05/16/19: Complexity locked up a deal with Miller Lite

CynopsisESPORTS
It’s Thursday May 16, 2019 and this is your weekly early morning Esports briefing. For additional longer-form esports news plus jobs, a team directory, glossary, calendar and data, check out our new esports hub updated daily: http://cynopsisesports.com.
 
 
Complexity Gaming unlocked a partnership with MillerCoors, designating Miller Lite as the exclusive alcoholic beverage of the team. The strategic partnership includes sponsorship of the Miller Lite Player Lounge within Complexity’s upcoming new headquarters, the GameStop Performance Center, serving as a dedicated area for players “to relax with one another as well as with coaches and the management team,” featuring a video wall, where Complexity can watch and support other esports teams during competitions. Additionally, Miller Lite beer will be available on tap for of-age players. Complexity and Miller Lite will also work together to develop an original content series, where Complexity players and influencers will share their best esports stories.
 
“We have spent the last year and half learning as much as possible about the gaming space and introducing ourselves to the community through influencer activations and live-stream media partners,” said Anup Shah, vice president of marketing for the Miller family of brands. “While the reception we have received to this point has been nothing but positive, we want to extend our presence in an authentic way and believe that Complexity is the right partner to help us do that.”
 
 
COMPETITION AND VENUES

 

 
DreamHack Dallas, slated for May 31-June 2, detailed its tournaments and plans for the company’s largest DreamHack festival in North America to date. Set to compete will  be 16 world-class Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams who will battle for more than $250,000 in prizes during the CORSAIR DreamHack Masters as well as a Madden NFL 19 tournament, the DreamHack Pro Circuit for Rocket League teams, the DreamHack DreamHack Fighting Game Championships: which will include BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle; Brawlhalla; Mortal Kombat 11; Soulcalibur VI;  Street Fighter V Arcade Edition; Super Smash Bros. Melee; Super Smash Bros. Ultimate; Tekken 7. In addition, we’ll see the Halo Championship Series Grassroots and the DreamHack Mobile Series featuring two games; Brawl Stars and Clash Royale.
 
Epic Games is opening the doors to the Fortnite Summer Block Party, a two-day event on June 15-16 celebrating the Fortnite community and featuring key creators and celebrities like Ninja, Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco, Dillon Francis, KittyPlays, Cray and Jordan Fisher. The event will take place at the Forum in Inglewood. Among the activations, fans can watch celebrities, YouTubers and their favorite streamers battle it out in the first-ever Creative tournament. Teams will fight for fame on a new player-made game designed specifically for this event. On June 16, the Celebrity Pro-Am will return for its second year. Fans will find out which team will take home the Victory Royale.
 
The National Hockey League locked in its broadcast team for the 2019 NHL Gaming World Championship Regional Finals and World Final, tapping the talents of Arda Ocal and Andrew ‘Nasher’ Telfer for another go-around, while Faizal Khamisa – who hosted the Canadian Final last year – will host the European and Canadian Regional competitions. Newcomer Carley Johnston will make her GWC debut at the European Live Regional Final. A new 30-minute pregame show, The GWC Lobby – hosted by Amanda Soucy along with Gaming Expert Cole ‘TacTix’ Mogg – will debut ahead of the European Final on May 18, at 10:30a.
 
We are thrilled to announce the first member of this year’s Hall of Fame class for The Tempest Awards, with Sundance DiGiovanni, MLG co-founder and co-founder of Electronic Sports Group, receiving the honor this year! The event will take place during Esports Business Summit at HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas on Sept. 11. Click here for more information.
 
Ubisoft mapped out its plans for the second annual Six Major starting Aug. 12, set in Raleigh with a week stuffed with Rainbow Six gameplay, as sixteen teams from around the world battle for the title of Major Champions, and a total prize pool of $500,000. Competing this year will be G2 Esports, Evil Geniuses, DarkZero, Team Empire, LeStream Esport, FaZe Clan, Immortals, Fnatic, Nora-Rengo and four oen qualifier winners, along with the Allied Esports Vegas Minor Champion, the DreamHack Valencia Champions and capped by one host country invitee.
 
