eSports
G2 ESPORTS APPOINTS MEI-LING RIDER AS MARKETING DIRECTOR
Leading esports brand hires former global marketing head from Red Bull to critical senior role.
G2 esports, one of the world’s leading entertainment and esports brands, has appointed Mei-Ling Rider to the position of Marketing Director.
Rider re-locates to Berlin to join G2 from her previous position as Global Head of Media and Audience Marketing at Red Bull, where she was based at the brand’s global headquarters in Salzburg, Austria.
Mei-Ling brings over 15 years’ experience in marketing, media and audience insight to G2 and prior to Red Bull, held senior roles at consumer brands such as Sony and MTV and with major media publishers including Metro, The Telegraph Group and VICE Media.
As G2’s first-ever Marketing Director, Rider joins at a pivotal moment in G2’s growth. Since being founded in 2015 by legendary League of Legends player-turned-team owner, Carlos ‘ocelote’ Rodriguez, G2 has built a global fanbase of over 25 millions fans, 90% of which sit in the 18-34 demographic that is so prized by brands.
G2 counts BMW, Philips, Logitech, Red Bull, Mastercard and Twitch amongst its commercial partners and Rider will be central to efforts to build a strong pipeline of further future opportunities. Esports is being seen as an increasingly viable marketing channel by mainstream, consumer brands looking to engage a loyal, passionate youth audience
In 2019, G2 became the most watched esports team of all time during the 2019 League of Legends World Final. Throughout 2019, 2.5 billion minutes of G2 content was viewed on Twitch, there were 1.5 billion impressions on G2’s social media channels and 93 million total social media engagements.
Rider’s main focus will be to help G2 replicate its commercial success across EMEA into the North American market as the brand looks to expand its US operations. She will bring extensive experience of delivering multi-territory strategies in previous roles as Sony, Red Bull and VICE to her new position.
Mei-Ling Rider comments, ‘I am thrilled to join G2 Esports at such an exciting time, not only in the business’ development but within the esports industry as a whole. Over the past five years, Carlos and his team have built a stand-out brand in the industry that has a loyal fanbase in excess of 25 million fans. Ultimately G2 is really leading the way in delivering ongoing entertainment to these super engaged, super loyal audiences.
The success that the G2 teams experience within competitions has been replicated commercially and I join at a time where G2 can boast a whole host of household name brands as commercial partners. I look forward to contributing to the next phase of the G2 story, namely setting us up to succeed against some ambitious growth targets in the US market. I can’t wait to get started.’
Carlos Rodriguez, CEO of G2 esports comments ‘The appointment of Mei is a major milestone for our business. She brings with her a wealth of marketing and brand experience. At G2, commercial partnerships and our US expansion plans are what keeps pushing forward and I am beyond excited that we have brought in such a talented, rock star marketeer to support us over the next critical phase of our expansion.’
eSports
Emmy-Winning Director R.J. Cutler’s Docuseries Esports World Cup: Level Up Premieres June 6 on Prime Video
Prime Video, one of the leading entertainment destinations, will premiere the five-part documentary Esports World Cup: Level Up on June 6, with new episodes released weekly. Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler (Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, Elton John: Never Too Late and Martha), the series goes behind-the-scenes of the inaugural Esports World Cup (EWC) in 2024 — a defining moment in global esports, where over $60 million in prize money ignited a high-stakes, multinational battle to crown the world’s top esports Club.
The series is produced by This Machine (a part of Sony Pictures Television), with R.J. Cutler directing, John Dorsey serving as showrunner, and Jane Cha Cutler, Trevor Smith, Elise Pearlstein and Mark Blatty executive producing. Level Up will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Esports World Cup: Level Up offers a rare look inside a global competition that’s redefining what it means to be a champion for a new generation of athletes and fans. R.J. Cutler and his team of expert storytellers embedded themselves within the eight-week tournament – watched by over 500 million fans globally – to uncover the personal sacrifices, rivalries and stakes driving the action.
Shot in verité style, the series combines intimate home visits from around the world and on-the-ground coverage from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It follows a wide cast of characters – from Club CEOs orchestrating million-dollar strategies to rising stars chasing life-changing wins – while capturing the pulse of elite esports competition.
“What drew me to the Esports World Cup was the compelling human stories unfolding within this high-stakes arena. Level Up isn’t just about the incredible competition and prize money; it’s about the dedication, the passion, and the sheer will of these athletes and teams pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Under high pressure, we discover the true character of the competitors who vie for $60 million, but who also expose their humanity in the process,” said Cutler.
At the heart of Level Up is the “EWC Club Championship,” an unprecedented, multi-title tournament format where Clubs compete across more than 20 games, earning points toward a single leaderboard. Every match, every point, reshapes the race for global dominance. With the highest prize pool in esports history on the line, the EWC is not just a tournament – it’s a proving ground for the next generation of sports icons.
