COD, Battlefield, and Halo, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Microsoft announcing plans to launch their own metaverse, Riot Games being okay with League of Legends Esports not turning a profit, Blizzcon 2022 getting canceled amid Activision-Blizzard fallout, Fortnite China shutting down this month, Facebook Gaming surpassing YouTube Gaming in viewership, Ubisoft investing in and creating blockchain games, Netflix rolling out mobile games, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Doron Nir (Co-Founder of StreamElements), we discuss StreamElements raising $100 million in a recent investment round, the transformational effect of a SoftBank investment, the future of picks and shovels for streaming and VOD, how StreamElements compares to their competitors, StreamElements looking to hire, how StreamElements works with content creators, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (YouGov)), we discuss Xbox Game Pass missing its target, a virtual Chipotle and EDC coming to the Roblox metaverse, FaZe Clan securing a $1 billion public valuation, Ninja explaining why Mixer failed, the League of Legends World Championship being broadcast in European movie theaters, Tencent launching a game studio to enter the metaverse, Sony patenting technology that will change the way we stream, GameStop getting involved in the Web3 gaming space, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Marius Adomnica (Esports Lawyer at Segev LLP), we discuss the legal side of gaming, trends in the world of esports law, the legal and business ramifications of Guild Esports terminating its partnership with an unnamed fintech sponsor, Pokimane launching a brand and talent management agency, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss Facebook rebranding and moving further into the metaverse, Steam no longer supporting blockchain-based games, Epic doing the opposite of Valve, 100 Thieves acquiring Higround, Wisdom Gaming partnering with Mall of America for a midwest esports hub, Lil Nas X launching a browser game, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Steven Salz (Co-Founder & CEO of Rivalry), we discuss the state of the online gambling industry, the rapid growth of sports and esports betting, the difference between traditional sports betting and gambling on video games, Rivalry's listing on the TSX Venture Exchange, the benefits of being public in the world's fastest-growing market, the pros and cons of being a vertically integrated betting business, the future of esports betting, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news and podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss Google countersuing Epic Games, Epic working on a Fortnite movie, Ubisoft receiving a ton of hate, PC Building Simulator surpassing 4 million downloads after free Epic Store offering, Dr Pepper giving away a gaming chair, NFX and Bitkraft Ventures creating blockchain gaming funds, James Bond cars coming to Rocket League, Samsung launching Jaxon, Super League Gaming buying Bloxbiz, Electronic Arts breaking records, and so much more!
In this episode with special guests "Chillrogg" and "Sidkitten" (Co-founders of Chilly Mountain), we discuss building an esports org in the middle of a pandemic, transitioning from other careers into gaming, operating esports teams in niche games, Splitgate announcing a $100,000 esports pro series, Lil Nas X collaborating with 100 Thieves for the League of Legends World Championship, 100 Thieves returning to the Apex Legends scene, and so much more!
In the latest weekly news show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss Amazon's CEO saying gaming is the future, New World continuing to find success, a data breach taking place at Twitch, "Nickmercs" extending his Twitch partnership, Blue Diamond Almonds teaming up with 100 Thieves, Paris Hilton collaborating with Roblox, Supersocial securing $5.2 million, Apple expecting to outearn Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony, Rivalry going public on the TSX Venture Exchange, insiders leaking images of Lenovo's design for a handheld gaming device, mobile gaming dominating user acquisition ad spend, TSM FTX launching a collection of NFTs, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guests Jordan Sherman (CEO at Immortals) and Ari Segal (Executive Chairman at Immortals and Managing Director of IGC), we discuss a huge shift in Immortals' business model and strategy, how to build one of the world's most recognizable gaming organizations, how IGC's umbrella structure ties into their vision for the future of esports orgs, the success of a zero-profit pricing merch program, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss Amazon officially launching New World, Nintendo unveiling the cast of the Super Mario Bros. movie, Apple banning Fortnite from the app store, China preventing companies from offering games on foreign platforms, the League of Legends World Championship choosing “Burn It All Down” as the official song of 2021, VYSYN Ventures creating a $30 million fund for blockchain games, Epic Hero Battles being accused of stealing artwork, Netflix continuing to ramp up its gaming efforts, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Kyle Stallock (Head of Marketing for Gamer Sensei – a Corsair company), we discuss Kyle starting out as a Street Fighter pro and ending up at Gamer Sensei, working for Corsair Gaming and the marketing strategies they have been implementing, building a gaming practice at Edelman, developing video games and managing communities for Eidos Montreal, tracking the launch of Amazon’s New World, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss Razer’s new Gaming Finger Sleeves, 100 Thieves making $2.5 million on their latest merch drop, Fnatics partnering with Crypto.com, Immortals launching a line of zero-profit pricing apparel, Balenciaga collaborating with Fortnite on hoodies, TimTheTatMan and Pokimane having different approaches to esports orgs, Roblox creating an age verification system, Mastercard sponsoring chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, Candy Crush launching an esports tournament, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Bryan Reedy (CEO of Gamer Advantage), we discuss how Gamer Advantage is trying to create the best blue-light lens absorbing technology on the market today, what goes into making the ultimate pair of glasses for gamers, the growth of the video game peripheral industry, how sleep affects gaming performance, Beijing launching a website for citizens to report companies breaking new gaming regulations, fines being given to companies for letting minors game during restricted hours, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss FaZe Clan partnering with DC to create a comic book, 1047 Games raising $100M, Activision losing players and guilds, World of Warcraft Guild “APES” disbanding, China suspending new game development, Google Cloud hiring away top Stadia exec, Riot Games hiring former Netflix Executive, Pokemon and Oreo launching collectible cookies, and so much more!
(Previously streamed to a live audience)
In this episode, with special guest Dushan Batrovic (CEO and Co-Founder of Antares Gaming), we discuss his story as an outsider breaking into gaming, Antares building unique esports communities around influencers, esports teams partnering with celebrities and brands, esports teams choosing between making content and winning, the likelihood that esports will be as big as traditional sports, Anatares’ approach to partnering with brand sponsors, DC Comics featuring FaZe Clan members as superheroes in their latest comic, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss Toya and their game “Miraculous Ladybug” crossing 200M plays on Roblox, Vans activating inside of Roblox, Valorant releasing Zedd skins, a dentist challenging patients to games for a free dental visit, Enthusiast Gaming acquiring Addicting Games and GameKnot, Tiffany and Co. crafting LPL 2021 summer trophy, ProbablyMonsters raising $200M to build game studios, CD Projekt hiring community mod makers, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Michael Vorhaus (CEO of Vorhaus Advisors), we discuss his extensive history in gaming, building and investing in gaming start up companies, what investors look for when backing founders, gaming industry themes to be excited about, Miraculous Ladybug surpassing 200 million plays, Roblox expanding its metaverse, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss China cracking down on minors gaming, Tencent investing globally, YouTube Gaming tired of copying Twitch and now copying Mixer by signing two major streamers, Tim Hortons opening an esports coffee shop, Faker securing a sponsorship with Razer, XSET teaming up with a famous Las Vegas nightclub, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guests Steven Blickensderfer and Nate Blair (in-house lawyers for Krafton, makers of PUBG), we discuss the legal landscape around Krafton and PUBG, current business legal and privacy issues facing the video game industry, Overwatch making changes to characters due to the Activision-Blizzard lawsuit, China launching stricter gaming regulations for minors, Apple changing its billing policies to allow developers direct email contact with customers, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss VENN furloughing almost half its employees, Dr Disrespect suing Twitch, Johanna Faries “stepping down” from her role running Activision-Blizzard esports leagues, Stardew Valley launching an esports tournament, Counter-Strike still holding its own in terms of esports prize money, Soulja Boy claiming ownership of Atari, Leyou struggling after being acquired by Tencent, Google laying out their gaming ambitions, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Mark Deppe (Director of Esports at the University of California- Irvine), we discuss how he built one of the most respected college esports programs in the country, college esports best practices, the benefits of having a college esports program, the intersection of academics and gaming, the future of college esports in the U.S., Butler University planning to build an esports arena, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss Rockstar remastering GTA classics, Fortnite releasing an “Among Us” mode, Roblox acquiring Guilded, Phil Spencer running Xbox games on his Steam Deck, 7 mobile games making more than $100M per month, Allied Esports losing a lot of money, Riot cancelling their in-person event at the Prudential Center, Entain buying Unikrn, the Switch breaking records in Japan, Zupee securing $30 million to keep building the Skillz of India, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Nick Gross (founder of Gross Labs and Find Your Grind), we discuss Gross Labs connecting the music industry with the gaming industry, how gaming both disrupts and elevates music, ReKTGlobal being an effective marketing tool to reach the lucrative gamer audience, Find Your Grind bringing innovation to the world of education, Tribe Gaming partnering with Razer to launch an esports scholarship program, Rockstar Games remastering three famous Grand Theft Auto titles, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss Dr DisRespect trying to launch his own gaming studio, Google coming close to acquiring Epic Games, Overwatch League continuing to lose sponsors, Louis Vuitton making a mobile game, YouGov insights on esports betting and bettors, Activision-Blizzard being saved by mobile revenue, Enthusiast Gaming exceeding expectations, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Ian Proulx (CEO and Co-Founder, 1047 Games) we discuss the initial success and return of Splitgate, the challenges of making free-to-play games, the effect of venture capital and influencers on the game development world, what the future holds for Splitgate and 1047 games, Dr Disrespect unveiling plans to launch his own video game development studio, AviaGames raising $40 million to compete with Skillz, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss T-Mobile pulling its sponsorship from the Overwatch League and Call of Duty League, Blizzard’s President stepping down, Ariana Grande becoming the latest celebrity to collaborate with Fortnite, China cracking down on “spiritual opium” (aka gaming) resulting in a $60B market cap loss for Tencent, FTX sponsoring the LCS, the advertising channels most likely to grab Gen Z’s attention, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Patrick “Chief Pat” Carney (Founder and CEO of Tribe Gaming), we discuss Carney’s road to success with Tribe Gaming, Chief Pat’s view on the future of mobile gaming and mobile esports, Riot Games doubling down in China by launching a new video game studio, Collective Ace Group raising a $100 million venture fund to invest in the Indian gaming space, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Epic Games creating a hyper realistic, drivable Ferrari for Fortnite, Dell cancelling Alienware gaming shipments to several US states due to power consumption regulations, the newest addition to the Cooler Master immersive experience, The Orb X Gaming Pod, Facebook adding looking to add hundreds of new jobs to new metaverse group, Playdate console hitting the market with a handheld retro gaming experience, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Clinton Sparks (Owner and Chief Business Development Officer of XSET), we discuss how Clinton Sparks achieved massive success in the music & gaming industry, how XSET differentiates itself from all the other esports orgs out there, Electronic Arts’ VP of Brand, Elle McCarthy, deeming the term ‘gamer’ to be outdated, XQc receiving a ban from Twitch after watching Olympic highlights, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Netflix hiring a Facebook Gaming executive and planning to add games to their subscription, Zoom offering games to kill time during meetings, Peloton launching a video game on their bike, Tesla’s Model Y and Semi being added to PUBG Mobile, Valve announcing the highly-anticipated Steam Deck, Vertagear coming out with a Swarovski crystal covered gaming chair, IKEA’s long history in the gaming world, and so much more!
In this episode, with our very own Jimmy Mondal (Executive Producer and Host at Holodeck Media), we discuss the challenges faced by the esports pro, caster, and host career paths, Ubisoft announcing a new Tom Clancy shooter called XDefiant, lessons learned from the fall of Cheddar Esports and Quibi and the repercussions for other large media companies, Stadia game developers scared of new pay-for-engagement plans, Tencent making an offer to buy out Sumo Group for $1.26B, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Osso VR raising $27M to turn surgery into a video game, PowerZ raising $8.3M for an education-based game, Cooler Master and D-Box technologies coming out with a $2000 gaming chair, Ninjas in Pyjamas merging with Chinese team ESV5, Allied Esports completing the sale of World Poker Tour to Element Partners, Riot announcing that the 2021 NA LCS will be held in-person in New Jersey, the U.S. gaining 13M more gamers during the pandemic, game deals surpassing $60B in the first half of 2021, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest AJ Damiano (CEO of Powerspike), we discuss how Powerspike connects influencers/streamers with brands and brand campaigns, the challenges and opportunities for creators, monetization options for gaming influencers, 100 Thieves partnering with Gucci, Tencent’s $5.3B Huya-Douyu merger being blocked by China’s anti-trust regulator, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Nintendo releasing a new Switch among chip shortages, Amazon making its game engine Lumberyard open source, leakers saying Lebron James is coming to Fortnite as a skin, BMW teasing a new gaming chair concept, Tencent using facial recognition to prevent minors from gaming at night, EA claiming to have no intention of using in-game video ads, stats from our friends at YouGov (http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (yougov.com/gaming-esports)) discussing the initial reaction to Nintendo’s Switch announcement, a gaming startup raising $30M to launch a new casual MMO, and so much more!
