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Thursday December 7, 2023 |
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Good morning! It’s Thursday and this is your early morning Esports and Gaming brief.
Rockstar Games released its first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI this week, with fans worldwide bringing viewership of the teaser to more than 100 million in just a couple days. The latest edition of the Grand Theft Auto Series, announced just more than a decade after the release of Grand Theft Auto V, has the makings of one of the biggest moments in gaming in the next couple of years.
GTA is one of the best-known action franchises in the world, with decades of history across multiple platforms. GTAV remains one of the most popular games in the world, with more than 190 million units sold and a strong community of content creators and players in the online version of the game despite the lengthy break between new titles.
While 2023 was one of the best years in recent memory in terms of quality (and frequency) of releases, GTA VI alone is sure to make 2025 similarly memorable.
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 COMPETITION AND GAMING NEWS
Shopify Rebellion are the VALORANT Champions Tour Game Changers champions following a thrilling 3-2 final win over Team Liquid Brazil. The 2022 runners-up got their title this time around while helping to set an all-time record for VCT Game Changers peak viewership of more than 293,000, according to Esports Charts. Despite Shopify leader Melanie “meL” Capone, who had been diagnosed with COVID-19, having to play remotely during the final, duelist Ava “florescent” Eugene shined in her first-ever offline Game Changers event with a record-setting 112 kills to lead her team to the top.
The Apex Legends Global Series revealed details of its partnership program for Year 4 of the circuit, with teams including OpTic Gaming, FaZe Clan, TSM, and others headlining the list of 12. The ALGS partners will receive financial support as well as opportunities to activate at ALGS events, along with other avenues for driving fan support. Creator-led organizations like Moist Esports and Disguised also made the cut, signaling the growing importance of these teams and their impact across multiple esports. “The fanbase is incredibly passionate and the watch parties were so fun to host,” Disguised owner and content creator Jeremy “Disguised Toast” Wang said in a statement. “It’s an esports I can see us being in for a long time with the support of EA, and I’m excited to have Disguised as a partnered team for 2024.”
The PUBG: Battlegrounds esports scene is set to expand its team support system in 2024, with PUBG Corporation announcing the addition of two new teams to its partner program. The organization is currently reviewing applications for its partnership slots and re-evaluating current members, it announced, with a focus on potential partners’ stability in the esports space as well as the size of the team’s existing audience. PUBG Corporation announced its initial eight partner teams in January 2023, so expect some quick decisions and more information in the new year.
ESL Impact revealed its 2024 competitive program and several strategy shifts to promote the sustainability of the women’s league. ESL FACEIT Group’s diversity-focused Counter-Strike initiative will step back from standalone events in 2024 and is also shifting its regional slots to accommodate higher participation rates in Europe than in its North America and South America regions. The changes, ESL said, will be reviewed at the end of next year as well. |
REV/XP PRESENTS
This week brings two editions of REV/XP Presents!
REV/XP Presents features Heather Garozzo of RAIDIANT. Garozzo is the founder and Executive producer of RAIDIANT, the 1st woman inducted into the Esports Hall of Fame, and a 20-year industry veteran. Learn more about RAIDIANT at raidiant.gg.
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| In this episode of rEv/XP Presents, Chris talks to Jordan Barclay, the founder of Spawnpoint Media. Spawnpoint focuses on creating family friendly content through stories in games such as Minecraft. Jordan, also known as EYStreem, has over 8M subscribers on his YouTube channel and shares great insights for brands looking to tap this younger, engagerd demographic. Check out Jordan on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@eystreem |
 SPONSORSHIP & ACTIVATION
Riot Games announced a multi-year partnership and investment in data platform GRID that will see GRID become Riot’s official data provider for League of Legends and VALORANT esports. The partnership is an extension of the companies’ work on the VALORANT Data Portal, a tool created for pro organizations to better analyze in-game results. GRID and Riot will start work on a League of Legends version of the portal for the coming year.
Esports organization Sentinels are working with drink brand ADVANCED on a yearlong partnership to bring a new energy drink, Hopium, to online storefronts. The co-branded beverage, along with affiliated clothing, are the start of what both parties hope will lead to additional partnered activations in 2024.
