Introducing the Gfinity Elite Series Australia
We’re delighted to announce a new joint venture, Gfinity Esports Australia, in conjunction with HT&E Limited an ASX-listed leading media and entertainment business. The partnership will see Gfinity replicate the immensely popular Elite Series in Australia, following the successful launch of the Elite Series in UK in July 2017.
Since the start of the Gfinity Elite Series, the cumulative total of unique viewers for the live stream shows have totalled 2.7 million fans, who between them have streamed over 17 years of video content, on top of the TV viewership from broadcast partner networks BBC, BT Sport and Eleven Sport. Furthermore, the Gfinity Elite Series has reached over 15 million people worldwide through its earned media channels, with a growth of 300% week-over-week of esports fans actively engaging with the content.
The creation of Gfinity Esports Australia will provide gamers with a world-class online and live event esports platform which offers a clear and structured pathway for the millions of amateur gamers in Australia to have a chance to be drafted by Gfinity Elite Series professional teams. The Australian Elite Series will see city-based professional franchise teams battle it out weekly, with each event broadcast live online and across other TV and media platforms.
In addition to the Gfinity Elite Series, a new Australian online competition, the Gfinity Challenger Series, will launch later this year. Open to all gamers, the Challenger Series will be the battleground for amateur players to compete against each other and earn their place alongside the pro players competing in the Elite Series through a player draft. The Gfinity Elite Draft allows team owners to select their squads for the upcoming seasons, with each squad having a defined number of professional and amateur players.
This agreement represents the first licence of the Gfinity Elite Series format and technology to a region outside UK and is in line with the company’s strategy of working with major partners in multiple territories, to establish the Gfinity Elite Series globally.
Neville Upton, CEO, Gfinity plc says: “Gfinity shares a passion for esports with gamers and fans across the world. Following the Elite Series’ immense popularity in the UK, we’re excited to bring it to Australia where HT&E’s extensive expertise and knowledge in the Australian market will be invaluable as we aim to build the most engaging and dynamic esports offering in Australia.”
HT&E CEO & Managing Director, Ciaran Davis says: “The global esports market has seen substantial growth in recent years, and we’re really excited to be entering this space with an established, world-leading esports company, Gfinity. This move supports our strategic objectives to diversify revenues and expand our audience base, and we see in this opportunity the potential to reach a younger audience base and drive growth for HT&E. Leveraging our unique combination of media assets and using Gfinity’s tournament platform, Gfinity Esports Australia will also be perfectly positioned to run bespoke events for sponsors and strategic partners looking to engage with the esports community – a highly engaged audience that will continue to grow.”
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