In this episode, with special guest Marco Mereu (Co-Founder and COO of XSET), we discuss the differentiated vision for XSET as an esports org, the role of culture and lifestyle in esports and gaming, best practices and tips for breaking into the esports industry, how XSET views mobile esports, gaming influencers making E3 obsolete, Nadeshot wanting to sign college esports athletes to 100 Thieves, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss GTA VI being delayed yet again to 2024 or 2025, artist Takashi Murakami collaborating with FaZe Clan on a new clothing line, Andbox expanding into mobile gaming with a Call of Duty: Mobile team, Epic releasing free anti-cheat and voice chat software to developers, some much-requested Heroes of the Storm stats from our friends at YouGov (yougov.com/gaming-esports), German football club Schalke 04 selling its League of Legends European Championship license, GameSquare Esports acquiring Complexity Gaming, and so much more!
On this episode with special guest Nicole Pike (Global Sector Head of Gaming and Esports at YouGov), we discuss YouGov’s pivotal role in making esports data better and more actionable, how YouGov works with brands, teams, and other stakeholders to help them make the best possible decisions, trends in the gaming and esports world, ESL and Monster Energy becoming global partners, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Facebook trying to integrate ads into Oculus VR games, the CEO of Unity predicting that AR & VR headsets will be as common as consoles by 2030, Yield Guild Games raising $4M for play-to-earn games, Tony Petitti stepping down as president of Sports and Entertainment for Activision Blizzard, an esports mall opening in China, some stats from our friends at YouGov (yougov.com/gaming-esports) and Riot about esports fans vs traditional sports fans, EA expanding into mobile with the purchase of Playdemic, and so much more!
In this episode with special guests Chris Lloyd (Chief Strategy Officer, Evolved Talent) and Duncan Stanley (Account Director, Evolved Talent), we discuss the challenges and opportunities for esports and gaming talent, the merits of mobile gaming as an esport, being a competitor vs being an entertainer, fashion and esports colliding with Esports Fashion Week, Ralph Lauren partnering with G2, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, sponsored by YouGov (http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (http://yougov.com/gaming-esports)), we discuss PUBG developer Krafton raising $5B in a public offering, 37% of mobile gamers want to shift to PC, Amazon’s Luna soon opening access to Prime members, the most anticipated titles announced at E3 2021 (from YouGov), Microsoft selling a mini-fridge shaped like an Xbox, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Adam Gertz (Senior Counsel & Head of Esports for Morrison Rothman), we discuss the esports business from legal, regulatory and agency viewpoints, best practices in managing and advocating for talent, whether or not E3 has become obsolete, the FBI forming a unit to combat corruption in esports, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, sponsored by YouGov (http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (yougov.com/gaming-esports)), we discuss FTX paying TSM $210M over 10 years for the team’s naming rights, Microsoft Excel turning the Financial Modeling World Cup into an esport, the relationship between esports fans and ads and popular types of mobile games, Nintendo announcing the opening of a museum, a new gaming hub forming in Irvine consisting of former Blizzard employees, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Zack Johnson (Founder and CEO of ggCircuit), we discuss building the operating system of gaming centers, the growth and future of LAN centers and what makes them successful, Netflix trying to enter the gaming space, how Valorant is performing relative to other games with real data from LAN centers around the world, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show (sponsored by YouGov), we discuss Valorant coming to phones and mobile platforms, HP unveiling a new low-cost gaming brand (Victus), YouGov stats on in-game ads for mobile, Tesla beefing up their in-car gaming systems, Nvidia still dominating gaming despite all the attention on crypto, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Adrian Montgomery (CEO of Enthusiast Gaming), we discuss Enthusiast’s overall strategy of community building, Enthusiast’s future plans for growth and acquisitions, the synergies between content and distribution, Luminosity’s collaboration with Coldplay, the signing of xQc and his streaming success, esports teams like Astralis opening gaming centers, and so much more!
A week of news covering the intersection of business and gaming / esports, all in about one minute – everything you need to know from the “profit of esports” himself.
050 – May 23, 2021
In this week’s Business of Esports Minute: OWL & CDL Get Drunk, Sony Esports Betting, and NFL Skillz Game.
The Call of Duty League and the Overwatch League recently announced they are loosening restrictions on the types of sponsorship deals that franchises can make with outside companies. This means that both leagues will allow individual teams to obtain sponsorship deals from previously excluded sectors, such as gambling and liquor businesses. We continue to see signs of desperation from Activision Blizzard’s franchised leagues. They had previously towed a very lofty family-friendly line. Now that the leagues are struggling to generate revenue, grow, or attract an audience, it makes sense that previous ideals would be sacrificed for profit. It’s unlikely that either league will lose much in the way of viewership as a consequence of this change, and it should open up new revenue opportunities, but it still stinks of desperation.
Sony Interactive Entertainment recently filed a patent to create an “esports betting system.” Sony is considering setting up a service in which Esports fans can watch matches, while the same service advertises and hosts a way to bet on the results. The seamless layering of betting on top of esports matches just makes so much sense and maybe one of the best ways to monetize esports. The fact that Sony is looking at this kind of functionality (and spending time getting patents for it) completely legitimizes the entire esports betting opportunity. There are exciting things ahead in the esports betting space and it will be interesting to see if Sony wants to be a major player there.
As part of a partnership with gaming platform Skillz, the National Football League has begun accepting applications for the Game Developer Challenge being co-hosted by the two organizations. Developers will have a chance to submit their ideas for an NFL-inspired mobile game that will debut near the beginning of the 2022 NFL season. I love this for so many reasons. Skillz attracts new developers to their platform with this contest. They get at least one premium mobile game on their platform with a complete NFL tie-in. It cements the partnership between the NFL and Skillz that was established in 2019. And for the NFL, they get their branding in front of millions of mobile gamers, and a football-inspired game that will likely be more successful than anything they could have produced on their own.
You can get esports news anywhere. This is the only place you can get real insight. For more of this, as well as the most exceptional line-up of guests, please tune in every week to the Business of Esports podcast and every Wednesday evening into the Business of Esports after-show Livestream. Also make sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @bizesports and on YouTube at The Business of Esports.
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Valve not-so-secretly building a portable gaming PC similar to the Switch, Fnatic raising $17M for expansion into Asia, Bethesda producing an Indiana Jones game, PlayStation bringing more games to PC, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Tobias Sherman (Co-Founder and CEO of Foundry IV), we discuss stories from the esports broadcasting world, ELeague’s success and place in the gaming space, the role of linear TV in the esports ecosystem, how to bridge the gap between esports and traditional sports, trends in esports talent and management, a clear winner in the Apple/Epic court case, Overwatch 2 will be free-to-play, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Call of Duty League and Overwatch League loosening their sponsorship restrictions to include betting and alcohol ads, a new poll showing that 60% of parents know more about their kids gaming habits than school classes, Sony patenting an esports betting system, Google Stadia claiming that it is “alive and well”, the NFL and Skillz launching a contest for mobile game developers, JJ Abrams’ studio Bad Robot clinching $40M for gaming in a fundraising round, Warner Bros’ gaming division being separated from AT&T and new merger with Discovery, Epic Games suing AR company Nreal over their name, Tencent partnering with Microsoft on new games as rivalry with ByteDance intensifies, Ninja revealing that he once made $5M in a month from his Fortnite creator code, and so much more!
A week of news covering the intersection of business and gaming / esports, all in about one minute – everything you need to know from the “profit of esports” himself.
049 – May 16, 2021
In this week’s Business of Esports Minute: Herman Miller Dominance, Ubisoft Free To Play, and Tencent Trouble.
From the keyboard to the boardroom, this is the Business of Esports Minute! Every single week, I, Paul Dawalibi, the prophet of esports, will be bringing you my hottest takes from the week, basically, everything you need to know about the business of esports all in about one minute. Let’s go.
This week, Herman Miller was in the news as their Director of Gaming, Jon Campbell, recently sat down for an interview where he discussed how the company came to dominate the high-end gaming chair market. Despite the deluge of low-cost gaming chairs, Herman Miller has managed to achieve big success in this category with a very premium offering. It goes to show that good products and good word of mouth can win the day in the gaming space. It’s also interesting that much of this success was achieved without the sponsorship of a huge tournament or influencer, until only very recently.
In other news, Ubisoft recently expressed a renewed commitment to free-to-play games. This comes after the French company warned that profits might fall during the 2021 financial year. It’s an interesting dichotomy when a company announces profits falling and reacts with a strategy to give more of their product away for free. Free-to-play is definitely the hot trend in gaming and Ubisoft is clearly eager to tap into it. However, it’s not clear that Ubisoft’s games can be easily adapted to a free-to-play model. Furthermore, I’m not convinced that Ubisoft’s struggles are related to their choice of business model. Fundamentally, they just haven’t been making good games. That’s not an issue that any pivot in monetization scheme can solve.
Finally, Tencent is discussing agreements with an American national security panel that would allow the company to maintain its ownership stakes in Riot Games and Epic Games. Tencent owns a 40% stake in Epic Games and is the parent company of Riot Games. The repercussions of Tencent being forced to divest their US gaming investments are quite serious. It would set a significant precedent and likely discourage foreign investors from putting money into US gaming companies. Tencent would also be discouraged from investing in US gaming companies. Removing an important acquirer and investor like Tencent from the ecosystem would have negative consequences for everyone. None of this is likely to happen though as I’m guessing Tencent will reach some kind of agreement with the US government. It is interesting to put our tinfoil hats on though and consider who might be the buyer of Tencent’s US gaming assets.
You can get esports news anywhere. This is the only place you can get real insight. For more of this, as well as the most exceptional line-up of guests, please tune in every week to the Business of Esports podcast and every Wednesday evening into the Business of Esports after-show Livestream. Also make sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @bizesports and on YouTube at The Business of Esports.
On this episode with special guest Jessica Blevins (Ninja’s wife and business manager), we discuss the business of managing the biggest star in gaming, the possibility of a Ninja esports org, choosing partnerships wisely, creating a merch empire, the crossover of gaming and entertainment, the Ninja legacy and what could be next, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Steam policing VR adult content such as Holodexxx, EA beating revenue forecasts (because of Apex Legends), Luckbox losing money and their CEO, blockchain gaming platform Forte being valued at $1B, and so much more!
A week of news covering the intersection of business and gaming / esports, all in about one minute – everything you need to know from the “profit of esports” himself.
048 – May 9, 2021
In this week’s Business of Esports Minute: Riot Games Spying, Sony x Discord, and Stadia Lead Quits.
From the keyboard to the boardroom, this is the Business of Esports Minute! Every single week, I, Paul Dawalibi, the prophet of esports, will be bringing you my hottest takes from the week, basically, everything you need to know about the business of esports all in about one minute. Let’s go.
This week, Riot Games told users they were updating their privacy policy giving the company permission to record VALORANT voice communications. This comes as part of an effort to moderate toxic behavior in the gaming community. This is a headline that should scare gamers. While Riot claims they are recording voice communications to weed out toxic players, it’s far more likely they are doing this to collect data that they can later use or sell. Given Riot’s Chinese ownership, this is doubly worrisome, as policing what can be done with the data is that much more difficult. I hope that other games do not follow suit, as tempting as it may be, but Riot is, unfortunately, setting a bad precedent here.
In other news, Sony recently invested in Discord and now holds a minority stake in the company. The online communications platform is now expected to be integrated into Sony’s Playstation Network by 2022. Very interesting that Sony would swoop in with a partnership so soon after acquisition talks with Microsoft broke down. Any follower of the Profit knew that Discord would never sell for $10B. I’m curious if Discord pursues a path that prioritizes building out integrations like this or focuses primarily on their own platform. Either way, this is a win for both Sony and Discord. Sony gets best-in-class communication and community functionality, and Discord gets millions of new users ahead of a likely IPO.
