In the latest episode of the ESI Digest, Esports Insider sub-editor Tom Daniels discussed the biggest esports news of the week, notably the takeover of 100 Thieves by the ‘huge and significant partnership’ of CouRage and Valkyrae.
The two esports giants have acquired 100 Thieves in a co-ownership agreement, which Daniels believes is indicative of the increasingly significant role content creators play in the industry, now taking an active role in the business side of operations.
Further reiterating the significance of the deal, Daniels stated the opinion that the link up demonstrates the growth of Valkraye and CouRage, with both firms becoming a ‘very influential part of 100 Thieves’.
He argues that this is ‘really positive news,’ following multiple announcements from 100 Thieves, including various new partnerships.
Secondly, Danish esports developers Astralis Group have ‘broken into the US exchange,’ through dual quotation on the OTCQX Best Market.
The group will apparently be trading in US stock exchanges within the next four weeks, marking a potential international expansion for the group, with the prospect of greatly developing its global audience.
If successful, US investors will be able to purchase shares in the group – which is already listed on stock exchanges in Denmark – whilst the group also expects to increase liquidity through the move.
Next up was the ‘crossing of two worlds’ of manga and esports, as German car manufacturer BMW unveils its ‘Heroes of Rivalry’ series featuring its United in Rivalry team partners, including Cloud 9, FNATIC, FunPlus Phoenix, G2 Esports and T1.
In addition to BMW, US-based guitar producer Jackson has entered esports, announcing a ‘global collaboration’ with Riot Games’ virtual heavy metal band PENTAKILL.
Although details regarding marketing and brand activations have not yet been disclosed, fans have been told to expect the partnership to showcase the ‘instrument’s powerful performance and distinctive style’.
Finally, the last ESI Digest choice for the past week was the revelation that NFL player JuJu Smith-Schuster was one of the many investors to contribute to esports data platform GRID’s latest funding round, with the firm securing $10 million in total in Serie A funding.
ESI Digest, in partnership with RocketReel, powered by Reely.ai, is part of the ESI Network, a collection of podcasts encompassing the esports industry. For deep dives into the major areas of esports with subject matter experts, check out ESI Focus. For conversations with key personnel and major stakeholders in esports, ESI Insight is the series for you.
Source – Esports Insider YouTube Channel