 
TRENDS

 


Investigating audience behavior on Twitch related to registered profiles is a powerful tool which can help actors in gaming optimize content creation. As new league structures emerge in esports, audience behavior analysis can be used to understand if fans prefer structured, franchised leagues, or relegated, open tournaments. This week’s insights focus on comparing LoL Esports, OWL and Fortnite:
  • Fortnite Fans are Fortnite Fans: Only 11% of the Fortnite esports audience in our sample watches esports content on the Overwatch League, Riot Games Channels, or a combination of both.
  • Esports Fans are Divided: Although there is some mutual overlap in our sample, less than 1% of the total audience follows or watches all three channels.
  • Core esports fans prefer structure: 76k more Riot Games followers and 60k more Riot Games viewers follow or watch OWL than Fortnite.
For more information on how to leverage data analytics to inform strategy in the game streaming ecosystem, visit our blog at: Blog.streamhatchet.com.
 
 
ACTIVATION

 
 
Upper Deck is opening the door to esports, announcing a multi-year deal with the Overwatch League for licensed collectibles that includes the world’s first-ever official esports league trading card release as well as stickers, sticker books, prints, posters and memorabilia. The collaboration marks the first venture into esports for Upper Deck. Overwatch League fans will be able to buy, open, collect, and trade cards with other collectors across the globe via Upper Deck e-Pack.
 
Lenovo North America entered a local partnership with Team SoloMid to cement the brand’s first official esports sponsorship, and the investment seeking to further enhance the company’s focus on the gaming industry. As the exclusive PC partner of TSM’s teams and organization, Lenovo will outfit a state-of-the-art gaming lounge for players inside TSM’s new 25,000 square foot training facility, currently under construction in Los Angeles. The Lenovo Legion Lounge will feature high-performance Lenovo gaming PCs, complete with immersive visuals and audio. The company will also host exclusive TSM events and giveaways throughout the year.
 
Display specialist AOC announced a long-term partnership with Red Bull that will see teams and gamers competing at esports events powered by Red Bull provided with AOC’s gaming monitors. In addition, ten Red Bull Player One events taking place across Europe will be sponsored by AOC over the entire course of 2019.
The National Hockey League released its lineup of corporate partners for the 2019 NHL Gaming World Championship, with on-site activation plans for the Live Regional Finals and World Final. Returning partners Honda and Scotiabank will share the gaming spotlight with five newcomers: adidas, ASTRO Gaming, Brisk, Great Clips and MGM Resorts. The first Live Regional Final will take place May 18.
 
Gaming laptops and peripherals brand MSI cemented a partnership with the National Association of Collegiate Esports. MSI will support NACE in promoting collegiate esports across campuses by providing industry expertise and guidelines on the right gaming hardware for member schools looking to grow or establish a collegiate esports program. “The partnership with MSI continues the association down the path of providing the best in class to our member colleges and universities. MSI adds much to the process of outfitting esports arenas with the best equipment fielded by companies that are innately qualified of the unique challenges and opportunities with varsity level esports.  MSI has great plans for collegiate esports and we are excited to be a part of these plans as more and more institutions recognize the importance of collegiate esports,” said Michael Brooks, NACE Executive Director. 
 
 
PLATFORMS

 

Allied Esports announced its first product launch as part of a strategic alliance and exclusive agreement signed this year with TV Azteca. Titled Nation vs Nation, Allied Esports’ first event and broadcast production in Latin America will feature a squad of four U.S. players as they battle a Mexican team of 40 total players, including featured and celebrity squads and 32 fan participants, in PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS. The event will take place today at Foro Totalplay in Mexico City. The global debut of NATION VS NATION will also usher in TV Azteca’s latest platform, Azteca Gaming.
 
Anthem Sports & Entertainment announced today that its Game+ network will live broadcast the daily Cheddar Esports program on weekdays at 5p across the US and Canada. “With the recent surge in popularity throughout the esports industry, Game+ is committed to delivering live events, daily news coverage and more original content,” said Chad Midgley, VP of Game+. “Since its launch, Cheddar Esports has emerged as a leader in the esports space, significantly expanding its weekly coverage of the fast-growing phenomenon. We are thrilled to partner with Cheddar Esports to bring extensive esports coverage to Game+ viewers.”

 

Women of Esports tied up a deal with fashion brand Ateyo to launch a new content series that will live on the Women of Esports site. In the announcement, the org stated that over “the next few months we’ll be following some of the industry’s most badass women around for a day to give you the inside scoop on their jobs.”
 