Finally, it was recently revealed that John Justice, the Vice President and Head of Product at Google Stadia, has left the company. The organization later released a statement that said “We can confirm John is no longer with Google and we wish him well on his next step.” Hopefully, John is headed for greener pastures here, maybe to avoid shouldering some of the blame for Stadia’s failure. The product just didn’t make sense. Either way, it’s yet another sign of Google’s monumental gaming failure and how right I was about Stadia years ago.
You can get esports news anywhere. This is the only place you can get real insight. For more of this, as well as the most exceptional line-up of guests, please tune in every week to the Business of Esports podcast and every Wednesday evening into the Business of Esports after-show Livestream. Also make sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @bizesports and on YouTube at The Business of Esports.
On this episode, we discuss a textile museum at Florida Tech being converted to an esports arena, Tencent being in talks with US authorities to keep their ownership stakes in US gaming companies, Ubisoft investing in free-to-play games amid warnings of a dip in profits, Herman Miller cornering the luxury gaming chair market, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss details of Epic Games’ business that have been exposed as a consequence of their lawsuit with Apple, confidential Epic emails detailing an unannounced Walmart cloud gaming service, Stadia product head John Justice quitting Google, Japan planning to open its first ‘esports gym’, MoviePass’ co-founder Pre-Show Interactive raising $3M to expand into gaming, LeBron James asking for gaming chair recommendations, Bill Maher drawing criticism after saying watching Twitch is a waste of time, and so much more!
A week of news covering the intersection of business and gaming / esports, all in about one minute – everything you need to know from the “profit of esports” himself.
047 – May 2, 2021
In this week’s Business of Esports Minute: The Esports Certification Institute, Olympic Esports, and Chinese Esports Media Rights.
From the keyboard to the boardroom, this is the Business of Esports Minute! Every single week, I, Paul Dawalibi, the prophet of esports, will be bringing you my hottest takes from the week, basically, everything you need to know about the business of esports all in about one minute. Let’s go.
Last week, the Esports Certification Institute (or ECI) announced the creation of a certification exam with the goal of ensuring that the gaming sector has a trustworthy pipeline of future employees. ECI offered an online test for anybody interested in becoming a member of the esports field. That was the plan at least…until the whole idea was called out for the terrible business that it is and they shut the whole operation down. The esports flavored standardized test was in no way a barometer of a person’s suitability to be an esports company employee. This was gatekeeping for profit, and executed as poorly as possible. If you are looking to get into the gaming industry, go get real world experience through an internship or attend a reputable university that has business of esports curriculum.
In other news, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced partnerships with video game publishers and five International Sports Federations (IFs) to produce Olympic esports events. The Olympic Virtual Series (OVS) will take place during the summer in Tokyo. The esports selected are auto racing, baseball, cycling, rowing and sailing. Weird choices to say the least. The IOC is completely clueless here. Kudos to them for at least dipping their toes in the esports waters. That’s an achievement. However, the way they are going about it will not achieve what they desperately need – to attract a younger audience to the Olympics.
Lastly, Huya recently signed a media rights deal with China’s League of Legends operator TJ Sports. The deal is reportedly for five years and is worth $310 million. Chinese esports media rights are a hot topic recently. Bilibili seemed to be the only platform interested in acquiring them, but here we have 2 Tencent companies doing a deal. Tencent’s ownership of Riot (and many other studios), as well as the major streaming platforms in China, give them a definite advantage should they want to corner the market on esports media rights.
You can get esports news anywhere. This is the only place you can get real insight. For more of this, as well as the most exceptional line-up of guests, please tune in every week to the Business of Esports podcast and every Wednesday evening into the Business of Esports after-show Livestream. Also make sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @bizesports and on YouTube at The Business of Esports.
On this episode with special guest Jimmy Baratta (Senior Advisor for XSET and instructor of esports at the University of California Irvine), we discuss tips for breaking into the esports business, Riot Games recording voice communications in Valorant to catch toxic players, PlayStation planning to integrate Discord chat into PlayStation Network, Sony blocking the most recent Resident Evil title from being included in Xbox Game Pass, Sony making Epic Games pay for Fortnite cross-play, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss the ECI’s esports exam/certification, HUYA paying $310M for exclusive League of Legends media rights in China, ESL renewing and expanding their partnership with Chinese streaming platform DouYu, the IOC announcing a new slate of Olympic-licensed esports events and YouGov polls projected attendance, Dr Disrespect calling out 100 Thieves making Valkyrae and CouRage co-owners as a PR stunt, Nickmercs becoming a new “co-owner” of FaZe, Cathie Wood and ARK Invest continuing to buy Skillz stock despite its recent nosedive, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss the launch of an “esports certification” program, NRG selling naming rights for their Rocket League team to The General Insurance, poker potentially emerging as an esport, Fortnite esports participation declining 50%, and so much more!
A week of news covering the intersection of business and gaming / esports, all in about one minute – everything you need to know from the “profit of esports” himself.
046 – April 25, 2021
In this week’s Business of Esports Minute: Discord Rejection, Bilibili OWL Rights, and Ubisoft TV.
From the keyboard to the boardroom, this is the Business of Esports Minute! Every single week, I, Paul Dawalibi, the prophet of esports, will be bringing you my hottest takes from the week, basically, everything you need to know about the business of esports all in about one minute. Let’s go.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Discord is ending talks to sell itself to Microsoft or any other company at this time. In March, there were rumors that Microsoft was attempting to buy the gaming chat firm for about $10 billion. Bloomberg says Discord reportedly rejected a $12 billion offer from Microsoft according to the publication’s sources that are close to the matter. No surprise that these talks broke down. In the context of recent gaming IPOs, Discord surely knew they were worth a lot more than $12B. It was my view that if Microsoft got Discord for $12B, it would go down as one of the best acquisitions of all time for them. I suspect Discord will go the IPO route, and likely command a $20B+ valuation.
Recently, Bilibili Esports reportedly signed an exclusive broadcast deal with Activision Blizzard for the exclusive rights to air the Overwatch League (OWL) in China. Financial details have not been disclosed at this time. The fact that anyone is paying upfront for Overwatch League media rights at this point is a miracle. However, Bilibili seems to have decided that, given they are the smaller streaming player in China, they need to buy up media rights for franchised esports leagues. They scooped League of Legends media rights for China previously. Now Overwatch League. I can almost guarantee the sum paid was small because it was not disclosed. There’s just no evidence yet that paying for media rights will be the winning strategy for streaming platforms but competition is sure to heat up.
Finally, video game giant Ubisoft officially launched a new online channel called gTV. gTV will stream on several platforms including Twitch, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The channel will feature original programming that focuses on the world of esports. It will also showcase teams and players while giving behind-the-scenes looks at some of the biggest gaming events of the year. Content continues to be a huge driver of growth in the gaming space. Developers increasingly are starting to throw their hat in the content ring. I’m not convinced Ubisoft really knows what they’re doing here though which is probably why they have outsourced this new media business. The “people-story-focused” approach is differentiated and I am curious to see if there is an audience for this type of gaming content. However, the “gTV by Ubisoft” branding is terrible. It’s too close to G4TV and it feels like they weren’t sure if they wanted this to be a Ubisoft product or not.
You can get esports news anywhere. This is the only place you can get real insight. For more of this, as well as the most exceptional line-up of guests, please tune in every week to the Business of Esports podcast and every Wednesday evening into the Business of Esports after-show Livestream. Also make sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @bizesports and on YouTube at The Business of Esports.
The Business of Esports is supported by YouGov, a leading international research firm that supplies the best data on gamers, games, and Esports fans around the world. Visit http://yougov.com/gaming-esports (yougov.com/gaming-esports) for YouGov’s free Esports & Gaming reports.
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Amazon cancelling their Lord of the Rings MMO, Bilibili obtaining exclusive Overwatch League broadcast rights in China, director of Overwatch Jeff Kaplan leaving Blizzard Entertainment, Activision-Blizzard’s CEO donating $4M to start a University of Michigan esports program, Ubisoft starting its own gaming channel called gTV, Porsche using gaming to design the 911, Summit1g showing off a $100,000 mouse, Rocket League striking a partnership with Lamborghini, Hallmark launching gaming ornaments, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Nicholas Grous (Analyst at Ark Invest), we discuss Ark Invest’s investment thesis around gaming, esports and digital entertainment, future trends in gaming, NFTs and the metaverse, Amazon Games cancelling its Lord of the Rings MMO, Discord calling off all acquisition discussions with Microsoft, and so much more!
A week of news covering the intersection of business and gaming / esports, all in about one minute – everything you need to know from the “profit of esports” himself.
045 – April 18, 2021
In this week’s Business of Esports Minute: 100 Thieves Ownership, Epic Losses, and $1B Esports Stadium!
From the keyboard to the boardroom, this is the Business of Esports Minute! Every single week, I, Paul Dawalibi, the prophet of esports, will be bringing you my hottest takes from the week, basically, everything you need to know about the business of esports all in about one minute. Let’s go.
Esports organization 100 Thieves announced it has expanded its ownership to include streamers Rachel “Valkyrae” Hofstetter and Jack “CouRage” Dunlop. Valkyrae and CouRage will join an ownership group composed of company CEO & Founder Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag, rapper Drake, media mogul Scooter Braun, and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert. It’s always smart business to give your top employees equity so they have skin in the game. It’s a great motivator and incentives become very closely aligned. I’m assuming that’s what 100 Thieves is doing here. Let’s hope they don’t go down the path of FaZe Clan though where everyone and their dog is an “owner” or “investor”.
A recent court filing (thank you Apple) has revealed that Epic Games lost about $454 million in 2019 and 2020 on the Epic Games Store (EGS). EGS lost $181 million & $273 million in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Epic expects the store to turn a profit in 2023. They have 160 million registered users and 56 million monthly actives. According to Apple’s filings, the Epic Games Store is going to cost Epic $600 million in losses by the end of this year and won’t be profitable until 2027. I have 3 concerns here. First, Epic continues to be distracted by the ongoing lawsuit. I am amazed they managed to raise $1B at a 50% valuation increase with this hanging over their heads. Second, while Epic is very enthusiastic about the Epic Games Store losses being an investment, it’s not clear if they are achieving anything of significance. 56 million monthly actives sounds a lot like the Fortnite crowd. Other than for Fortnite and the free games, who is actually using the Epic Games Store, and will they stay when those go away? I think not. Primarily because the Epic Games Store hasn’t offered anything in the way of real innovation compared to Steam. Finally, for all the reasons above – and here’s my hot take- I believe the Epic Games Store will likely go down as one of the worst investments in gaming history. Epic could have used these hundreds of millions to further their metaverse ambitions, make new games, build new technologies, etc and created far more long-term value in the company.
Finally, Tencent, a multinational conglomerate company, recently announced plans to build a billion-dollar esports venue in the business’s home country of China. A billion-dollar esports arena in China backed by Tencent makes a lot more sense to me than the $500M arena in Toronto. Between the popularity of Tencent-owned esports and the massive Chinese audience, this is likely a far better investment. We don’t have details on the number of seats, etc, but this will be exciting to see come to life.
You can get esports news anywhere. This is the only place you can get real insight. For more of this, as well as the most exceptional line-up of guests, please tune in every week to the Business of Esports podcast and every Wednesday evening into the Business of Esports after-show Livestream. Also make sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @bizesports and on YouTube at The Business of Esports.
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Epic Games sustaining heavy losses around the Epic Games Store, Tencent planning for a new billion-dollar esports arena in China, Generation Esports closing a $10.8M financing round, kids wanting gaming and esports to be incorporated into their school curriculum, Ball State University cutting the ribbon on their new campus esports center, Roblox partnering up with Hasbro for Monopoly and Nerf products, Nintendo cancelling Super Seducer on the Switch following controversy, Playpulse One launching a stationary bike for gaming, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss 100 Thieves adding “Valkyrae” and “CouRage” to their ownership group, Epic Games losing $600M on the Epic Games Store, Xbox potentially working on a brand new game with Kojima, ESL Gaming creating a new division devoted to mobile esports, and so much more!
A week of news covering the intersection of business and gaming / esports, all in about one minute – everything you need to know from the “profit of esports” himself.
044 – April 11, 2021
In this week’s Business of Esports Minute: Amazon Singapore, Microsoft Army, and Tencent Timi.
From the keyboard to the boardroom, this is the Business of Esports Minute! Every single week, I, Paul Dawalibi, the prophet of esports, will be bringing you my hottest takes from the week, basically, everything you need to know about the business of esports all in about one minute. Let’s go.