Cloud9 is working with Toei Animation on a One Piece merch drop, the companies announced. C9 will incorporate the manga and anime title’s swashbuckling branding into the apparel line, which will be available online and at a pop-up event in Los Angeles on Dec. 9. |
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STREAMHATCHET
Fortnite “Big Bang” Event Shatters Streaming Records: A New Chapter in Digital EntertainmentThe recent Fortnite “Big Bang” event has set the live-streaming world ablaze, breaking records and redefining what’s possible in digital entertainment. Across major live-streaming platforms, Fortnite hit 7.3 million peak viewers, shattering previous records.
The conclusion of Season 27 and “Fortnite OG” not only showcased what’s coming in Fortnite Chapter 5 but also highlighted the game’s growing influence in the pop culture sphere. Featuring a live concert by renowned rapper Eminem, the Fortnite Big Bang event was one of the biggest events in streaming in recent years.On Twitch, the event helped the platform record its third-highest peak viewership ever for a single day, coming in at 6.38 million viewers on December 2. During this peak, over 50% of Twitch viewers were watching Fortnite streams, an unprecedented statistic. Read the full analysis over at Stream Hatchet.
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| Cynopsis Sports Media Awards 2024
THEY’RE HERE!
Ready to recognize a company or campaign across production, marketing and technology for their hard work and innovation? Entries for the Sports Media Awards 2024 are live!
The in-person awards ceremony will take place in April 2024 in NYC.
ENTER NOW |
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YOUGOV LIVING DATA INSIGHTS
The broadening appeal of esports – among younger and older Americans alikeOver the three-year period, starting from the base year 2021, esports interest has shown a gradual uptick. Among the 18-29 age group, the percentage expressing esports as a top interest increased from 7% in 2021 to 10% in 2023. Even in the 30+ age range, there’s a positive shift from 2% to 4% over the same period.
While this is impressive in itself, the share of those saying they are “somewhat” or “a little bit” interested has also grown steadily. In fact, as of 2023, the share of 18-29-year-olds saying they are not at all interested in esports has dipped below 50% for the first time.
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 TEAMS
G2 Esports has received the operating rights for Version1’s flagship esports programs as part of a strategic partnership between the competitive gaming organizations. News has trickled out about the move since Version1’s announcement that it was pursuing merger options in April of this year. The move gives G2, one of Europe’s most well-known esports teams, a foothold in the Call of Duty League thanks to Version1’s spot in that league.
Carleton Curtis, the CEO of Tundra Esports, is resigning from that role at the end of this year, he announced. Curtis is also giving up his position as executive chairman of Tundra’s parent company, Sandstorm Media Group. Tundra co-founder Maxim Demin will take over the CEO role as Curtis gears up for what’s next; though he alluded to a new opportunity in a LinkedIn post, it’s unclear what the move will be.
North American League of Legends veteran Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng is retiring for good, he announced, after more than 12 years as a competitive player. Doublelift, regarded as the best-ever North American AD carry and likely the best player to hail from North America of all time, played for 100 Thieves throughout 2023 but is best-known for his time on TSM and Team Liquid, where he earned multiple League of Legends World Championship berths and international success at tournaments like the Mid-Season Invitational. The 30-year-old plans to focus on content creation moving forward.
FaZe Clan’s first employee, Sebastian “CBass” Diamond, is leaving the company after 12 years, he announced. The one-time content creator noted the challenges that the shift from FaZe being a creator-led organization to an executive-owned one presented, his work leading FaZe’s growth on social platforms and his hopes for the company now that the former FaZe regime is steering the ship again. “When I first came across FaZe Clan in 2010 it wasn’t a business, it wasn’t a brand, it was a YouTube channel with 500 subscribers – and more importantly, nobody other than us thought it was cool,” CBass said in a statement. “This red logo has created a snowball effect towards hundreds of millions of people being inspired to chase their dreams.” |
 INDUSTRY
Xbox Game Pass won’t be coming to non-Microsoft platforms, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer confirmed in an interview with Windows Central. Although Spencer and Xbox continue to search for new ways to leverage its cloud gaming services and subscription platform, the CEO made it clear that Xbox hardware will continue to leverage these products as a differentiator rather than trying to bring them onto other platforms and ease away from the hardware business.
Wagering platform Rivalry announced a 50% year-over-year increase in betting handle as part of its Q3 earnings report while reaffirming its prediction that the company will hit profitability in H1 2024. Rivalry, which is known in the esports space for its adoption of betting for multiple competitive titles as well as recently becoming the first company to support same-game parlays for esports events, has been able to cut marketing costs while getting more out of and retaining its current users: the company reports “all-time high average handle per customer, average revenue per user, and record low cost of customer acquisition” heading into the end of 2024.