A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE
Esports Tempest Awards
The only recognition program that shines a spotlight on the industry’s most innovative esports companies, with categories that span production, marketing, talent, and technology.
 
Winners will be announced live at the HyperX Esports Arena during the Esports Business Summit and promoted across social media, and digital assets—reaching over 300,000 key Esports business industry players.
 
TEAMS
 
Denial Esports co-owner Zach Smith announced on Twitter that he would be stepping down from the team’s day-to-day operations, following accusations from a former player that team members had not be paid their salaries. 
 
The potential sale of OpTic Gaming appears to be moving forward with multiple reports that the sale is imminent with likely buyers that include the Immortals as well as former OpTic owner and current CEO Hector Rodriguez. Upcomer also reports that Immortals are in talks to bring Rodriguez aboard to oversee the OpTic brand.
 
 
INDUSTRY

 

 
The Entertainment Software Association released results of its new survey entitled “2019 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry,” reporting that while 93% of American households own a smartphone, almost half of them use it to play video games. More than three-quarters of respondents reported that video games provide them with mental stimulation (79%) as well as relaxation and stress relief (78%). 
In addition to the above, the survey also revealed:
  • Video game players are more likely to pursue healthier lifestyles averaging seven hours of sleep during a weeknight, while 32% meditate regularly;
  • 90% of parents pay attention to the games their child plays, and 57% of parents enjoy playing games with their child at least weekly;
  • 74% of parents believe video games can be educational for their children;
  • 84% of parents state they are aware of video game ratings; and,
  • Women make up 46% of video game players.
Speaking of the ESA, E3 will see Netflix announce its foray into the gaming ecosystem and will announce new games at their E3 Coliseum panel which will again be hosted by Geoff Keighley.
 
 
ROSTER MOVES

 

Rounding out ESA news, the organization named Stanley Pierre-Louis, an industry executive with more than two decades of entertainment experience, as the body’s new President and CEO. “Stan’s strategic vision, years of entertainment industry experience, and policy expertise make him the ideal choice to lead our industry through this period of growth and opportunity,” said Robert Altman, Chairman of the ESA Board, and Chairman and CEO of ZeniMax Media, parent company of game publisher, Bethesda Softworks. “The Board and the industry look forward to his leadership of the ESA.”
 
Overwatch League franchise Washington Justice hired Grant Paranjape to serve as Vice President of Esports Business, where he will oversee business and team operations for the Justice, and grow the franchise’s local fanbase ahead of home and away games being incorporated into the league in 2020.
 
OverActive Media – the parent company of Splyce and Toronto Defiant – tapped Jason Toledano to serve as the organization’s Chief Financial Officer. Toledano is previously served as the CFO of Weston Foods and as SVP of Audit and Risk Management at Loblaw Group.
 
Spectra hired Joe Heyer to serve as Director of Esports Partnerships. Heyer comes from NBC Sports Philadelphia, where he was a Senior Account Executive responsible for partnership sales of the Philadelphia Flyers, Wells Fargo Center and their network.
 
Super League Gaming appointed IGN founder Mark Jung to its board of directors. His appointment expands the board to seven members with five serving independently.
 
A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE
<<< Just announced >>>
Cynopsis Top Women in Media Awards Gala
September 9 | 5:45PM – 8PM | Tribeca Rooftop, NYC
Join us Monday night, September 9th to honor the outstanding contributions by women in every facet of the media industry — TV, digital/tech, esports, sports, marketing and more. These are the women making bold decisions at every level – from corporate visionaries to rising stars — driving their businesses forward.
This will be the biggest gala event celebrating women in the industry. Don’t miss out!
 
ON THIS DAY in 2017: Injustice 2 is released.
 

Trivia: Ciri, Geralt, Triss and Yennefer are characters from which book and game franchise? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city.)
 
Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question: Which Smash Bros. fighter/game character is pictured above? Answer: Mega Man. Kudos: Julie Reuther/Sydney; Chris Davies-Virgin/London; Luke Watson-Essential TV/NY; Brian Jacobs-ICM Partners/NY; Jake Perlman-Gameprophet/NY; Jason Valluzzi-Active International/NY; Danny Araque/NY; Rob Johnson-N3rd Street Gamers/Philadelphia; Joey Olson-Lowe’s/DC; Courtney Tryc-Bluewater/Royal Oak; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union/Burbank
For more news and coverage, check out: http://cynopsisesports.com (updated daily).
Later — Chris
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CBS SPORTS SENIOR WRITER/PRODUCER, ON-AIR PROMOTION/NYC: Write/produce all wkly promos for CBS Sports with particular knowledge of NFL, College Football, NCAA BB Tournament, PGA & the Masters. Pressure player with superior conceptual skills. Min 7 yrs exp as promo producer req’d. Full info HERE (5/30)

 
VP, TV SALES & SPONSORSHIP/Stadium/Chicago: Nat’l sports network seeks VP resp to drive new business rev & dvlp sponsorship prgrms by working w/clients & agencies. Leverage expertise & network to capitalize on linear-specific opps. 10+ yrs exp rev dvlpmnt w/progressively resp roles focused on integrated sponsorship. Full info HERE (5/30)
 
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TALENT COORDINATOR/INSP/CHARLOTTE NC: Multi-tasking dynamo w/strong orgnzt’l skills to support team in optimizing celeb appearances. Mng travel plans incl setting up logistics for principal photography, promotional events, media tours & talent interviews. 2 yrs exp in a leadership or management role. Full info HERE (5/30)


PROJECT MGR, SHORT FORM, SOCIAL & INTERACTIVE CONTENT/Nickelodeon/NYC: Resp for the project management of the work created for the Nickelodeon brand social, YouTube & interactive content platforms. Min 2-4 yrs project mngmnt or related operational or prod exp in media or related field req’d. Full info HERE (5/29)

DIR, DISTRIBUTION/Nexstar Media/Irving TX: Resp for managing relationship & contract negotiations with Nexstar Media’s valued Multichannel Video Prgrmng Dist (MVPD). Able to mng full scope of acct mngmnt & affiliate sales processes. 8+yrs of affil sales & negotiation exp in the cable and TV industry, incl acct mngmnt exp. Proven track rec delivering results. Full info HERE (5/25)

 
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MGR/Frederator Digital/NYC: Proven track record as dig producer resp for oversight of the Frederator Digital, channel, and show brands incl maintaining on brand identity and delivering on brand promises. 4-6 yrs of aud development and/or digital mktg exp. Full info HERE (5/25)

NATIONAL SALES ASSISTANT/UP/NYC: Asst AEs, Sales Plners & Pricing/Inv. Edit PowerPt presentations & excel spreadsheets. Work w/ agency buyers.  Maintain order entry, inv moves & prod allocations. Effective verbal skills. Strong attn to details. Prior internship exp at TV ntwk pref’d. Full info HERE (5/24)


VP, PARTNERSHIPS, DISTRIBUTION BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT/Viacom/NYC: Resp for driving revenue w/new & existing partners thru distribution of Viacom Media Networks content. 10+ yrs of work exp, incl sales or business development exp. Strong knowledge of the content distribution landscape both traditional/digital. Full info HERE (5/23)

 

HEAD OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS/Counter Logic Gaming/Culver City CA: Oversee all bus. Operations & resp for the team’s P&L, business strategy and operations, and coord with MSG Marketing and Sponsorship. 7+ yrs exp w/at least 3-5 yrs exp in a Sr leadership running bus. operations role in a corp environment. Full info HERE (5/23)

DIRECT RESPONSE MEDIA BUYER/Icon International/Greenwich CT: Must have ability to negotiate with clients on media cost and possess the ability to work constructively with other buyers and assistants in the dept. DR exp. A must 5-7 yrs. Detail oriented w/solid communication skills. Full info HERE (5/22)

 

MGR, NATIONAL ACCOUNTS/Ad Council/NYC: Build/mng relationships w/ existing & potential media partners that help drive impact for Ad Council’s 40+ social impact campaigns. Asst VP, Media in prospecting new biz w/focus on growth areas. 3+ yrs digital & traditional media/cross-platform sales exp. Full info HERE (5/22)

VP STRATEGIC INSIGHTS & RESEARCH/Discovery/NYC or LA: Thought leader & strategist to connect research methods w/new data analytics. Utilize primary research, Nielsen data & consumer databases to develop programming, scheduling & marketing strategy for Discovery & Science Channels & stay competitive in industry trends/changes. 10+ yrs media exp req. Apply HERE (5/17)

 