Amazon Singapore recently announced it was officially launching a dedicated gaming store. In conjunction with the launch, the Gaming Store will offer several deals on exclusive titles and games over the coming weeks. Amazon is obviously testing a dedicated gaming storefront in a smaller market first. These dedicated storefronts make a lot of sense because they are good for both discovery and shopper education. It also gives Amazon more opportunity to sell specific sponsored product slots. I just don’t fully understand why they don’t make a dedicated gaming storefront part of Twitch instead, where the combination of content and commerce would be very powerful. They seem very reluctant to make Twitch their gaming brand and I think it’s a mistake.
Microsoft recently won a contract for almost $22 billion to supply U.S. Army combat troops with augmented reality headsets. The deal was announced by both organizations at the end of March. Ever since our podcast episode with General Muth, I have been massively excited about the potential for gaming to transform the battlefield. Using AR and gaming technologies to give troops an advantage (and potentially save their lives) sounds like a huge win for both Microsoft and the Army here. I would not be surprised to see even bigger deals being made for deeper gaming integration into every component of modern warfare.
Finally, it was reported that Tencent’s TiMi Studios generated $10 billion of revenue last year, representing almost half of Tencent’s overall gaming business. This potentially makes TiMi, the studio behind Call of Duty Mobile and Honor of Kings, “the world’s largest developer”. The scale of Tencent’s gaming business is incredible. No surprise that a lot of this revenue is driven by mobile games and they have become one of the go-to providers for those who want to outsource or license mobile game development. Seeing as how Activision Blizzard no longer makes new games, TiMi may hold the title of world’s largest developer forever.
You can get esports news anywhere. This is the only place you can get real insight. For more of this, as well as the most exceptional line-up of guests, please tune in every week to the Business of Esports podcast and every Wednesday evening into the Business of Esports after-show Livestream. Also make sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @bizesports and on YouTube at The Business of Esports.
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Tencent’s Timi gaming studio making $10B in 2020, Amazon Singapore launching a dedicated gaming store, GameStop stock declining (not much) after offering up $1B in shares, Microsoft’s $22B deal with the Army to supply augmented reality headsets, GFuel partnering with xQc to launch “The Juice” energy drink, Nielsen shutting down their SuperData gaming division, AppLovin aiming for an IPO valuation of more than $30B, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Tfue launching a custom NFT collection (still not as cool as https://opensea.io/assets/0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e/88820781298356431419619926740960864423351409518475539978741872436449294417921 (ours), though!), Electronic Arts becoming a media company, Nintendo reportedly making up 15% of North America’s gaming revenues in 2020, Atari splitting into two divisions (Atari Gaming and Atari Blockchain), and so much more!
A week of news covering the intersection of business and gaming / esports, all in about one minute – everything you need to know from the “profit of esports” himself.
043 – April 4, 2021
In this week’s Business of Esports Minute: $100M Manticore, Rocket League Mobile, and Opera Gamer Browser.
From the keyboard to the boardroom, this is the Business of Esports Minute! Every single week, I, Paul Dawalibi, the prophet of esports, will be bringing you my hottest takes from the week, basically, everything you need to know about the business of esports all in about one minute. Let’s go.
Manticore Games, the developer and operator behind “Core”, recently announced it raised $100 million in series C financing. The company said it will use this investment to accelerate the growth of Core, the business’s online video game creation platform. They use the term “multiverse” multiple times in their announcement and it is misleading. Have we already moved beyond metaverse? Fundamentally, platforms like Manticore and Roblox are not new. These are distribution platforms or glorified “app stores” where developers can make games and sell them. It’s not any different than the Apple app store. That’s not to say they can’t be profitable businesses. Let’s just stop pretending that plays like Manticore are novel in any way.
Also, Rocket League released a tweet revealing that its mobile game, Rocket League Sideswipe, will be released later this year on iOS and Android devices. Players will be able to compete in 1v1 or 2v2 matches that last about two minutes per round. There seems to be a clear lifecycle for AAA games now. Step one is a free-to-play release on PC and console. Step two is a mobile release to broaden the game’s IP to a more casual and mainstream (and much larger) audience. Rocket League is following this pattern. No doubt it will be successful on mobile. It will be interesting to see if Epic makes any push for Rocket League mobile as an esport given the accessibility of the game and how easy it is to follow.
Opera announced that their gamer-focused Opera GX browser exceeded eight million active users last month. This signifies a growth of 250% year-over-year from February to now. There is a clear industry trend around creating new technology products or adapting existing products for the gamer audience. This is an important inflection point for the industry when the gamer audience is now seen as valuable enough to justify making specific products for it. Opera’s gamer browser is a clever example of this, and it has clearly found a sizable audience. I expect to see a lot more of this going forward.
You can get esports news anywhere. This is the only place you can get real insight. For more of this, as well as the most exceptional line-up of guests, please tune in every week to the Business of Esports podcast and every Wednesday evening into the Business of Esports after-show Livestream. Also make sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @bizesports and on YouTube at The Business of Esports.
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss the future potential and challenges of esports arenas, Lawnmower Simulator releasing exclusively on Xbox, Opera GX gaming browser finding huge user growth, CD Projekt “reconsidering” its plans for Cyberpunk 2077’s multiplayer, Manticore Games announcing $100M funding for their game app store, Razer’s unprecedented growth in the pandemic, Snap Games announcing a multi-game partnership with Gismart, and so much more!
On this episode with special guest Lagen Nash (CRO of Misfits Gaming), we discuss the Misfits approach to brand partnerships, Misfits managing teams in the 3 big franchised esports leagues, Misfits renewing their partnership with SoFi, a new esports arena being built on Chicago’s South Side, Rocket League launching a mobile version of their game and its potential impact on esports, and so much more!
A week of news covering the intersection of business and gaming / esports, all in about one minute – everything you need to know from the “profit of esports” himself.
042 – March 28, 2021
In this week’s Business of Esports minute: $10B Discord, GameStop Expansion, and Epic Fundraising.
From the keyboard to the boardroom, this is the Business of Esports Minute! Every single week, I, Paul Dawalibi, the prophet of esports, will be bringing you my hottest takes from the week, basically, everything you need to know about the business of esports all in about one minute. Let’s go.
According to a report by Bloomberg News that came out on Monday, Microsoft is currently in talks to buy messaging app Discord for $10 billion. This news comes after VentureBeat said that Discord is “exploring its options for a sale in the wake of interest from multiple parties.” At $10B, this would be a steal for Microsoft. Discord’s growth has been meteoric. However, this rumor creates a lot of questions. Why would Discord sell for $10B in the context of peers going public at much greater valuations? Could Discord have planted this story to create a bidding war? And why would Microsoft spend almost $20B on gaming assets over the last year after disposing of Mixer? Should Microsoft succeed in this Discord acquisition, would it fall under their gaming division or collaboration product division? I answered most of these questions in last week’s podcast and live stream, so check those out!
In other news, GameStop may soon be breaking into other markets. This comes after CEO George Sherman announced plans for the company to expand into new industries, including PC gaming, monitors, and gaming TVs. How will GameStop compete with other online retailers that have sold this product mix for many years? Amazon and Best Buy have greater buying power and therefore a cost advantage. They also have better selection and availability (unless GameStop starts converting stores into mini fulfillment centers) so it will be tough for GameStop to compete on that front as well. Superior customer service might be an option for them, but it’s not an obvious path.
Lastly, Sky News recently revealed that Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, is finalizing the terms of a $1 billion round of fundraising just seven months after the closure of the previous round. As a result of this latest round of funding, the company is now expected to be valued at $28 billion. A 50% valuation increase in less than a year says it all here. It’s not surprising in the context of Epic’s competitors (Roblox, Unity, etc) getting huge public valuations. However, it is surprising in the context of Fortnite’s slow decline, Epic’s ongoing legal fight with Apple, and Fortnite’s exclusion from iOS. It’s hard to believe that the Epic Games Store is making up the difference. Valuation aside, the big question is will we see an Epic IPO or will the company choose to stay private?
You can get esports news anywhere. This is the only place you can get real insight. For more of this, as well as the most exceptional line-up of guests, please tune in every week to the Business of Esports podcast and every Wednesday evening into the Business of Esports after-show Livestream. Also make sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @bizesports and on YouTube at The Business of Esports.
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss GameStop’s planned e-commerce pivot and expansion into PC hardware, Microsoft trying to buy Discord for $10B, Epic Games raising a $1B round at a rumored $28B valuation, the YMCA creating esports leagues and tournaments, a frenzy of activity in the gaming studio world including Amazon launching a new game studio in Montreal, Qualcomm reportedly developing a handheld gaming device running Android similar to the Nintendo Switch, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Brandon Pitts (CEO and founder of Play One Up), we discuss Play One Up bringing on-demand tournaments to the esports market, Microsoft looking to buy Discord for $10B, GameStop expanding into a broader selection of gaming hardware, and so much more!
A week of news covering the intersection of business and gaming / esports, all in about one minute – everything you need to know from the “profit of esports” himself.
041 – March 21, 2021
In this week’s Business of Esports Minute: Huawei Esports, Andbox Lifeline, and Blizzard Tragedy.
From the keyboard to the boardroom, this is the Business of Esports Minute! Every single week, I, Paul Dawalibi, the prophet of esports, will be bringing you my hottest takes from the week, basically, everything you need to know about the business of esports all in about one minute. Let’s go.
Huawei announced it was integrating scores, results, and news for esports leagues and tournaments around the world directly into their phones. Huawei is showing true leadership here and I love this move from them. It is incredibly smart to be integrating esports updates directly into their phones, and I hope that manufacturers like Apple, Google, or Samsung follow suit. While many users may not be looking for esports scores, the fact that this data would be surfaced and presented could potentially result in building curiosity and mainstream mindshare.
In other news, NBA superstar Kevin Durant announced that his company, Thirty Five Ventures, will invest in Andbox, an esports organization based in New York City. Durant reportedly plans to work with the company on several gaming initiatives. It’s no secret that Andbox has been trying to raise money for months now. It’s also no secret that virtually every investor turned them away, given the poor management, lack of any tangible results, no ownership of the NY market, inflated valuation, and an apparel strategy that is confusing at best (who wants to wear Andbox hoodies?). Maybe Kevin Durant is the savior they need. Clearly, his money will keep their business afloat for a while longer. But unless he has a major impact and they fundamentally change their management team and how they operate, Andbox is destined for the failure bin.
Finally, it was reported that Activision Blizzard fired at least 50 employees last week. The move comes after the company reportedly decided to shift its focus away from live events. Layoffs are always very unfortunate and we hope that everyone involved lands on their feet. This is just infuriating though because the shortcomings of Activision Blizzard’s management in esports have been clear for years now. The problems are at the top. Unfortunately, it’s the good people below that paid the price for years of bad management decisions. When will Activision Blizzard acknowledge their management of the esports business, while generating millions for them in the short term, has left them in a place with no chance of long-term success? If I’m an Overwatch League or Call of Duty League team owner right now, I would be losing a lot of sleep. The company sold me on a future that looks just like the NFL or MLB, with stadiums and home games, etc. That was a flawed vision, but owners bought into it nonetheless. Now Activision Blizzard says they’re shifting away from live events, with no clear plan B, and the team owners will likely be left holding the stinking bag of failure.
You can get esports news anywhere. This is the only place you can get real insight. For more of this, as well as the most exceptional line-up of guests, please tune in every week to the Business of Esports podcast and every Wednesday evening into the Business of Esports after-show Livestream. Also make sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @bizesports and on YouTube at The Business of Esports.
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss the recent layoffs of Activision Blizzard employees as the company pivots away from live events, rumors of anew shooter being developed at Blizzard, Kevin Durant investing in the esports org Andbox, loot box revenue increasing to $20B by 2025, Allied Esports considering Bally’s offers, Huawei becoming the first smartphone company to add esports scores and updates to its phones, Bethesda games becoming Xbox exclusives, what gamers would sacrifice to keep on playing, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Darren Glover (Division Lead at VaynerGaming and VaynerSports), we discuss how VaynerGaming is finding its place among a crowded field of agencies in the gaming world and their unique approach and value proposition, Chipotle leveraging esports and gaming influencer partnerships to push their new quesadilla, Activision Blizzard firing many live events and esports employees as they shift away from live events, and so much more!
A week of news covering the intersection of business and gaming / esports, all in about one minute – everything you need to know from the “profit of esports” himself.
040 – March 14, 2021
In this week’s Business of Esports Minute: Shadow Bankruptcy, Roblox Boom, and Industry Consolidation.