Galaxy Racer has cut its entire North American staff, including its Her Galaxy brand, amid employees’ complaints about back pay and threats of a class action to secure those payments. Galaxy Racer reportedly provided those payments to staff, according to The Esports Advocate, and has promised to pay Her Galaxy event competitors the outstanding prize money from those tournaments. Moving forward, Galaxy Racer will “focus primarily on influencer and content creator programs” in the U.S. but halt esports efforts for now.
Games media conglomerate GAMURS announced additional layoffs this week as the company’s esports publication, Dot Esports, seems to be pulling back from the word in its own title. Dot laid off multiple competitive gaming-focused personnel, including reporters and editors for Apex, Counter-Strike, Overwatch and other titles. Cuts at the organization have been primarily focused on esports content as the publication, and others in the GAMURS network, scramble to hit SEO goals promoted by the programmatic revenue-first strategy. |
| Cynopsis Reaching Audience in 2024
TUNE IN TODAY AT 1PM EST!
Media industry experts go live TODAY, December 7, to share insights on succeeding in today’s buying and selling environment. The Reaching Audience in 2024 Virtual Conference will cover everything you need to know about those clicking ‘play’ today. Don’t miss it!
REGISTER FOR FREE |
TRIVIA
Rockstar Games is the developer of GTA VI. Who is the publisher of the game? (Email [email protected] with your answer, and be sure to include your name, company and city).Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Destiny 2 released its latest seasonal update last week. What is the name of that season? Answer: Season of the Wish. Kudos: Tom Moore | Kalt Productions, Los Angeles; David Westberg | SAG•AFTRA Federal Credit Union, Burbank, California |
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
INTERSECTION
SEATTLE, WA
Grow in billings, income, and experience on a team that continues to lead our industry. Take your career to the next level with a company that is transforming cities and delivering on our promises to our clients and to our long-standing Municipal and Transit Authority partners. Full info HEREACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
INTERSECTION
PORTLAND, OR
Grow in billings, income, and experience on a team that continues to lead our industry. Take your career to the next level with a company that is transforming cities and delivering on our promises to our clients and to our long-standing Municipal and Transit Authority partners. Full info HEREACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, AD SALES >>
FUSE MEDIA/NEW YORK, NY: Support the Ad Sales team by prospecting, selling and expanding the Company’s advertising revenue base. The candidate will have a strong media sales background with a network of industry clients and prospects as well as establish a book of business and exceed pre-established activity and sales quota utilizing CRM tools to document sales activity. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, EAST COAST ADVERTISING SALES
THE ALLEN MEDIA GROUP
NYC (Hybrid)
Responsible for coverage of assigned advertising agencies and clients specifically dedicated to representing AMG linear, digital and streaming platforms. Also grow and maintain existing clients as well as prospect and close new business. Work closely with clients and advertising holding companies ensuring AMG is a ‘must-buy’ for advertisers. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
TV ONE NETWORK
(Remote, Hybrid)
Communicate the value and brand strength of the Network to advertisers and agencies as well as create compelling presentations that convey the benefits and features of TV One programming and the TV One viewing audience. Full info HERECOPY COORDINATOR
TV ONE NETWORK
(Remote, Hybrid)
Manage the delivery and arrival of commercial content working closely with Manager of Commercial Operations to resolve conflicting traffic instructions as well as oversee maintenance of E-faxes and storage of client files. Responsible for entering original account data and revisions into the traffic system. Full info HERE
AD SALES COORDINATOR
TV ONE NETWORK
(Remote, Hybrid)
Establish business relationships with agency counterparts and internal departments including: Pricing and planning, inventory management, marketing, traffic and billing, also fulfill advertiser allocations requests, ensure stewardship delivery in accordance to deal guarantees, send commercial airing times, and update clients of programming. Full info HERE
DIRECTOR, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
HALLMARK MEDIA
NYC
