The esports world is still providing us with plenty of news, with recent news that Javier Mascherano is getting involved as well. Athletes are seeing the growth in the sector and esports businesses are seeing the value athletes can provide them through the PR and authority that come with them. A perfect mix!

Don’t forget that in ONE WEEK we will be hosting our esports event at Pinsent Masons in London. More details are on here >> http://bit.ly/2HM6f5E

Dugout helps deliver FC Barcelona stadium tour onto sponsor Rakuten’s Viber app (thedrum.com)

Dugout have been in the news twice in the last few days. But after moving into live sport, this one is a bit more expected and builds on their already existing partner setup. FC Barcelona’s main sponsor Rakuten is using the behind-the-scenes content expertise of Dugout to deliver more for stadium tourists through their own Viber app.

Javier Mascherano teams up with eSports Planet (sportspromedia.com)

Who saw this esports move coming?! After his former teammate Gerard Piqué launched eFootball.Pro recently, it appears that Javier has spotted a gap in South America and is helping eSports Planet (isn’t that the wrong spelling of esports now?) to push into his homeland and neighbouring countries. The market is growing up quickly!

How the Miami Dolphins Became the NFL’s Leader in Digital Strategy (inc.com)

With an opening paragraph that states; “In 2016, the NFL’s Miami Dolphins decided to completely overhaul their content strategy. In the 2 years since making such decision, the Dolphins have experienced a 250% increase in digital revenue, they’ve become the #1 NFL franchise in video views and seen 30% of new tickets revenue coming from Facebook lead generation.” I was hoping for nice long lunchtime read. Sadly it’s a bit short and doesn’t dig too far into the chat, which I’m sure there was more of in the magazine. But at the same time it’s still worth a read.

Game on: Facebook, Google and Amazon are coming for your TV sports (nbcnews.com)

I disagreed straight away with the opening gambit from NBC – “It’s not if Facebook, Amazon and Google will come for your live sports. It’s when.”

I’d say that they already are! With YouTube streaming Champions League Finals, golf, etc. Then Facebook signing multiple deals and Amazon also well and truly in the testing live sports space. Sport rights are notoriously expensive, but can form such a prominent part of a businesses strategy (just ask Sky and BT here in the UK). And with major US TV deals coming to an end in 2021, we’ll know for sure by then where the FAANG companies stand on sports.

A Night in the Life of the Chicago Bulls Digital Media Team (ama.org)

Saving the best till last. We all love a behind-the-scenes peek at what is happening within teams and their digital set up. A long read but will be worth the time invested.

DIGITAL SPORT RECRUITMENT

Senior Channel Manager – Leading YouTube Channel