From the keyboard to the boardroom, this is the Business of Esports Minute! Every single week, I, Paul Dawalibi, the prophet of esports, will be bringing you my hottest takes from the week, basically, everything you need to know about the business of esports all in about one minute. Let’s go.
On Tuesday, the company behind the cloud gaming platform “Shadow” announced it filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. and receivership in France. Shadow later posted a blog update confirming the company was undergoing reorganization to get rid of debt. Between the failures of Shadow and Stadia, as well as trouble at Amazon’s Luna, can we conclude that cloud gaming is dead for now? Shadow had by far the best technology in the cloud gaming space and a clearer target customer than others, and despite those advantages, they still couldn’t make the business of cloud gaming work. All of this in the context of the fastest growth the general gaming market has ever seen. The market has spoken. No one wants cloud gaming right now, and as I said years ago, it’s a solution in search of a problem.
Also, Roblox went public on Wednesday and closed the day at $69.50 per share. This means that the children’s gaming platform is valued at $45 billion. Roblox has huge potential given its platform-driven strategy. I believe they will figure out how to grow beyond their “just for kids” reputation, but they currently own that space. Their decision to go the direct listing route clearly paid off for them and it will be interesting to see if Epic follows a similar path or goes for the more traditional IPO. Either way, the current Roblox valuation is only about 2 GameStops, so in the current environment, that seems reasonable.
Finally, everyone knows Epic Games bought Fall Guys last week. This is one of many acquisitions among game developers that have taken place in the gaming world recently. In this expanding $180 billion industry, companies in the gaming industry are finding it harder and harder to survive on their own. The question is whether consolidation among game developers is a good thing for the industry or not? My view is that it’s all good. Big game developers (or big companies in general) are not set up to be innovative. They will always struggle with true innovation. Consolidation means money makes its way down to successful entrepreneurial game dev teams, encouraging more startups, and bringing innovative thinkers inside big game developers. When those people leave after their lockup periods, they have money in their pockets to go start new game dev shops, and the cycle continues. This creates a healthy ecosystem of innovation and success. Consolidation is good and is the standard lifecycle of any successful industry.
You can get esports news anywhere. This is the only place you can get real insight. For more of this, as well as the most exceptional line-up of guests, please tune in every week to the Business of Esports podcast and every Wednesday evening into the Business of Esports after-show Livestream. Also make sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @bizesports and on YouTube at The Business of Esports.
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Epic Games buying photogrammetry software maker Capturing Reality, cloud gaming firm Blade filing for bankruptcy, the CEO of FaZe Clan calling out Ninja for not being at the cutting edge of esports, Dr Disrespect claiming that Valorant will be the big esports game of the future, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Kevin Wright (President of GameSquare), we discuss GameSquare’s strategy being focused on consolidating esports creative agencies and helping brands, how GameSquare is navigating the public micro-cap space in esports, Bally’s making an offer to buy Allied Esports for $100M, a wave of consolidation happening among game publishers, Roblox’s massively successful listing and valuation increase, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Google insiders revealing why Stadia failed, Jerry Bruckheimer joining the Skillz board of directors and what that means for the future of the company, 100 Thieves’ Nadeshot getting a gaming tattoo, Paramount+ announcing a Halo TV, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Riot booking League of Legends and Valorant tournaments back to back at the same venue, Valorant Esports being promoted within Valorant itself, Verizon sponsoring Riot across both games, Epic Games buying the studio behind Fall Guys, Amazon launching a new app for sharing mobile gaming clips called GameOn, Twitch signing an interactive content deal with The International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the head of Amazon’s cloud gaming project leaving for Unity, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Fortnite hosting an indie animated film festival, Toronto planning to build a spaceship-like esports venue, Soulja Boy launching yet another gaming console, Vindex hiring a former Starbucks executive to run Belong Gaming Arenas, data from a study in the UK on gaming purchases, the NHL announcing a multi-year deal with DreamHack, Entropia Universe having the most expensive in-game purchases ever, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Shopify creating their own Starcraft II esports organization (the Shopify Rebellion), HP Buying HyperX from Kingston Technology for $425M, TikTok parent company ByteDance doubling down on gaming with Nuverse in the war against Tencent, Facebook Gaming promising to host more than 90 community tournaments, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss the recent Nintendo Direct announcements, Huawei reportedly producing a gaming console, Netflix producing an anime based on DOTA, PC gamers spending $4.5B last year on their setups, EA’s Todd Sitrin believing “that control isn’t everything” and how that relates to their esports efforts, pigs learning to play video games with their snouts, accessories company dbrand selling black PS5 covers and taunting Sony to sue them, Esports Entertainment Group raising $30M, Unity selling a $45 education bundle to learn how to make your own game, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Valheim shattering Steam records and the bigger trend of “out of nowhere” hits, the International Olympic Committee prioritizing “virtual sports” over esports, Abu Dhabi offering a visa for esports workers, Saudi Arabia investing $3.3B in gaming companies, esports booming in the Middle East, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Ubisoft’s earnings call and stock price fall, EA acquiring Glu Mobile, whether Zynga is an acquisition target or will be independent forever, Astralis opening a flagship store in Tivoli Gardens and the potential of gaming in theme parks, North Esports dissolving, IKEA announcing their first gaming products, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Ben Paro (Sales Director for Esports and Gaming at YouGov), we discuss YouGov’s process with brands and consumers, tons of interesting statistics collected by the YouGov team, how gamers self-identify, the relevance of gaming post-pandemic, the vast increase in gaming since the pandemic, disposable income among gamers, gaming vs streaming, the LoL demographic in the US, the success MasterCard has had with their LoL partnership, the Apple/Fortnite dispute, a sim racer getting recruited to drive a real race car, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss the embedding of ads in games, Epic Games Store users claiming 749M free games in 2020, talent agency UTA signing FaZe Clan as a client, Nintendo cancelling StarFox TV series after Netflix leaked plans for Legend of Zelda series, Google officially shutting down Stadia Games without ever releasing a game, EA Sports bringing back college football gaming, Elon Musk wiring up monkeys to play video games with their minds, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Matt Archambault (Head of Partnerships at Riot Games), we discuss the business and future of Riot Games, how Riot approaches partnerships and sponsorships, why all the most valuable esports teams have League of Legends franchises, how Riot has evolved from a one game company to a publisher with multiple titles, how Riot approaches different geographies with different solutions and why they’re going back to China for Worlds, what trends Riot is closely watching, the incorporation of ads into games, when Riot plans to launch their much-anticipated MMO, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss GameStop’s stock going wild and what it means for the company, Microsoft’s gaming revenue growing 51% in Q4 2020, Microsoft reversing their Xbox Live Gold price hike after receiving backlash from gamers, a 7-Eleven store’s gaming makeover, Activision merging Vicarious Visions into Blizzard to help with troubled projects, VR taking over the workplace, Esports Entertainment Group finalizing the acquisition of Helix Esports and ggCircuit, and so much more!
In this episode with special guests Ujesh Desai (GM of Gaming @ Logitech) and Vincent Tucker (Director of Strategy and Innovation @ Logitech G), we discuss the history of gaming at Logitech, successes and failures at Logitech G, product development insights from Logitech G, the benefits of being vertically integrated, trends that Logitech G is excited about, how Logitech G interfaces with the esports community, authenticity in product development and marketing, the future of hardware in the gaming industry, brain-computer interfaces for gaming, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Allied Esports selling their World Poker Tour asset for $78.25M and exploring the sale of their esports business, the world’s richest esports pro buying a $2.2M mansion, Adidas treating esports deals like media partnerships not sponsorship deals, 2020 being the biggest year for gaming hardware in almost a decade, Razer finding new ways to reach profitability, Rob Gronkowski and TFue posting a workout video together, Epic pledging $20M for Fortnite esports in 2021, Fortnite facing backlash from pros, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Call of Duty consistently topping the game sales charts, Hangzhou Spark and Bilibili Esports (a subsidiary of the Bilibili streaming platform) raising $28M in a funding round, streaming numbers surging 69% in 2020, Xbox and PlayStation reportedly looking into new studio acquisitions, PlayStation reportedly losing a major exclusive this year, and so much more!
In the latest podcast after-show, we discuss Ping An Bank sponsoring Bilibili Gaming, Lucasfilm Games being “the future of Star Wars gaming”, Motorsports Games raising $60M in their IPO, Dr Disrespect commenting on the current gaming “nightmare”, the Heroes of the Storm esports scene surging, Razer building the ultimate gaming chair concept, Super League Gaming raising another $8M to cover losses, Playtika eyeing a $10B U.S. listing, Venn and Blast joining forces, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Brad Tenenholtz (CEO at Corporate Esports Association), we discuss video games replacing music in youth culture, Warner Music making an ‘eight-figure’ investment in Roblox, Xbox head Phil Spencer wanting to make Cloud Gaming (Project xCloud) games available for purchase without a subscription, Minecraft Earth shutting down in June 2021, untold stories of Microsoft’s attempted gaming acquisitions coming to light, and so much more!
In the first post-podcast livestream of 2021, we discuss a chess grandmaster topping the esports prize money rankings, the most watched Twitch channels of 2020, Huawei removing Tencent games from its app store temporarily due to a promotional agreement dispute, Riot presenting a complete revamp and rebrand of LCS, esports and sports betting being approved with new bill in Puerto Rico, Fall Guys adding a new G2 skin, the perfect guide on investing in esports, recent studies showing no direct correlation between playing violent video games and violent behavior, and so much more!
In this (big numbers!) episode, we discuss Roblox raising $520M led by Altimeter Capital and Dragoneer Investment Group, Star Citizen raising $339M and still without a release date, Epic Games buying a shopping mall to serve as their new headquarters in 2024, EDG parent company SuperGen Group building a $1.5B International Cultural and Creative Esports Center in Shanghai, and so much more!
In the last post-podcast livestream of 2020, we discuss Sony developing 7 TV shows and 3 movies based on PlayStation games, WWE launching a gaming series with Ronda Rousey, Wale and more, Among Us hitting Google’s number one trending video game of 2020, our picks for game of the year, and so much more!
In this special year end bonus episode of the Business of Esports, we look back at 2020, we look forward into 2021, and bring you highlights and predictions in celebration of the new year!
In this episode, we discuss LCK leading all esports leagues in 2020 with 136.6M hours watched, the possibility of Microsoft moving out of the console game leading to this being the last of the great console wars, Allied Esports partnering with Trovo and what it means for the streaming wars, and so much more!
In this post-podcast livestream, we discuss Riot making an MMO set in the League of Legends universe, gaming company Skillz going public after merger with Harry Sloan’s Flying Eagle, Nintendo shutting down PlayVS collegiate Super Smash Bros, E1337 introducing a joke of an esports apparel brand, Epic Games store now offering Spotify, scientists using gaming technology to help vets identify cows by their markings, Henry Cavill spending over $3000 on his gaming PC, PepsiCo unveiling Mountain Dew Game Fuel e-shop for gamers, KFC introducing their new gaming console that also keeps your chicken warm, why esports is a multi-billion dollar opportunity for forward-thinking investors, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Discord raising $100M at a valuation of $7B, video games being Hollywood’s next great IP war, the rapidly increasing disappointment in Cyberpunk 2077 now leading to refunds and being pulled from Sony’s store, Epic continuing their “Free Fortnite” campaign with Apple-inspired press packs, the rise of chess in the esports community, and so much more!
From the keyboard to the boardroom to the top of the Christmas tree, we wish you a very Happy Holidays from the BoE family to yours!
In this post-podcast livestream, we discuss Roblox delaying their IPO until next year, NPD numbers showing $70 games haven’t weakened sales, 6-year-old Warzone prodigy faking ban for a FaZe competition, Business of Esports merch shop going live, J.J Abrams Bad Robot Games forming an in-house studio, the Game Awards being the biggest shill in gaming, Riot hiring to expand their entertainment offerings, Philadelphia Eagles becoming the first NFL team with an esports tournament provider, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Neil Duffy (Chief Commercial Officer at Collegiate Star League), we discuss Cyberpunk 2077 breaking Steam records, gamers being furious at Cyberpunk 2077, Tencent’s billion dollar gaming acquisition of Warframe, EA outbidding Take-Two Interactive to acquire F1 video game developer Codemasters for $1.2B, 77% of North American gamers being keen to attend in-person esports events, and so much more!