Execute communications objectives and develop strategies to elevate Hallmark Media, its workforce, and business entities. Evaluate existing communications program in the context of its ability to support strategic planning and operating objectives. Minimum of 10+ years progressive PR/Communications Industry Experience. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR
FUTURE TODAY
CHICAGO
Represent Future Today, selling an expansive portfolio of O&O CTV apps, inclusive of HappyKids, Fawesome, The LEGO Channel, FilmRise, Blippi. 5+years selling linear/streaming/OLV exp req.Biz dev position inclusive of direct, pmp/pg.Solid relationships; agency & client. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
TV ONE
NYC, Hybrid, Remote
Communicate the value & brand strength of Urban One Networks to advertisers & agencies. Create compelling presentations that convey the benefits & features of our programming and the viewing audiences. Proactively keep clients informed of pertinent account and network information. Min. 4+ yrs national advertising sales or equivalent sales exp. Full info HERE
VP/HEAD OF ADVERTISING SALES
FREEBEE
FL/NYC Remote
Lead, manage, develop, and grow Ad Sales teams. Attract and retain the best talent. Work with leadership team to set, achieve, and grow revenue targets across OOH, Digital and Experiential. Instrumental in driving the team to exceed all expectations and goals. 15+ years’ experience in advertising, media, and relevant sales management roles. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
FREEBEE
MIAMI
Achieve revenue and growth targets across linear and digital. Identify and execute strategies which result in exceeding revenue targets. Develop and execute effective sales strategies that showcase as well as maximize overall revenues for the overarching National Sales division. 7-10 yrs exp. in advertising, media & relevant sales management roles. Full info HERE
SENIOR AUDIO/VIDEO PROMOTION PRODUCER >>
WHYY/PHILADELPHIA: Produce best-in-class promotional spots, accurately reflecting WHYY’s brand mission, from strategy through management approvals. Write killer scripts for audio and video to engage audiences. Organize promotional spot production schedule for video and audio spots needed for TV, FM, digital and social platforms. 10-15+ years’ experience. Full info HERE
DIGITAL DIRECTOR, NEWS >>
WHYY/PHILADELPHIA: Develop a cogent strategy for developing and publishing WHYY news content across social media and emerging digital platforms. Convey and create SEO, social media and digital best practices in concert with the digital staff with the focus of informing and developing the newsroom’s digital muscles. Five or more years of journalism experience. Full info HERE
SENIOR STUDIO TECHNICAL MANAGER
A+E NETWORKS
HYBRID NYC
Technical manager for live, studio, productions/events. Provides technical oversight, support, solutions, troubleshooting, and in-house technical resource. Functions as Studio and Tech Manager for Studio and Tech Manager for remote productions, on-site and off-site corporate events. Requires 5-7 years production technical management experience. Full info HERE
SENIOR DIRECTOR, DIGITAL CONTENT LICENSING
A+E NETWORKS
REMOTE
Negotiate, draft & review agreements for owned & operated platforms/services, third-party platform. Exp. in digital media, content licensing (domestic/international), linear & on-demand rights & distribution, Privacy & Data Security preferred. Min 5 yrs of exp. supporting digital media at media company or streaming platform. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT TV
NYC
Represent FETV & FMC to media community via ongoing communications & relationship building. Maintain & develop strong working relationships w/both agencies & internal departments in support of sales efforts. Work w/sales management, pricing & planning to achieve quarterly revenue goals. 5+ yrs media sales exp. preferably in cable TV- agency exp. +. Full info HERE
BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS AND DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE >>
HEARST MEDIA PRODUCTION GROUP/CHARLOTTE, NC: Proactively identify, research, and develop new opportunities for our family-friendly programming blocks on ABC, CBS, NBC, The CW, Telemundo, & other media & digital/social outlets. Support creation and present strategic, cross-media concepts to multiple stakeholder groups that meet our client’s business objectives. 8 + yrs of business dev. exp. Full info HERE
HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR >>
BIG FISH ENTERTAINMENT/NYC/NJ: Coordinating onboarding for all new hires.
Administering the benefits and payroll changes for employees accurately.
