Digital marketing agency The Story Room is being tapped to handle brand strategy and digital marketing services for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The company will be charged with planning and implementing an integrated digital marketing strategy as well as developing the content program for the Gold Cup, targeting both English and Spanish-speaking soccer fans in the region of the Federation. In addition, the agency will generate a comprehensive digital audience research study on soccer fans across the CONCACAF region.
ESPN announced plans to live stream 11 regular-season games during the 2017 WNBA season, starting May 30 with Indiana/Dallas. The slate will include three games featuring the San Antonio Stars, with all games streamed live on the ESPN app.
Performance-based crowdfunding platform Pledge It announced that it has already raised more than $300,000 for charitable causes through its 15 MLB 2017 charitable campaigns, more than double the amount raised for charity in the entire 2016 MLB season. “Through our Pledge It campaigns, we’ve found that 7 of 10 fans choose performance pledging over a flat donation because the pledge is being earned. And our average pledge is nearly twice the national average for online donations” said Scott Shirley, Pledge It CEO. “Our community of athletes are inspired to earn the change they want to see and we are thrilled at the early impact of the campaigns in raising funds for such compelling causes.”
SkyCommand , a remote technology that creates a secure link between on-site SkyCam, its computer system, as well as pilot and operator, will debut its innovative and remote accessibility for the first time ever at the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship game on Sunday, streaming live on the ESPN app from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. “We are extremely excited and interested to prove how well our patent-pending technology works under game conditions,” said SkyCam Chief Technical Officer Stephen Wharton. “In the same manner as current leagues review action on the fields, courts or ice, SkyCommand™ allows for remote technology processing that includes our uniquely identifiable WildCat camera angle, as well as key SkyCam production enhancements, to oversee multiple events from a remote location. This technology creates the same response, speed, performance, communications and safety that a pilot and operator would experience on site.”
Bud Light is recharging its 2017 Bud Light All-Stars esports camping and will – for the next two weeks – encourage fans 21 and over to vote for their favorite players from four different games – Call of Duty, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Hearthstone and Street Fighter V. Winners and final Bud Light All-Stars will be announced in late June with each member set to begin streaming on the Bud Light Twitch channel each Thursday from June 29 through December. Contenders include: Clayster, Crimsix, Jkap, and Scump for CoD; JDM, Rush, SGares and Shahzam for CS: GO; Firebat, hafu, HotMEOWTH and Reynad for Hearthstone and Chris Tatarian, Flash, jWong and Marn for Street Fighter V. “We took a big first step last year when we introduced Bud Light All-Stars, and through our live and digital programming we learned a lot about what esports fans want to see from brands,” said Eelco van der Noll, VP of experiential marketing at Anheuser-Busch. “We listened to both fans and players, and this year they’ll see a stronger focus on enhanced digital experiences that consistently bring them and their friends closer to their favorite top players in North America.”
Twitch is partnering with BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America, publisher of TEKKEN 7 to launch the TEKKEN World Tour. In addition to being the exclusive broadcasting platform for this competitive gaming league, Twitch will manage TEKKEN 7 league operations, circuit events, and content on a global scale. The tour kicks off on June 16-18 at the CEO Fighting Game Championships with additional stops in Orlando, Dallas, Orange, and more. The six-month season will have a total prize pool of over $200,000.
The Professional Esports Association announced two new members to the association with the additions of Team Dignitas and Misfits. The two teams now bring the overall tally of member squads to nine, joining Team solo Mid, Cloud 9, Team Liquid, Counter Logic Gaming, NRG Esports, Immortals and Complexity.
Penny Arcade and ReedPOP announced a global expansion of PAX gaming events under a new Powered by PAX brand with the first slated to be GC PLAY Powered by PAX in Guangzhou, China from November 10-12. The Powered by PAX brand of events will be run by the same teams behind the successful North American and Australian shows including PAX West, PAX East, PAX South, PAX Aus, PAX Unplugged and PAX Dev.
NASCAR’s Erik Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing and Clint Bower of Stewart-Haas Racing will battle off the track courtesy of a high-stakes Halo tournament at the Charlotte Motor Speedway tonight at 8p. The battle will see the two captain members of Evil Geniuses and one lucky fan for each team taking place at twitch.tv/hisense .
Indianapolis 500 on Sunday on ABC at noon.