In this post-podcast livestream, we discuss the most valuable esports companies of 2020 according to Forbes, Envy’s CEO slamming Forbes’ esports valuations as “utter garbage”, Dr Disrespect dropping hints that he might start an esports team, Fnatic hiring sports scientists in hope to boost performance, Fnatic giving fans a chance to invest in the team, Team 33 signing an 8-year-old Fortnite player, Nintendo killing Splatoon esports stream for #FreeMelee support, NJ trending towards approving esports gambling, Wendy’s introducing their “Never Stop Gaming” promotion, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss the hype around Cyberpunk 2077, Microsoft buying esports tournament platform Smash.gg, rumors of Netflix getting into gaming while Activision sues, Facebook Gaming introducing content hub for partners called “Hanging Out”, Fortnite possibly returning to Apple devices via Nvidia’s cloud gaming service, and so much more!
In this post-podcast livestream, we discuss the very significant upturn in esports match-fixing, Roger Ebert saying games will never be as worthy as movies, a man waiting 36 hours outside of a gaming store to buy the Playstation 5, Dr. Disrespect’s taking shots against mobile gaming, Nintendo cracking down on the Smash modding community, Esports Entertainment Group supporting the proposed bill to legalize single-event sports betting in Canada, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Ninja calling for an esports Olympics, the first esports broadcasting station OGN closing its doors indefinitely, Roblox acquiring Imbellus assets ahead of their IPO, and so much more!
In this post-podcast livestream, we discuss Nvidia’s Q3 revenue growth, NRG launching the “Castle” with an oval office set, other sites taking our slogan, PS5 and Xbox games getting shorter, Nerd Street gamers introducing a subscription program, Casio G-Shock unveiling a FaZe Clan watch, Ninja launching a unique gamer hoodie with headphone cutouts, possible new Business of Esports merch, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss PUBG Mobile announcing a $14M esports program for 2021, Roblox filing their IPO prospectus, Roblox’s future in China, Chinese streaming company Bilibili releasing their quarterly results with a rap video, and so much more!
In this post-podcast livestream, we discuss the stupidity of aim assist in professional esports, Riot disqualifying Guild Esports from Valorant First Strike EU, Riot denying that new champion Seraphine is based off of a real woman, Twitch streamers protesting audio takedowns, the new Bud Light video game console that also cools two beers, GameStop investor Ryan Cohen pushing for digital sales and fewer stores, Unikrn agreeing to pay $6.1 million penalty to SEC for unregistered ICO, Oxford University studies showing video games are good for one’s well-being, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Matt Hillman (Co-Founder and Partner at Cut + Sew and Zone Gaming), we discuss endemic vs non-endemic brands in esports, the role of agencies in helping brands access gamers, Josh Hart and other NBA stars getting into gaming, Mavix lining up talent ambassadors to promote their new chair line, Riot Games shopping English streaming rights to League of Legends esports, OpTic Scump calling for a Call of Duty League players union, and so much more!
In this post-podcast after-show livestream, we discuss Immortals Gaming Club raising $26 million while looking to sell their Overwatch League team, Google giving away free Stadia gaming kits to YouTube Premium subscribers, the confusion around cloud gaming offerings, Envy Gaming launching a new membership program for fans, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest John Patrick “EZ Livin” Lee (ETF Product Manager at VanEck), we discuss VanEck’s esports ETF ESPO, ESPN confirming the total shutdown of esports editorial operations, Take-Two submitting a proposal to acquire game developer Codemasters, and so much more!
In this post-podcast after-show livestream, we discuss Activision riding the gaming nostalgia wave, Activision Blizzard wanting to significantly expand into mobile gaming, October’s most talked about esports teams and games, how Microsoft fixed the worst thing about gaming, MrBeast confirming that his League of Legends team is happening, Pokimane cracking down on fan spending, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Samsung relaunching the Galaxy Store with a focus on mobile gaming, Tencent claiming 100M daily users on mobile game Honor of Kings, Dr Disrespect’s Twitch ban costing him a business partnership, GameStop challenging their employees to a TikTok Dance contest to earn extra hours, and so much more!
In this post-podcast after-show livestream, we discuss Scopely raising $340M, a director at Google Stadia saying that streamers should pay developers to stream, the unboxing of the Xbox Series X Fridge, Fortnite World Cup champion Bugha teaming up with Five Below for affordable gaming accessories, Microsoft announcing the launch of the MSN Esports Hub, Immortals selling their LA Call of Duty League slot to 100 Thieves, League of Legends: Wild Rift kicking off the open beta, more talent leaving Blizzard to start new gaming companies, and so much more!
In this episode with special guests Jeff Cohen (VP Strategy & IR, Esports Entertainment Group) and Grant Johnson (CEO, Esports Entertainment Group), we discuss one of the most important public transactions in esports of the entire year and what it means for the future of esports, casinos, esports betting, and esports entertainment, Esports Entertainment Group acquiring Helix Esports, ggCircuit and Genji Analytics, esports betting overtaking traditional sports betting, esports replacing slot machines in casinos, Tencent leading a $100M investment into Chinese esports company VSPN, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss CAA signing esports / lifestyle organization 100 Thieves, EA being sued in Canada over loot boxes, whether aim assist should be a part of a thriving healthy esports scene, and so much more!
In this post-podcast after-show livestream, we discuss IBM signing a deal with Overwatch League, Ninja hitting a large Twitch milestone, Overwatch League attempting to skew the narrative around viewership numbers, the massive success of gaming tables on Kickstarter, gamers spending $11B in Apple’s app store in Q3, Apple announcing League of Legends for iOS, the American University of Malta offering full scholarships for esports, 100 Thieves deciding to no longer field a CS:GO team, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Team Liquid adding actor Asa Butterfield to their roster, Saudi Arabia and other MENA countries investing in esports, Mercedes F1 betting big on F1 esports, GameStop shares surging on a multiyear partnership with Microsoft, Amazon Games cancelling Crucible, and so much more!
In this post-podcast after-show livestream, we discuss the rumor that Sony might buy publisher WB Interactive, Pete Vlastelica stepping down as Overwatch League Commissioner, Johanna Faries being named Head of Leagues at Activision Blizzard, Razer’s credit card lighting up when you make payments, the impact of gacha games like Genshin Impact on the gaming industry, Luminosity signing streamer xQc, Roblox preparing to go public, Activision Blizzard making a browser experience about being a gamer, Activision Blizzard shutting down their Versailles France operations, Riot abandoning the Oceanic Pro League, and so much more!
In this episode (100!!!) with special guest Pete Hines (SVP Global Marketing & Communications, Bethesda Softworks), we discuss the inner workings of Bethesda, the secret to Bethesda’s success, learning from failures, the recent acquisition of Bethesda by Microsoft, the future of the gaming industry, and so much more!
In this post-podcast after-show livestream, we discuss the Tribeca Film Festival adding a games award, Overwatch and Call of Duty Leagues deferring multi-million dollar franchise fees, MTA workers building a secret room to watch Twitch at work, former Rockstar Games employees raising $42M to destroy GTA 6, APC making UPS for gamers, ESL and Dreamhack merging, Blizzard’s inactivity working to Valorant’s benefit, Facebook’s VR ambitions centering around data, Epic Games buying SuperAwesome and investing in Manticore Games, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Amazon revealing their new cloud gaming service, the persistent rumor that Microsoft is going to acquire Sega, art vs fun in game design, and so much more!
In this post-podcast after-show livestream, we discuss Unity shares surging 44% on their Wall Street debut, Tencent’s gaming stakes drawing US national security scrutiny, LPL implementing salary caps, Call of Duty pros complaining about skill-based matchmaking, Wisdom Gaming raising a $3M series A, social gaming startup Bunch snagging a $20M series A, GameStop’s plan to take on Amazon, Riot producing their first official Valorant tournament, all the things movies get wrong about gaming, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Zhenya Oganian (Founder & CEO, ESCS), we discuss the modular nature of game development, games outsourcing esports and competitive services, Microsoft doubling down on gaming with a $7.5 billion acquisition of Zenimax / Bethesda, Playstation 5 potentially charging $10 more for their games, and so much more!
In this post-podcast after-show livestream, we discuss the new Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PS5 pricing, Rocket League going free-to-play, Take-Two’s CEO not believing in the future of cloud gaming, Twitch launching a new esports service called Versus, GameStop closing up to 450 stores, Lucid letting shoppers customize their cars like video game characters, Logitech and Shroud teaming up for a branded product line, Herman Miller announcing a gamer edition of the Aeron, IKEA and Asus ROG teaming up to launch gaming furniture and accessories in China, Aston Martin selling a racing sim rig, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Dr. Lindsey Migliore aka GamerDoc (esports medicine physician), we discuss gamer health and wellness, common medical problems among gamers, how to game into your late 30s (at least), the business of esports medicine, organizations such as Team Liquid investing massive dollars into player fitness and nutrition, Ninja making a comeback to Twitch, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Alex Rodriguez aka Axeltoss (esports host, commentator and producer), we discuss the Dallas Empire releasing their 3-time champion player Clayster after winning the CDL Championship, F1 entering into mobile esports with a new racing tournament, PUBG Corp. taking control of PUBG Mobile publishing rights in India, and so much more!
In this celebrity-themed episode with special guest Justin Jacobson (esports and entertainment attorney + Manager of Ford Models’ Esports and Gaming talent division), we discuss Post Malone investing in Envy Gaming, Pusha T and Logic joining forces with Chaos Esports Club, LeBron’s son Bronny joining FaZe Clan, TSM signing chess grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, Ninja, MrBeast, Aim Lab and G2 Esports wining the Fall Guys costume charity contest, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Fall Guys dethroning League of Legends as the most watched game on Twitch, EA completely missing the mark on esports, Bilibili acquiring publishing rights for Fall Guys in China, Bilibili partnering with VFineMusic for music copyright solutions, Spotify launching an exclusive League of Legends podcast, Tencent Esports partnering with Kappa, Razer, Asus, Tim Hortons, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Heroes of the Storm getting a new independent esports league, Microsoft’s Flight Simulator pushing the envelope of technology and management, Brazilian gaming company Wildlife Studios raising $120M at a $3B valuation, the Chinese Communist Party aiming to turn Beijing into an esports hub backed by subsidy schemes, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Fall Guys selling 2 million copies on Steam in its first week, Warner Bros keeping their gaming division after all, Amazon rebranding Twitch Prime to Prime Gaming, Epic Games becoming the 5th most valuable startup in the US, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest David Chen (Partner, GTIF Capital), we discuss investing in FaZe Clan, bringing the college esports scene to Asia, Tencent looking to merge Huya and DouYu into a $10 billion game streaming platform, Bilibili securing exclusive rights to broadcast League of Legends events in China, China holding its biggest gaming expo in person amid the pandemic, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss the growing Roblox business, Modern Times Group (ESL and Dreamhack) continuing to lose money and what that means for tournament organizers, Valorant pros going back to other games, Nintendo extending their IP beyond gaming, and so much more!
In this episode with special guests Michael Ivkov and Faisal Younus (Co-Founders, Athlane), we discuss technologies and marketplaces to connect esports influencers and brands, Henry Cavill building a gaming PC, Logic retiring from the music industry and signing exclusively with Twitch, Overwatch League and Call of Duty League dropping the cost of their franchises, FaZe Clan executives leaving to start another team, Caffeine raising $113M in new funding, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Andrey Yanyuk (Founder & CEO, Tempo Storm), we discuss life as a streamer and competitive gamer, the founding of Tempo Storm, the difficulty of making an esports team profitable, the future of entertainment and how it intersects with gaming, the Sims new reality TV show, Sony investing $250M in Epic Games, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Jason Kirby (President & COO, Generation Esports), we discuss esports in schools (middle schools, high schools, colleges, etc), the new trend towards $70 retail pricing for games, rumors that Microsoft is in the running to acquire WB Games (the game publishing arm of WarnerMedia), and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Grant Johnson (Chairman & CEO, Esports Entertainment Group), we discuss esports betting, being a publicly-listed esports company, the advantages and disadvantages of dealing with capital markets, Wall Street analysts commenting on the Microsoft pullback from livestreaming, Tencent launching a live streaming service to compete with Twitch, Skillz facing a $6 million lawsuit, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Lindsay Poss (Director of Communications, Technology Policy Institute), we discuss Microsoft pulling the plug on their streaming platform Mixer and teaming with Facebook Gaming, the Epic Games store seeing near-Steam-like engagement levels, chess great Magnus Carlsen joining the esports rich list as chess rivalry thrives online, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Jason Lake (Founder & CEO, Complexity Gaming), we discuss the history and current success of Complexity Gaming, the first-ever prescription video game, Apple facing a lawsuit over loot boxes in App Store games, Fortnite’s ‘The Device’ event reaching capacity in just one minute, Epic Games looking to sell a $750M stake at a $17B valuation, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Michael Fan (Investor, Galaxy Interactive), we discuss the massive decline in Valorant viewership, Twitch streamers getting hit with copyright takedowns, Sega revealing their new “fog gaming” program, BoomTV raising $10M for its esports livestreaming platform, and so much more!