“A win might make the headlines — but the real story is the people behind it. Level Up dives into the human side of esports: the pressure, the ambition, the sacrifices. It’s about what it really takes to compete at the highest level — and why it matters. R.J. is the best at bringing those stories to life, and this one captures the heart of what we’re building,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation.
The post Emmy-Winning Director R.J. Cutler’s Docuseries Esports World Cup: Level Up Premieres June 6 on Prime Video appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Esports betting pioneer adds daily fantasy esports offering to its growing range of products, with its sights set on the US market
PandaScore, the award-winning provider of esports odds, data and betting products, has continued to push boundaries with the launch of Daily Fantasy eSports, a truly groundbreaking product for operators and players.
Daily Fantasy eSports has been developed for the US market but will have global appeal with players drawn in by the chance to create virtual teams of real-life players and earn points based on their actual game performances.
Contests range from daily matchups to season-long leagues, with plenty of prizes up for grabs.
PandaScore’s Daily Fantasy eSports is backed by an expert-led esports trading team to deliver fast, accurate settlement data across unique, player-focused markets driven by the provider’s established and proven betting models.
An Interactive Player Widget serves up rich player stats and profiles, with PandaScore’s powerful BetBuilder enabling same-game parlays.
But that’s not all. PandaScore has more than 17,000 players in its esports player age and info database, the largest in the market.
It also offers dedicated helper codes and documentation to ensure smooth and seamless operator integration. It really is as easy as 1-2-3.
1 – There is a kick-off call to align on goals, timelines and fantasy formats.
2 – The operator accesses PandaScore’s dedicated fantasy-focused API to accelerate the build
3 – The dedicated integration manager ensures effortless onboarding and a successful launch
By leveraging PandaScore’s odds and data, alongside its team of experts and specialists, online sportsbook and daily fantasy sports operators can launch faster, ensure accuracy and scale their Daily Fantasy eSports offering with confidence.
Oliver Niner, Head of B2B at PandaScore, said: “Daily Fantasy eSports is a pioneering product from PandaScore that will really hit the mark with operators across North America, as well as other global markets.
“It allows operators to engage esports fans and bettors with a compelling product and proposition, but without the degree of risk that comes with standard betting as the payouts are controlled.
“Daily Fantasy eSports is already live with Dabble and is performing incredibly well, so we look forward to going live with more operators in the coming months.
“This really is a game-changing product, and we can’t wait to see it become available at some of the biggest betting brands in North America and beyond.”
The launch of Daily Fantasy eSports complements PandaScore’s growing esports betting offering, which includes odds and data for a huge number of disciplines, plus betting products like its BetBuilder, MicroMarkets and StoryBuilder.
The post PandaScore launches game-changing Daily Fantasy eSports product appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Esports Charts, a Ukraine-born analytics company that aggregates real-time viewership insights about esports, has won the Esports Innovation Award at the EsportsNext Industry Awards, hosted by the Esports Trade Association (ESTA) in Dallas, US.
The Esports Innovation Award recognizes an organization or individual that has introduced groundbreaking technology, services, or strategies significantly advancing the esports industry.
Esports Charts was honored for its scalable analytics platform, which provides comprehensive tournament and viewership statistics across more than 25 livestreaming services — helping stakeholders from publishers and teams to fans make smarter, data-driven decisions.
“Winning the Innovation Award from ESTA is an important milestone for us as a leading esports analytics service in the world. Also, we’re especially proud to represent Ukraine-born innovation on an international stage.
“From day one, our mission has been to bring clarity and transparency to the world of esports data. And this recognition from the industry is both an honor and a motivation to keep raising the bar.
“Thank you to our incredible team and partners, who believed in us from the start. This award is a shared success — and we’re just getting started,” Artyom Odintsov, co-founder and CEO of Esports Charts.
The post Esports Charts Wins “Esports Innovation Award” at the EsportsNext Industry Awards appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
-
Africa4 weeks agoCross Switch Bolsters African Footprint with Strategic Partnership with Pesawise
-
Esportes da Sorte4 weeks agoEsportes Gaming Brasil, the group behind Esportes da Sorte and Onabet, announces Hugo Baungartner as Executive Director for Institutional Relations and Partnerships
-
Australia4 weeks ago
ACMA Imposes Fine of $500,800 on PointsBet
-
Africa4 weeks ago
QTech Games wins Leader in Online Casino at the 2025 SBEA+ Eventus Awards
-
Baltics4 weeks ago
Modern Oracles & Smart Payments: Finrax’s Vision for Blockchain, AI & Beyond
-
Australia4 weeks ago
ACMA Imposes $1 Million Fine on Unibet
-
Asia3 weeks ago
PAGCOR CHAIRMAN, ENTIRE BOARD TENDER COURTESY RESIGNATION
-
Balkans4 weeks ago
EGT Digital at Belgrade Future Gaming 2025: Get ready to be fascinated
