eSports
BT Sport secures rights to Solidarity Challenge for WHO – eFootball PES 2020
BT Sport has secured the exclusive UK rights to the Solidarity Challenge, a virtual football tournament that will bring together some of the world’s biggest sporting stars in a bid to raise money for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO.
Featuring BT Sport pundits Steve McManaman and Jermaine Jenas and commentator Darren Fletcher, the tournament will see the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Tommy Fleetwood, Mo Farah and Danny Care competing in a knock-out eFootball PES 2020 tournament. Coverage will start this Friday (12th June) at 9am on BT Sport 1 with pre-recorded coverage of the Round of 16, including interviews with the participants and post-match analysis. The Final and Semi Finals will be broadcast on Sunday on BT Sport 1 and will be made available, for free, via the BT Sport app.
In its role as an official partner of the tournament, BT Sport will be making a donation to the fund, as well as providing programming support and access to talent.
Donations support the WHO’s work, to track and understand the spread of the virus; to ensure patients get the care they need and frontline workers get essential supplies and information; and to accelerate research and development of a vaccine and treatments for all who need them.
The action will start this Friday, from 9am, on BT Sport 1:
- Friday 12th June, 9-11am, BT Sport 1 – Round of 16
- Saturday 13th June, 9-11am, BT Sport 1 – Round of 16
- Sunday 14th June, 9-11am, BT Sport 1 – Highlights of the Quarter Finals as well as full, live coverage of Semi Finals and Final.
A full list of participants can be found below:
- Antoine Griezmann
- Yaya Touré
- Danny Care
- Liv Cooke
- Mo Farah
- Ludovic Giully
- Tommy Fleetwood
- Amandine Henry
- Jermaine Jenas
- Steve McManaman
- Blaise Matuidi
- Mathieu Bastareaud
- Giorgio Chiellini
- Robert Pires
- Scott McTominay
- Louis Saha
eSports
BLAST.tv Austin Major Becomes Austin’s First Arena Esports Event & Sells Out in Record Six Hours

BLAST, Live Nation, C3 Presents and the Austin Sports Commission announced that tickets for the highly-anticipated Counter-Strike Austin Major sold out within six hours, breaking all records of previous BLAST esports events.
The BLAST.tv Austin Major will feature 32 of the world’s top Counter-Strike teams competing for a $1.25 million prize pool, from June 3 to June 22, with June 19-22 taking place at a packed out Moody Center.
Counter-Strike is one of the world’s most iconic esports titles, with over 20 years of competitive history and a massive global fan base. As the first Counter-Strike Major in the U.S. since 2018, this event continues to solidify Austin’s position as a premier destination for world-leading events. Catch a glimpse of what is to be expected by viewing the last CS Major, in Paris.
The BLAST.tv Austin Major is anticipated to be one of the largest esports events ever hosted in the United States, with thousands attending in person and millions more watching online across 150+ territories in more than 30 languages.
In addition to the impressive international presence guaranteed at this event, it’s an exciting time for Texas-based esports teams like Complexity Gaming, headquartered in Frisco, Texas, to represent their home state on their home turf.
At a press conference last night at the Moody Center (livestream available on youtube) featuring remarks from Mayor Kirk Watson, Leo Matlock (BLAST), Jason Lake (Complexity Gaming), Drew Hays (Austin Sports Commission/Visit Austin) and Andrew Haworth (BLAST), the spokespeople revealed that the Austin Major will drive economic impact for the local community:
- The estimated direct economic impact of the Counter-Strike Austin Major in Austin is $30M+
- Estimated total attendance: 40,000+
- Estimated out-of-state attendance: 65%
- Estimated average daily fan spend: $481
- 15 broadcast days and 59 hours live from Austin
- 220+ million projected views and an estimated 30 million US-based viewers
(Credit David Brendan Hall)
The BLAST.tv Major adds to Austin’s growing reputation as a world-class event destination, joining a lineup of high-profile international events, including SXSW, Austin City Limits Music Festival, and Formula 1 at Circuit of The Americas.
The road to the Counter-Strike Austin Major has officially begun and will feature several exciting moments leading up to the final stage inside the Moody Center arena. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements including watch parties, tailgates, tickets and more by heading to BLAST.tv.
BLAST.tv Major dates and schedule:
- Phase One: June 3rd-6th (Downtown Austin)
- Phase Two: June 7th-10th (Downtown Austin)
- Phase Three: June 12th-15th (Downtown Austin)
- Playoffs: June 19th-22nd (Moody Center)
The BLAST.tv Austin Major will be the first to feature the Major Regional Qualifiers (MRQs). The MRQs are a brand new qualifying system to the Major – featuring a series of online qualifiers across 3 regions: Europe, Americas and Asia. Americas is split into separate North American & South American qualifiers and Asia is split into Oceania, China & Rest of Asia regions: Mongolian & Western Asia, China and Oceania and South East Asia. You can read more details on the qualifying process at blast.tv/cs/news/blasttv-austin-major-mrqs-info.