NETWORK OPERATIONS, VP/Ion Media/Clearwater FL: Provide strategic technical leadership in post-prod operations, network satellite dist, quality control, engineering, content management, TV traffic, & scheduling systems. 15+ yrs exp in media operations & 10 of those in ntwk ops mgnmnt. Full info HERE (5/17)

 

NETWORK OPERATIONS, DIRECTOR/Ion Media/Clearwater FL: Oversee network broadcast and studio technical support teams and systems (hardware, software, storage, and networking) & 24/7 Master control operations. 10+ yrs exp in media operations & 5 of those in ntwk ops mgnmnt. Full info HERE (5/17)

 

AD SALES ASSISTANT/Baby First TV/NY: Reports to EVP & AE Ad Sales. Detailed & organized. Ability to multi-task in fast past env. Prof in EXL & PPT. College grad welcome! Full info HERE (5/17)

 

SALES PLANNER/Fuse Media/NY: Provide sales and support to the Pricing and Planning and Ad Sales teams for Fuse and FM. Maintain media schedules, build sales plans, manage added value. BA/BS & min 1 yr exp. req. Full info HERE (5/17)

CAMPAIGN ANALYST, DIGITAL AD SALES/Entertainment Studios/NYC: Manage digital campaigns for ES Digital advertiser activity, with a focus on theGrio. 2- 4 years digital/data optimization industry exp. Knwldg of digital tech systems. Full info HERE (5/17)
 
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VP, DIGITAL/NESN/Boston: Part of Sr leadership team candidate to oversee digital media activities of our 20 professionals involved in dvlpmnt/dist of content via digital platforms. 10yrs dig. or multi-platform exp req’d w/extensive exp progressive digital tech & content responsibilities in media ind, pref sports or ent. Full info HERE (5/17)

SR. PUBLICIST/Acorn TV/Washington DC area: Love Television? Love Publicity? This is the job for you! Pitch, follow-up & secure reviews & features for Acorn TV, North America’s largest streaming service for high-quality British & international TV, and its series (Doc Martin, Line of Duty, Agatha Raisin). Full info HERE (5/17)
 

OTHER JOBS OF INTEREST
 
Work with the Lead Gameplay Designer to establish best practices for spatial design, flow and world dynamics.
Lead Level Designer
ZeniMax
Hunt Valley MD
 
Establish collaborative relationships with product management partners and other key team members.
Lead UX Designer
ZeniMax
Hunt Valley MD
 
Prototype, iterate, and polish moment-to-moment gameplay while working with narrative designers, enemy designers, artists.
Level Designer
Gearbox Software
Frisco TX
https://www.gearboxsoftware.com/careers/

Working with producers, leads, and team members to coordinate audio needs and asset lists.

Senior Sound Designer
Gearbox Software
Frisco TX
 
Create, maintain and execute a Vision for the Art & Animation department to drive studio goals.
Department Director – Art & Animation
Bioware
Austin TX
 
Work across disciplines and teams to build the structure and processes that enable the creation and operation of successful live services.
Senior Game Product Managger
Bioware
Austin TX
 
Conducts need and gap analysis and then uses measurement and data to create interventions to address gaps in agent application.
Senior Instructional Designer
Nintendo
Redmond WA
 
Design and deploy enhanced process and technology solutions, supporting the operational requirements and/or strategic initiatives.
Senior Java Engineer
Nintendo
Redmond WA
 
Manage, arrange, and implement paid media campaigns to drive new user acquisition for critically acclaimed games and new IPs in development.
User Acquisition
Gungho
El Segundo CA
 
Create high-quality first-person combat animations, third-person human ambient animation, and creature animations.
Senior Character Animator
Obsidian Entertainment
Irvine CA
 
Comfortable working closely with designers on the implementation of gameplay systems.
Gameplay Programmer
Obsidian Entertainment
Irvine CA
https://www.obsidian.net/jobs/
 
Build a real-time evolving knowledge and decision platform to enable safest and trusted experience in digital and physical world.
Software Engineer
Tencent
Palo Alto CA
 
Own and iterate vision of data platform, vision is to share across all groups within PlayStation.
Director of Data Platform
Playstation
San Francisco CA
Create in-game art and in-game cinematic art assets to VASG/client specifications.
Senior Environment Artist
Playstation
San Diego CA
 
Work closely with the China based project management and the game director to define project art styles and art production pipeline standards.
Art Director
Tencent
Los Angeles CA
 
 

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