Maintaining an efficient filing system—paper and electronic, for employee and company records related to their job functions. Building a successful bridge between management and employees. 7 yrs entertainment exp. preferred. Full Info HERE
DIRECTOR, MEDIA SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS >>
PBS DISTRIBUTION/ARLINGTON VA, Hybrid: Oversee media systems operations, including daily operations as well as development and implementation of overall media supply chain. Work with external vendors and internal stakeholders on design and implementation of hardware and software solutions for media systems. 7+ yrs of work exp. in the areas of television, media, or consumer products. Full info HERE
TV/VIDEO SPONSORSHIP-PRODUCT INTEGRATION SALES REPRESENTATIVE >>
GAME ON MEDIA SOLUTIONS/Remote: Game On Media Solutions is looking for an independent business development oriented sponsorship sales representative. Focus will be on TV/Streaming project opportunities for brands that include product integration and placement. This is an Independent Contractor performance compensated opening. Attractive fees can be earned for closed deals. Full info HERE
BRAND ASSISTANT >>
THE LEDE COMPANY/NYC: Full-service communication, strategy, and social impact consulting firm, specializing in corporate, brand, entertainment, and nonprofit sectors, is seeking a Brand Assistant to join the Brand team in our New York office. The Assistant will play an integral role in supporting accounts for a wide variety of Fashion, Beauty, CPG and Lifestyle clients. Full info HERE
TALENT ASSISTANT >>
THE LEDE COMPANY/LA: Full-service strategy, communications and social impact consulting firm, specializing in corporate, entertainment and nonprofit sectors. We are looking for a Talent Assistant to a Talent Publicist in Los Angeles. We are seeking enthusiastic candidates who can work in a fast-paced environment, are driven & have strong communication and writing skills. Full info HERE
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER FOR NATIONAL POLITICAL SHOW >>
BAHAKEL COMMUNICATIONS/CHARLOTTE NC: Develop and oversee the production of a daily or weekly national political show that covers the most important political news and events of the day. Develop and execute strategies to increase the show’s audience and engagement. At least 5 years of experience as an executive producer for a political show or similar program. Full info HERE
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF NEWS/ENTERTAINMENT >>
BAHAKEL COMMUNICATIONS/CHARLOTTE NC: Oversee all editorial and entertainment content, news production and presentation. Responsible for day-to-day operations of the show: producing, writing, and guiding creative. Develop content for the News @ TEN, plan, assign and create production schedules. 7 years of experience as executive producer or show producer. Network experience preferred. Full info HERE |
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| OTHER JOBS OF INTEREST
Build immersive online worlds, work directly with designers and other disciplines to build game systems, explore design ideas, and seek ways to use technology to enable compelling experiences.
Senior Gameplay Engineer
ArenaNet
Bellevue, WA
https://www.arena.net/en/careers
Collaborate with game designers, artists, and engineers to ensure that development tools enhance the creative process.
Senior Tools Engineer
ArenaNet
Bellevue, WA
https://www.arena.net/en/careers
Serve as an internal eCommerce/Growth Marketing thought leader; helping to identify marketing trends, new technologies, evolving best practices, competitor activity and testing opportunities that will help drive the business forward.
SVP GM Global DTC
NZXT
City of Industry, CA
https://nzxt.com/careers
Point of contact for establishing business relationships with third party and cloud hosting providers, customer support, quality assurance, NOC and localization.
Head of Game Operations
Turtle Rock
Orange County, CA
https://www.turtlerockstudios.com/careers
Create high quality mood paintings and sketches to inspire and guide environment artists and game designers.
Lead Concept Artist
Turtle Rock
Orange County, CA
https://www.turtlerockstudios.com/careers
Scale our Edge Data Center and hardware infrastructure at a time of incredible growth for our business.
Technical Lead, Edge Data Center Operations
Roblox
Ashburn, VA
https://corp.roblox.com/careers/
Lead the end-to-end design, architecture, implementation, and delivery of a solution that enables our community to build captivating worlds using the functionality developed by our team.
Engineering Manager – Computational Geometry
Roblox
San Mateo, CA
https://corp.roblox.com/careers/
Leads strategic consultation and support for business leaders around Talent Management needs.
Senior Talent Management Partner
Nintendo
Redmond, WA
https://www.nintendo.com/corp/jobs.jsp#
Provide clear and helpful answers to developer inquiries via forums and email and solve technical problems and suggest viable workarounds.
Senior Engineer -SDSG (NTD)
Nintendo
Redmond, WA
https://www.nintendo.com/corp/jobs.jsp#
Collaborate with Creative Directors, Designers, Engineers, Artists, Producers, and Animators to deliver world-class game systems.
Senior Systems Designer – Raven Software
Raven Software
Middleton, WI
https://careers.activision.com
Develop, modify, optimize, and debug rendering engine systems and deploy, evaluate performance, and test software on all supported platforms.
Expert Graphics Engineer
Raven Software
Middleton, WI
https://careers.activision.com
Develop innovative, complex, and visually stunning visual effects and work closely with our designer, animators, and programmers to implement effects.
Senior Real-Time FX Artistc
Hi-Rez Studios
Alpharetta, GA
https://www.hirezstudios.com/careers/
Architect and develop new features on modern Unreal Engine code, in support of our multiple games on PC, console and mobile.
SMITE – Senior Engine Programmer
Hi-Rez Studios
Alpharetta, GA
https://www.hirezstudios.com/careers/ |
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