A New Chapter Beyond Esports NIP Group Co-CEO Hicham Chahine kicked off the announcement on LinkedIn, declaring, “🚨We are entering a whole new chapter at NIP Group! 🥷🏻” He framed the move as a natural evolution following the company’s NASDAQ: NIPG listing last summer, and posed the central strategic question: “How can we pursue in revenues in the future, and expand outside of esports and gaming entertainment in an adjacent and relevant vertical?” By launching a dedicated Digital Computing Division—Chahine...

Opening the Betting Frontier Riot Games has announced the opening of sports betting sponsorships for Tier 1 League of Legends and VALORANT teams in both the Americas and EMEA. “After years of analysis to ensure we got it right, we agreed it was time to open up this category to create more revenue opportunities for teams,” writes John Needham, President of Publishing & Esports at Riot, in a company blog post published on June 26. The move responds directly to...

PlayVS has officially renewed its partnership with NASCAR and iRacing for the 2025–26 season of the eNASCAR College iRacing Series, further deepening its role in collegiate sim racing while expanding its post-acquisition ambitions in the amateur esports ecosystem. The new season will mark a major transition, as the competition will now operate directly on the PlayVS platform following the company's acquisition of Playfly College Esports earlier this year. Since its launch in 2022, the eNASCAR College iRacing Series has grown...

Riot Games has officially unveiled League of Legends Game Changers (LGC), a new competitive initiative designed to nurture and spotlight women competitors across the EMEA region. Building upon the success and inspiration from the established VALORANT Game Changers circuit, Riot is looking to create an inclusive, sustainable, and competitive environment for female League of Legends players. The initiative begins with the inaugural tournament, LGC Rising, launching this August. The event will culminate in a live Grand Final on stage at...

Wolves Esports, the esports arm of English Premier League football club Wolverhampton Wanderers, has secured a strategic investment worth tens of millions of yuan from Chongqing Green Development Group (重庆绿发实业集团有限公司), a state-owned enterprise in China’s Bishan District. The funding will accelerate the club’s competitive infrastructure and digital ecosystem, reinforcing its position as a bridge between Western esports expertise and China’s booming market. Wolves Esports’ parent company, Fosun Sports (复星体育), has aggressively invested in China’s esports landscape since acquiring Wolverhampton Wanderers in...

Nasdaq-listed NIP Group (NASDAQ: NIPG), traditionally an esports powerhouse, is expanding its portfolio into live entertainment with a new joint venture—NIP Culture & Entertainment (Beijing) Co., Ltd.—aimed squarely at the booming Chinese festival market. The Joint Venture’s debut event, Qianfan Music Season – Wonderland Music Festival, took place May 31 to June 1 in Beijing, drawing over 70,000 attendees, marking it as one of the city’s largest outdoor music festivals. Featuring performances by 19 leading artists alongside esports teams eStar Pro and Beijing...

Tyson "TenZ" Ngo, one of esports' most prominent figures, has officially joined Red Bull as a global athlete through a partnership brokered by Prodigy Agency, a talent representation firm in gaming and esports. Widely considered "the face of Valorant," TenZ boasts an extensive following exceeding 14 million across social platforms. Known for exceptional skill, creativity, and competitive accomplishments, TenZ's new collaboration with Red Bull solidifies his position among an elite group of global athletes. Red Bull’s strategy with esports ambassadors...

Riot Games has secured a strategic partnership with T/SQUARED, the commercial marketing agency established in 2023 by TEAM Group, to enhance sponsorship sales and business development for Riot’s key esports properties in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The partnership centers around the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) and the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) EMEA. Under the agreement, T/SQUARED will act as the primary commercial partner responsible for securing and managing sponsorship agreements for both the LEC and...

The International Esports Federation (IESF) announced today that it has resolved the controversy surrounding prize pool deductions from its 2024 World Esports Championship (WEC) held in Riyadh. The federation confirmed it will distribute the full prize amounts initially promised to participating federations after previously withholding 15% due to financial reconciliation discrepancies. This decision follows significant criticism from several national federations, particularly Portugal, which publicly accused IESF of mismanagement and unfair treatment. As previously reported by The Esports Advocate’s James Fudge,...

Electronic Arts (EA) released its fourth-quarter and fiscal-year 2025 earnings report on Tuesday, offering a comprehensive view of the company’s expansive gaming portfolio. While EA’s reach spans far beyond esports, The Esports Advocate focuses on the key titles and performance metrics most relevant to the esports sector, providing insights into how these franchises are shaping EA's financial trajectory and its place within the competitive gaming landscape. A Strong Finish from EA Sports FC and Madden EA’s American football franchise, encompassing...