In this episode with special guests Matthew Gunnin (CEO, Esports One) and Sharon Winter (COO, Esports One), we discuss the business of fantasy esports, the impact and viability of Valorant following its launch, DOTA 2 and CS:GO being the most toxic gaming communities, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Jeff Cohen (analyst at Stephens Inc), we discuss the state of publicly traded companies in the gaming and esports space including Activision Blizzard, EA, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, Microsoft, Super League Gaming, Allied Esports, and how well positioned they are for the future.
In this episode with special guest Austin Smith (CEO of https://missioncontrol.gg/ (Mission Control)), we discuss esports creeping into recreational leagues, Ubisoft suing Apple and Google over a Rainbow Six Siege rip-off, multiple Rocket League teams complaining to Psyonix, DraftKings being saved by esports betting, Amazon announcing their first big-budget game (Crucible), Allied Esports and Super League Gaming taking millions in government loans despite being failing businesses, and so much more!
In this episode with special guests Dan Fiden (President of Cloud9 Esports) and Kent Wakeford (Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of Gen.G Esports), we discuss the future of esports teams, the positioning of Flashpoint in the esports landscape, the future of leagues, Flashpoint’s impact on publisher power dynamics, VALORANT’s impact on the esports landscape, esports team strategies around real estate and content creation, and so much more!
In this episode with special guests Murphy Vandervelde Jr and Adam Morrison, co-founders of Oxygen Esports, we discuss Facebook Gaming hosting a Mario Tennis tournament with Serena Williams and other celebrities, Geoff Keighley launching a Summer Game Fest, Microsoft’s big bet on their Xbox Game Pass, ESPN2 airing NBA 2K games, sports games suffering, Helix Esports and Team Genji merging to form Oxygen Esports, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss VALORANT harvesting talent from stagnating esports, Twitch getting an esports directory, Fortnite’s Travis Scott Astronomical event, video gaming history being in the spotlight, esports rankings, Acer launching hardware bundles aimed at K-12 and university esports, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Riot announcing their plans for VALORANT esports, ValueAct making a play for Nintendo with a $1.1 billion stake, Animal Crossing being the new social media of the coronavirus era, Ubisoft making a movie about old people playing esports, game developers needing to start taking chances again, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest Dan Dinh (COO & Co-Founder of Team SoloMid), we discuss TSM annoucing their new $50M gaming facility, Sony investing $400M in Chinese entertainment platform Bilibili, esports pros jumping ship to join the Valorant train, gaming network VENN looking to launch in July, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Activision Blizzard talking to ESPN about an Overwatch League TV deal, Valorant breaking records on Twitch, Facebook Gaming launching a tournament platform for esports amateurs, Bubba Wallace rage-quitting a NASCAR esports race and losing a sponsor, and so much more with special guest Ben Paro from MRI Simmons!
In this episode, we discuss Japan setting an ambitious target for esports expansion through 2025, GameStop telling staff to wrap their hands in plastic bags, Gabe Newell working as a World of Warcraft gold farmer, the confused WHO now telling people to play more games, Epic Games offering a $1M reward for proof of a smear campaign against Houseparty, OverActive Media laying off employees, simulated NASCAR race getting 1.33M viewers on FOX, Call of Duty winning a first amendment victory over the use of Humvees, what we’d like to see Valorant do differently, the 10 year lifecycle of games, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Tencent replacing directors on the boards of Huya and DouYu, Half-Life: Alyx delivering a watershed moment for VR, Stream continuing to break concurrent user records, GameStop staying open despite coronavirus concerns, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss many of the effects of coronavirus on the gaming and esports industry, F1 drivers and other sports stars turning to esports during the shutdown, Super League gaming losing millions of dollars in 2019, Dr Disrespect inking a deal to stay on Twitch, Ring Fit Adventure and fitness video games selling out, VR motion chairs taking gaming to the next level, Taco Bell opening a gaming cantina, Flashpoint hiring a former WWE writer to build CS:GO players’ personalities, and so much more!
In this episode with special guest (and family office esports investor) Greg Landegger, we discuss Activision Blizzard announcing new sponsors for Call of Duty esports, VERITAS raising $10M for their LVL gaming center, Target teasing a new gaming concept store, WME hiring new agents focused on gaming, Google launching a new Stadia game team, Andbox desperately trying to raise $40M, Helix opening their new esports facility in Foxborough, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss Logitech and Herman Miller teaming up for gamer furniture, gamer beds launching in Japan, Riot revealing their new tactical FPS game Valorant, video games creeping into the gym, GOG.com’s new game refund policy, esports media platform DBLTAP’s parent Minute Media raising $40M, Better Collective acquiring HLTV.org, and so much more!
In this special episode, we do a live recording of the Business of Esports podcast from PAX East 2020 with special guest Matt Archambault, Head of Esports Partnerships and Business Development for North America at Riot Games.
In this special episode from PAX East 2020, we sit down for an interview and talk all things esports with General Frank Muth.
Major General Frank Muth, native of Columbia, MD, graduated from Norwich University in 1986 as an Aviation Officer. He has held numerous assignments over 34 years of service, but most notably he commanded in combat at the Air Cavalry Troop, Air Cavalry Squadron and Combat Aviation Brigade levels.
In addition to operational assignments, Major General Muth has focused efforts on training, equipping and manning the United States Army.
Prior to his current assignment commanding United States Army Recruiting Command, he spent two years in Saudi Arabia conducting security cooperation and foreign military sales.
He is married to his wife Lesley, and they have two children, Conner and Susan.
In this episode, we discuss Tfue challenging Ninja to an MMA fight, ESL and esports teams signing the “Louvre Agreement”, Bitkraft closing in on $140M for its second fund, and so much more!
In this episode, we discuss esports jobs increasing 87% from last year, Faker’s new League of Legends deal, the best feature of Google Stadia, Ronda Rousey landing a streaming deal with Facebook Gaming, gaming surging in China because of coronavirus, Nintendo Switch opening gaming lounges in airports, micro-transactions ruining Nintendo games, Fnatic calling out Epic’s CEO over Fortnite esports, Pokimane donating $50k to UCI for esports scholarships, YouTube paying $160M for the Activision Blizzard deal, Will Wheaton hosting an esports competition show, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the end of the console wars, YouTube’s lack of vision and creativity, the Overwatch League opening weekend disaster, Chinese developers worrying about a China-only version of Steam, Activision Blizzard revenues dropping, the departure of Rockstar’s co-founder, Nvidia’s new cloud gaming service GeForce Now, Riot’s views on country media rights sales, the launch of a new CS:GO league, and so much more!
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In this episode (with special guest Drew McCourt, owner of the Paris Eternal and Paris Legion), we discuss the top-earning video gamers, Atari-themed hotels, greedy Blizzard messing up Warcraft 3, Overwatch league canceling games due to the coronavirus outbreak, Nintendo’s game revenue topping $1B, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Google giving Stadia away for free, 100 Thieves spending all their money on a compound, Tencent acquiring Funcom, Joe Biden calling gamers creeps, plague games climbing the charts after coronavirus outbreak, Activision Blizzard selling exclusive streaming rights for Overwatch League, Call of Duty League and Hearthstone esports to YouTube, Gary Vaynerchuk explaining his reasons for investing in Call of Duty League, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Gucci flirting with esports by inviting Fnatic to sit front row at their show, Riot Games starting a tabletop gaming division, a store opening in NJ that sells rare video games and consoles, Pokimane receiving her own Fortnite emote, esports being hard to watch, Allied raising $5M from Brookfield Property Partners, and so much more with special guest Murph Vandervelde!
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In this episode, we discuss Ninja getting his own Fortnite skin, Blizzard not paying players, Tetris 99 wanting to be an esport, Tencent investing in Platinum Games, Nintendo’s lack of support for esports, Twitch missing ad revenue goals, Overwatch League issuing a statement on the talent exodus, the Epic Games Store earning $680M, Tfue building a streaming hub, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Andbox’s branding and strategy, Blizzard partnering with ESL & Dreamhack for esports events, Vindex partnering with IMAX, Tencent investing in Universal Music Group, Overwatch League shedding talent, Faker being offered a blank cheque, baby boomers flocking to video games, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss rumors that Apple is developing a gaming Macbook, Superman being a member of the PC Master Race, Facebook Gaming signing exclusive streamers, Secretlab co-founders learning from games, Ninja launching his shoe collaboration with Adidas, the US Navy swapping Super Bowl ads for esports ads, China having 300M female gamers, Valve suing a tournament organizer, and so much more!
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In this special end of year episode, we discuss the best things that happened to us in gaming this year, our naughty and nice list of gaming companies, the predictions we nailed this year, our predictions for 2020 and what we hope to see, and our chance to vent on the soapbox. Merry Christmas, happy holidays and happy new year to all of our fans and listeners! See you in 2020!
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In this episode, we discuss Louis Vuitton selling out their esports collection, Microsoft unveiling the next-generation Xbox, Puma’s new gaming shoes, all the times PC gaming died this decade, Russian internet company suing Twitch for $3B, the acquisition of Collegiate Starleague, Corsair acquiring Scuf, TeamSpeak sponsoring Overwatch League, billionaire Joseph Tsai investing in G2 to take on New York City, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss esports getting a category at the Emmy Awards, Star Wars movies integrating in Fortnite, Dr. Disrespect moving to TV, Shroud losing 85% of his viewers after moving to Mixer, xQc slamming Blizzard for their handling of Overwatch Contenders, Adobe acquiring Oculus Medium, Pornhub releasing data on gaming related searches, Stadia games costing more than their downloadable counterparts, Riot launching a publishing label for more League of Legends related games, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss layoffs at ESL, Forbes releasing their 30 under 30 in gaming list, short interest in Allied Esports growing, Bilibili acquiring the rights to LoL Worlds in China, Sony deciding to stay out of the gaming handheld business, Star Citizen raising $250M, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the disastrous launch of Google Stadia, Oculus’ acquisition of Beat Saber, Genvid raising $27M for their streaming tech, the implications of Half-Life: Alyx being VR only, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the WWE possibly getting into esports, quarterly earnings reports from Tencent, Nvidia, Super League Gaming, and Allied Esports, Beasley Broadcast Group’s acquisition of the Houston Outlaws, Herman Miller developing gaming chairs, ESL telling pro players to lie to border security, a sneak peek at the Google Stadia launch disaster, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the US beating China as the world’s biggest gaming market, Jarvis’ ban from Fortnite, people choosing gaming over sex, China’s new rules and curfew for young gamers, New Jersey casinos taking bets on esports, Activision Blizzard earnings report, Riot’s hologram tech for League of Legends World Championship, Airplane Mode video game announcement, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss our thoughts on the announcements from Blizzcon 2019 (Overwatch 2, Diablo 4 etc), WeWork hinting at a gaming initiative, Apex launching a mobile version of the game, YouTube Gaming signing CourageJD to an exclusive contract, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss gaming superstar Shroud moving from Twitch to Mixer, the success of Fortnite’s “Black Hole” event, Mark Cuban on esports team ownership, Ubisoft’s stock price taking a beating after game delays and revenue forecast cuts, Chance the Rapper getting confused by esports on Saturday Night Live, Shopify’s CEO offering internships to pro gamers, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Riot Games announcing 7 new games and raining on Blizzard’s parade, more problems for Google Stadia, a new esports sitcom from CBS loosely based on Rick Fox, lessons for the esports industry from WeWork and Netflix, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Fortnite going down and their “The End” event, the boycott against Activision Blizzard after their ban of a player who expressed his views on the situation in Hong Kong, leaked names for new Call of Duty League teams, Google Stadia’s ridiculous comments about negative latency, Washington Post’s new dedicated esports section, and so much more with special guest Kye Browning!
