Each week, ESI Digest breaks down the weekly happenings in the esports industry, making sense of things so you don’t have to. As well as being housed on YouTube, ESI Digest is available on all major podcast platforms and is also available in written form below.
This week on ESI Digest we cover, Riot Games’ broadcast deals for the VALORANT Champions Tour, Team Liquid’s partnership with Bud Light, BBC broadcasting FIFA 21’s Global Series European Regional Qualifiers, FaZe Clan hiring a new CFO, and Dire Wolves acquiring Avant Gaming.
This edition of the ESI Digest is in partnership with apparel and esportswear firm We Are Nations.
Riot Games announces several partnerships for VALORANT Champions Tour
Riot Games has announced several broadcast partnerships for the 2021 VALORANT competitive season.
German production company Freaks 4U Gaming has joined forces with Riot to organise and broadcast the 2021 VALORANT competitive season in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and Turkey.
Entertainment agency SPORTFIVE complements the partnership as a comprehensive marketing partner for the Challengers, Challenger Finals, and Last Chance Qualifiers stages of the VALORANT Champions Tour in the aforementioned regions.
BBC set to broadcast FIFA 21 Global Series European Regional Qualifiers
British broadcaster BBC has announced a partnership with EA SPORTS that will see the FIFA 21 Global Series European Regional Qualifiers be aired on its platforms.
The European Regional Qualifiers and Playoffs will be shown on the BBC iPlayer, plus BBC Sport’s website and app. The competition will also still be available to watch on EA SPORTS FIFA’s Twitch and YouTube channels.
Team Liquid strikes partnership with Bud Light
North American organisation Team Liquid has named Bud Light as the official beer of its League of Legends team.
The agreement will see both entities collaborate on several new content pieces and fan activations, such as the Bud Light League Lounge, a weekly show featuring League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) professionals. The Bud Light League Lounge is expected to commence on February 21st and will be streamed on the official Bud Light Twitch channel.
FaZe Clan appoints Amit Bajaj as Chief Financial Officer
North American esports organisation FaZe Clan has appointed former BIG3 CEO Amit Bajaj as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
In his new role, Bajaj will oversee corporate development alongside working with the rest of the team to seek expansion opportunities for the organisation.
Dire Wolves acquires Avant Gaming, enters into CS:GO
Oceanic esports organisation Dire Wolves has announced the acquisition of Avant Gaming.
Avant Gaming’s teams will merge with Dire Wolves as part of the purchase, meaning that the organisation will enter into CS:GO this year. Financial details of the acquisition have not been disclosed.
ESI Digest, in partnership with We Are Nations, is part of ESI Network, a collection of podcasts encompassing the esports industry. For deep dives into the major areas of esports with subject matter experts, check out ESI Focus. For conversations with key personnel and major stakeholders in esports, ESI Insight is the series for you.