The post BLAST.tv Austin Major Becomes Austin’s First Arena Esports Event & Sells Out in Record Six Hours appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
Level Up: Die Bayerische extends main sponsorship contract with Berlin International Gaming (BIG) for another two years
The insurance group die Bayerische continues its successful commitment to e-sports by extending its main sponsorship partnership with Berlin International Gaming (BIG) for an additional two years, until the end of 2026. Since 2021, die Bayerische has stood as a strong partner alongside BIG, supporting one of the most innovative and dynamic sectors of the digital entertainment world.
Martin Gräfer, a member of the board at die Bayerische, explains: “BIG is much more than a classic sponsorship partner for us. The community around BIG is young, digital, and future-oriented—a target group with which we, as an insurer, want to engage in dialogue. Our partnership shows that insurance companies are also relevant in this dynamic world. The renewed contract extension is a clear sign of the sustainable success of our commitment.”
More Than Just Sponsorship: die Bayerische as an Active Part of the Community
Over the past few years, die Bayerische has established itself as a credible player in e-sports, supporting BIG not only as the main sponsor but also through innovative community formats and activations. Whether at Gamescom or during special online events, the company creates genuine added value for the gaming community by focusing on authentic interactions.
A special highlight was the joint youth development program “die Bayerische x BIG SELECTA” in 2024, which discovered and specifically promoted emerging talents. This initiative will continue in the coming years, providing young players with opportunities to build a career in the professional e-sports scene.
Strategic Expansion: Broadening Focus in the Area of Trackmania
In addition to the successful collaboration in League of Legends, die Bayerische is intensifying its commitment in the Trackmania sector. With top players Dennis “Massa” Lotze and Nico “GranaDy” Gyarmati, alongside analyst and content creator Lars “Lars” Buchholz, BIG is further expanding its Trackmania division. In doing so, die Bayerische is deliberately entering a community with significant reach and strong identification potential. After several successful years in League of Legends and two championship titles in the Prime League, the newly formed team currently leads its group with three victories, positioning itself strongly as it enters the Play-Off phase of Germany’s top league.
Daniel Finkler, CEO of Berlin International Gaming, emphasizes: “The partnership with die Bayerische has proven to be a true success model. Extending our collaboration by two more years speaks to the mutual trust and shared successes. We look forward to developing innovative formats, setting new standards in e-sports together, and we thank you for the ongoing support.”
Insurance Reimagined in the Digital Age
The extension of this sponsorship underscores die Bayerische’s strategy to position itself as a modern, approachable, and digital insurance brand. By deliberately building trust within the gaming community, the company is pioneering new paths in customer engagement and establishing itself sustainably as an innovative insurer for tomorrow’s generation.
Note: This article is a translation from the original language, which is German.
The post Level Up: Die Bayerische extends main sponsorship contract with Berlin International Gaming (BIG) for another two years appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
Abios partners with Kindred Group to provide full esports betting solutions

New partnership will see Kambi’s Esports division deliver its full suite of esports products, including odds via Kambi’s Odds Feed+ API, to Kindred’s in-house sportsbook
Abios, a leading esports data and odds provider and part of Kambi Group, is pleased to announce a multi-year partnership with Kindred Group, one of the world’s leading online betting and gaming operators, to provide its full range of best-in-class esports betting solutions.
Abios will supply its complete esports package, including odds, data, widgets and always-on content, to Kindred’s Unibet and 32Red brands, providing the operator’s in-house sportsbook with unrivalled esports betting experiences.
Leveraging Kambi’s Odds Feed+ API, Abios will deliver its high-uptime odds feed which includes comprehensive esoccer and ebasketball coverage, as well as leading esports titles such as Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Dota 2 and VALORANT. Utilising automated modelling, Abios’ low latency odds feed utilises official tournament data to power leading features such as bet builder and player props.
The new agreement is in addition to the Esports odds service Abios currently provides to Kindred as part of Kambi’s Turnkey Sportsbook service.
Anton Janér, Managing Director and Co-founder of Abios, said: “We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Unibet and the wider Kindred Group, a leader in the global sports betting and gaming market. This agreement showcases the value of Abios’ full esports odds packages and our ability to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of operators and enables them to reach new audiences through the growth of esports.”
Ben Colley, Sportsbook Director of Kindred Group, added: “Esports continues to grow in popularity, and it’s essential that we offer our customers the best possible experience in this exciting category. Extending our partnership with Abios via Kambi’s Odds Feed+ API and leveraging their deep expertise and esports odds solutions ensures we remain at the forefront of esports betting, delivering unparalleled products and services to our players.”
The post Abios partners with Kindred Group to provide full esports betting solutions appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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