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In this episode, we discuss Call of Duty mobile’s record-breaking launch, Ninja’s reasons for leaving Twitch, Epic Games expanding their headquarters, Writers Guild of America removing the gaming category from its awards show, Rick Fox suing his partners, Blizzard’s claim that it’s still a PC developer first, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Echo Fox’s plan to remove Rick Fox, Nickmercs signing an exclusive streaming deal with Twitch, Logitech’s acquisition of Streamlabs, the expansion of NBA 2K League into China, Sony’s launch of a new online retail site selling physical consoles and games, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Epic paying millions for game exclusivity, the french court ruling against Valve and the repercussions of a used market for digital games, Louis Vuitton designing skins and a trophy case for League of Legends, Comcast breaking ground on their new $50M esports arena, an 89 year old who plays video games, and so much more with special guest Wim Stocks!
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In this episode, we discuss Disney divesting their gaming assets, the importance of National Video Games Day, Discord’s game subscription failure, Osaka’s new esports hotel and the state of esports in Japan (including the announcement from Intel regarding the 2020 Olympics), the announcement of VENN (an ESPN for esports), initial Apple Arcade reactions, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss new voice-based games for drivers, Nintendo games in schools and gaming academia, EA winning a Guinness World Record and gamer customer service, Activision Blizzard getting an analyst upgrade, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss esports in schools improving attendance and GPA, John Carmack’s stance on laws against game development “crunch”, Melbourne’s new esports arena, 100 Thieves deciding not to move forward with a Call of Duty franchise, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the return of World of Warcraft and gaming nostalgia, the massive prize pool of Dota 2’s premiere esports tournament, ticket scalping controversy at The International 9, Adidas signing Ninja to its first pro gamer deal, the Fortnite competitive community revolting, a famous investor betting big on GameStop, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Google Stadia falling flat, Twitch Fortnite viewership being unaffected by Ninja’s departure to Mixer, Fortnite’s surprisingly varied audience, the record prize pool of Dota 2 and The International 9, Alex Rodriguez going on a confused rant against esports, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo agreeing to disclose loot box odds, gaming companies offering better loot box odds for streamers, TV ad spend declining among game publishers, the cancellation of the Echo Fox LCS slot sale, Ninja calling out Twitch for putting porn on his dormant channel, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss FaZe Clan countersuing Tfue, Ninja leaving Twitch for Mixer, the Houston Outlaws selling to a real estate investor for $40M, Bud Light becoming the official beer of the NBA 2K League, and so much more with special guest Steven Blickensderfer!
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In this episode, we discuss the Fortnite World Cup and what it means for the future of Fortnite and esports broadly, a 16 year old winning $3M and the largest single prize in esports to date, the collapse of Blizzard esports, Faze Clan signing its first female player, the MSG Sphere project in Las Vegas, Apex Legends’ first big esports tournament, and so much more!
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In this episode, we welcome special guest Neil Duffy, Chief Commercial Officer at WorldGaming and Collegiate StarLeague. We also discuss Dota 2 TI’s prize pool passing the $30M mark, Amazon hiring a team to disrupt advertising in esports, Overwatch League introducing fantasy betting, the Washington Post hiring dedicated esports staff, Blizzard’s co-founder leaving the company, Wiz Khalifa partnering with the Pittsburgh Knights, the formation of a VC fund dedicated to VR, and so much more!
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In this bonus episode, we bring the Business of Esports podcast on the road to sunny Los Angeles, at the XLIVE Esports Summit 2019. Arda Ocal and Paul Dawalibi cover some of the podcast’s greatest hits and take questions from the audience, live and in person.
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In this episode, we welcome special guest Will Hershey, co-founder and CEO at Roundhill Investments, and creator of the NERD esports ETF. We also discuss the DouYu IPO, Fortnite adding air strikes 2 weeks before the World Cup, Congress playing games, million-dollar naming rights for esports arenas, 100 Thieves’ latest $35M financing and crazy valuation, GameStop’s latest excuse and comeback plan, Belle Delphine selling her bath water, Ace Watkins running to be America’s first gamer president, the ESPY’s best esports moment award, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss a potential gaming acquisition for Disney, the naming of a commissioner for the new Call of Duty League, MLB launching an esports league in China, Battlefy hiding problems with their broken Hearthstone platform, the drop in EA’s stock price because of Apex Legends season 2, Paul’s burgeoning pro career, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Twitch selling out, Nielsen doing a deal with Riot for sponsorship valuation, Fortnite sales drop, Simon investing in esports, PS5’s focus on hardcore gamers, Anheuser Busch trying to trademark “the official beer of esports”, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the launch of a $145M esports fund in Hainan, EA’s new definition for loot boxes, Ninja’s book deal, ad integration in games, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Twitch’s acquisition of Bebo, Epic’s acquisition of Houseparty, the connection between gaming and social networks, gaming in Tesla vehicles, family offices investing in esports and crypto, the US overtaking China as the #1 gaming market, Keanu Reeves’ views on gaming and Hollywood, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the state of E3 2019, Google Stadia’s broken business model and product, Mets owners investing in esports through Andbox, Razer’s new energy drink for gamers, millennials spending more on gaming than on TV, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the shutdown of Denial Esports, the resignation of MTG’s game director, the collapse of Blizzard’s esports division, the merger between Enthusiast Gaming and Luminosity, IKEA’s gaming products launch, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Nate Nanzer’s departure from Overwatch League and signing with Epic Games, Twitch’s new pay-per-view feature, Mike Tyson’s investment in esports, the World Health Organization’s ruling on “gaming disorder”, an update on the Tfue/FaZe Clan drama, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the FaZe Tfue lawsuit drama, Microsoft and Sony’s new gaming partnership, the NCAA backing out of esports, Riot’s answer to collegiate League of Legends governance, the upcoming launch of Minecraft Earth and its effect on the growth of AR, OverActive Media’s acquisition of MediaXP, Armani Exchange sponsoring esports, Pringles esports commercials, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss EA’s quarterly earnings report and what it means for the long-term viability of the company, a new bill looking to ban micro-transactions and loot boxes in games, Variety shutting down their gaming site, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the new Call of Duty league and its franchise model, the challenge of multiple franchised leagues in the same city, analysts raising alarm bells about Activision Blizzard’s lack of new games, Epic’s acquisition of Rocket League, esports teams continuing to raise millions of dollars, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Ninja headbands being sold at Walmart, Fortnite struggling with their competitive esports product, Borderlands 3 features that allow streamers to interact with their viewers through the game, Apex Legends’ newly released community tournament guidelines and what that means for their esports ambitions, an example of questionable expertise in gaming research, and so much more!
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In this bonus episode, we sit down with Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick to discuss how to build great games and hire the right people, the NBA 2K league, interactive entertainment business models, esports at Take-Two Interactive, investing in esports, innovation, creativity and longevity in gaming, his secrets to good health and looking young, and so much more!
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In this episode (with special guest Strauss Zelnick), we discuss the rumors surrounding Disney’s potential acquisition of Nexon, Ninja being named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people, game developers complaining about toxic work conditions, and so much more!
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In this episode, we tackle a few topics proposed by our listeners (because we have a special second episode coming this week)! We discuss the decline of Apex Legends and its place in the BR/esports world, opportunities in new spectator technologies and tools for esports, and more!
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In this episode, we discuss Apple’s massive $500M investment in Arcade, Totino’s sponsorship of 100 Thieves, the sale of Clutch Gaming to Dignitas, the ban of PUBG in Nepal, FIFA esports on Caffeine, celebrity participation in esports, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Drake’s investment in esports, ESPN’s esports docuseries, Prince Harry’s views on Fortnite, grocery chains partnering with esports teams, Snapchat’s new gaming platform, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss takeaways from PAX East, Ninja on Red Bull cans, GameStop pivoting to esports, Epic being the gaming equivalent of Facebook, Overwatch ratings, Turtle Beach headset sales, and so much more!
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In this bonus episode, we sit down with MIT professor T.L. Taylor to discuss the impact of esports on society, esports viewing habits, the future of streaming, and so much more!
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Check out T.L. Taylor’s book, Watch Me Play, on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691183554/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0691183554&linkCode=as2&tag=bizesports-20&linkId=61170061ebe94a0d056e234305341386 ()
T.L. Taylor is Professor of Comparative Media Studies and co-founder and Director of Research for AnyKey, an organization dedicated to supporting and developing fair and inclusive esports. She is a qualitative sociologist who has focused on internet and game studies for over two decades. Dr. Taylor’s research explores the interrelations between culture and technology in online leisure environments. Her book Raising the Stakes: E-Sports and the Professionalization of Computer Gaming (MIT Press, 2012) chronicles the rise of esports and professional computer gaming. She also authored Play Between Worlds: Exploring Online Game Culture (MIT Press, 2006) using her multi-year ethnography of EverQuest to explore issues related to multiplayer online gaming. In 2012 Princeton University published her co-authored book on conducting ethnographic research in online multi-user worlds, Ethnography and Virtual Worlds: A Handbook of Method. Her book about game live streaming – Watch Me Play: Twitch and the Rise of Game Live Streaming (Princeton University Press) – is now out and is the first of its kind to chronicle this emerging media space. Dr. Taylor is a highly sought after speaker. Both the White House and the International Olympics Committee have invited her to special summits focused on gaming. And journalists for the The New York Times, PBS, the Los Angeles Times, BBC, CBC, and many others often reach out to Dr. Taylor for her expertise. For more info about her and work visit tltaylor.com.
In this episode, we discuss Apple’s Arcade announcement, Call of Duty franchise prices, BMW’s entrance into esports, layoffs at EA, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the Simpsons’ take on esports, Samsung’s Ninja/K-Pop Fortnite event, Dr. Disrespect’s views on esports, the Turtle Beach acquisition of ROCCAT, ESPN’s college esports championship, Ninja’s $1M fee to play Apex Legends, Google’s Stadia announcement, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Meek Mill starting his own esports team, the outlook for public gaming stocks, esports teams raising millions, a state of the union on current battle royale esports, the Fortnite of Asia, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the Super League Gaming IPO, Twitch’s big move to put the nail in YouTube Gaming’s coffin, CS:GO’s resurgence and what makes an esport appealing, local channels broadcasting esports, the primal nature of fighting game esports, and so much more!
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In this bonus episode, we sit down for an exclusive interview with GFuel CEO Cliff Morgan. Learn from the man dominating the beverage and lifestyle category in gaming!
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In this episode, we welcome GFuel CEO Cliff Morgan to The Business of Esports studio. We discuss Coke’s sponsorship of the Overwatch League, Fortnite World Cup’s big prize pool, leadership changes at Nintendo, the importance of authenticity in esports, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Overwatch League’s struggles in week 1, Tetris 99 taking over the battle royale genre, the gaming industry cashing in on toys and merchandise, Fortnite streamers struggling with Apex Legends’ success, China’s esports dominance, the lack of a connection between violence and video games, Call of Duty esports franchising, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the meteoric rise of Apex Legends and its esports potential, the significant challenges at Activision Blizzard, Overwatch League’s new killer spectator feature and latest sponsorship, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the massive success of Fortnite’s Marshmello concert, the relationship between esports and the Super Bowl, Apex Legends potentially threatening Fortnite’s dominance, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the success of Logitech in esports, AT&T clueless on gaming, NCAA scared of esports, the launch of Farming Simulator esports, new Twitch competitors, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Dr. Disrespect signing with CAA, Fortnite esports not living up to expectations, CNBC signaling the arrival and rise of esports, EA, Activision and Netflix all afraid of Fortnite, Overwatch League teams already up for sale, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss Nike’s lack of presence in esports, the failures of mobile esports, esports venture funds, locals vs foreigners competing on esports teams, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the top 5 esports stories of 2018. It was an incredible year for esports. We will be there in 2019 to cover all of the business of esports, and are the only source out there with both the business and esports expertise to make sense of it all.
As the Doc would say, the industry is “at the top of the mountain, but only halfway up. Think about it.”
Thanks for all the support in 2018!
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In this episode, we discuss gaming awards shows, Blizzard retreating from Heroes of the Storm, Fortnite addiction, the rise of competitive card games as esports, and so much more!
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In this episode, we discuss the infamous #esportsmystery (revealed!), the importance of live esports events, the highest paid YouTubers (hint: most are gamers), gender equality in esports, and so much more!
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In this mini-episode, we discuss Dr. Disrespect’s views on the word “esports” (hint: it’s ugly), the importance of local gaming events, and the absence of personalities in Overwatch.
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In this episode, we discuss Fortnite in retail, Microsoft betting big on games, Walmart and Miller beer diving into esports and oh-oh-oh so delicious Overwatch cereal.
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In this episode, we discuss the future of Twitch, gamers being true athletes, Fortnite’s business model and future, Overwatch League expansion, and all of the latest esports news.
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