eSports
Fnatic’s equal opportunity Fnatic Network is fostering new streaming talent, more than doubling their viewership in the past year
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Fnatic Network celebrates successful first year as programme participants see average CCU growth rise by 56%
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UK’s top esports org leads the industry’s diversity and inclusion efforts after achieving a 50/50 gender split across Fnatic Network participants
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Fnatic Network provides education and tools for up-and-coming content creators to help boost their performance through a career progression programme that can help them secure a contract with the organization
Fnatic, the London-based global esports performance brand, is doubling down on its efforts to champion diversity among its content creators after successfully managing a 50/50 gender split in its grassroots programme, Fnatic Network.
The multinational esports organisation revealed new stats that show a booming first year for their content creator programme, with over 50 participants experiencing a major boost in their average stream viewership. New data also showed that:
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Creators involved in the programme saw an average increase of 150% in their Twitch following since the programme’s inception
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The entire Fnatic Network’s collective follow count increased by 80 times
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Fnatic Network now boasts an impressive total social reach of over 6,900,000 across their entire talent pool.
Launched in April 2020, Fnatic Network offers budding and full-time content creators the opportunity to elevate their streaming capabilities. Starting July 2021 Fnatic Network will offer diverse brand building workshops, monthly Q&A sessions with Fnatic staff and coaches, as well as inclusion in Fnatic and partner campaigns (previous campaigns included brands such as Monster Energy and AMD).
Those who reach Fnatic Network’s Gold Tier, may be invited to join the Platinum Programme, a six-month accelerator programme with an emphasis on education and performance development. Platinum creators also receive a monthly salary and a chance to be signed as a Fnatic content creator at the end of the programme.
Fnatic Network alumni includes Twitch superstars Moonryde and Rhobalas, with Moonryde’s experience proving to be a success story. When he joined Fnatic Network, Moonryde averaged between 800 viewers per stream. However, since joining the programme and subsequently joining the main Fnatic roster, his average viewership has exploded to 6,000 per stream, with the Warzone player’s CCU peaking at just over 82,000 earlier this year.
Soraya Sobh, Head of Creator Management, wants to see more diversity in the esports industry and is hoping the progress made within the Fnatic Network can be replicated across the industry:
“Our ambitions for the esports and gaming industry is to see a more diverse and inclusive audience on and off the screen. I believe this change must start from within, and education and development are key to creating this change. A key goal of Fnatic Network is to seek out and level up the very best talent regardless of gender, race or ethnicity and give them equal opportunity to succeed.”
“Whilst Fnatic is only at the start of this journey, we want to make a difference at every level of the creator pool. If we can’t find enough creators at a top tier level which represent as diverse an audience as we know gaming attracts, then we have to build those talents from the ground up.”
“Our message to underrepresented, up and coming talent is clear: your career starts at Fnatic. Regardless of where creators end up, we’re here to give them the tools, training and development they need to succeed. We want to provide opportunities which in turn make the industry a more diverse and better represented place.”
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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