eSports
KITKAT BECOMES MAIN PARTNER OF THE LEC 2021 AND LAUNCHES “MISSION CONTROL” WITH SPORTFIVE
KitKat extends its partnership with the Esports League of Legends European Championship (LEC) as Main Partner for 2021. Global sports business agency SPORTFIVE secured the deal and produced a hero commercial for the kick-off.
After enabling KitKat’s first and successful experience within the esports ecosystem last year, sports business agency SPORTFIVE again is the chocolate brand’s esports lead agency of choice and delivers an integrated and comprehensive solution for KitKat: From facilitating and concluding the rights deal over consulting to the execution of final activation, ranging from campaigning and producing the new commercial to social media content and sweepstakes.
As one of the most iconic chocolate brands in the world, KitKat offers the perfect opportunity to lean back and enjoy breaks from the League of Legends European Championship actions. All gaming and esports activations reflect KitKat’s DNA: humorous, empathic and unpretentious. Under the claim “Even the Biggest Champ Needs A Break” the brand is picking up typical gamer situations, linking it to what the brand stands for: relaxing breaks that bring a smile, especially in situations where gamers feel tilted.
As part of the extended partnership in 2021, SPORTFIVE created a sub campaign around the claim “Even the Biggest Champ Needs A Break” and produced a 30 seconds hero commercial with the title “MISSION CONTROL”, extending the story around gaming breaks being a crucial part of a gamers lifestyle.
“Putting a gamer in front of the monitor and placing the brand logo next to it? Anyone can do that. This is why we are following another approach and are kicking off the LEC partnership with a specially produced image spot that brings fun, entertainment and shows the gamer from a ‘different side’. We are presenting the gamer multifaced. As a gamer sometimes you struggle with yourself: Should I continue playing after a loose streak? Should I think of the team first or my own performance? We create situations that every gamer can relate to and literally jump into the head – the MISSION CONTROL” | Georg Fischer, Marketing Manager for KitKat in Europe, Middle East and North Africa
KitKat is leaving space for every distinctive character trait of a gamer, giving each characteristic a brief but memorable stage to shine: SKILL is responsible for motor skills, REASON for analyzing situations neutrally. MIND is the brain and INTELLIGENCE keeps a cool head and always makes the right decisions. And then we have EGO – a character that does not contribute much to the team effort but is indispensable for gamers. When a team is not working together as planned, the only thing that helps is bringing relaxation into the chaos through a break, enjoying KitKat chocolate and getting a new perspective. After this break every gamer will find the balance that can lead to victory. More episodes and side stories will be gradually launched on various social media platforms.
“The extension and the associated upgrade of KitKat in the LEC as Main Partner fully pays off the success of the partnership as well as the activations to date. Together with KitKat, we want to communicate the positive side of breaks with a wink and focus on the fun in and out of the community. We are starting the new year with MISSION CONTROL and still have a lot of plans for KitKat in 2021” | Eike Gyllensvärd, Executive Vice President Global Esports Partnerships at SPORTFIVE
“We’re so happy to be signing on again with KitKat as one of our main partners for 2021. We had such a fruitful time together in 2020, with KitKat helping us to deliver some top level content for our fans,” says Alban Dechelotte, Head of Sponsorships & New Business EU Esports at Riot Games. “KitKat started with a pilot initially, with a relatively low level of activity; so it’s incredible that they have recognized the value of our partnership to the extent that they are now one of the major league esports partners across the LEC and local leagues and teams across Europe.”
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.
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