HELLO FRIENDS!
Welcome to the latest esports round-up! To get your story featured, send me an email at mat@geekybrummie.com.
Let’s get started!
UK ESPORTS, ASSEMBLE!
Leading UK teams join forces to further grassroots esports.
A cluster of major UK esports teams will form a not-for-profit committee, with the goal of growing grassroots esports.
The UK Esports Team Committee (UKETC) will comprise of seven prominent UK teams. These include EXCEL, Fnatic, London Royal Ravens, London Spitfire, Endpoint, MnM Gaming, and Vexed Gaming. The committee is also supported by the British Esports Association. It aims to provide a collective voice for UK esports – representing their views and interests to the wider industry and local government.
While the official announcement is still pending, their website is live and currently showing just a logo. However, an article on Dexerto.com claims UKETC positions itself as a national body. With aims to establish standards that need to be met for other UK organizations to be considered a “professional esports team.”
The article also reports that to join the committee organisations must meet some guidelines. These include brand history of at least three years; a “respectable” track record in UK esports competitions; contractual commitments to staff and players, and senior staff with “good reputational history.”
Interestingly, the only major esports team not represented on the committee is Guild Esports (more on them later).
This isn’t the first time we’ve attempted something like this. The United Kingdom eSports Association (UKeSA) was formed in 2008 with similar aspirations. It included major UK teams such as Reason Gaming, Team Infused, Fnatic, and Dignitas. However, it didn’t last. It signed for bankruptcy in December 2009, allegedly owing a significant amount of teams, players, and industry organisations money.
Still, I think this is very exciting news. Esports has come a long way since 2009. This is a really good pedigree fronting this committee – I just hope it does what it says on the tin rather while avoiding elitism. Watch this space.
LOOK AT IT GROW!
Guild Esports announces it’s the fastest-growing esports organisation in the world.
Guild is a London-based major esports team backed by football royalty David Beckham. They announced they’re the fastest-growing esports organisation in their latest financial report.
I’m not good with numbers, but here’s what I can get from it (with a little help from some online articles). You can read the report here if you’re so inclined.
The organisation made a pre-tax loss of £4.28m and revenues of £0.37m for the half-year period. However, they attribute the loss as ‘principally due to higher administrative costs as the company scaled up its commercial operations. Administrative expenses included £0.73m of employee and executive director salaries; £1.73m in marketing, ambassador fees, and content production, and £0.5m in player and coach fees.
However, they hope to reach £1m profit by the end of its current financial year at the end of September.
The evidence of their investments does seem to be paying off.
Guild has signed four sponsorship deals with contracted revenues of £7.5m, with the likes of Samsung and Subway. Guild revenues come from these sponsorship deals, as well as merch sales, in-game micro-transactions, and its Guild Academy subscription service. It also ‘provides a pipeline of talent for Guild’s roster of teams and the esports transfer market’.
They had an audience of 160,000 as of March 31st, 2021. This has risen to almost 800,000 since then, increasing by 50% month-on-month.
They’ve also been performing quite well over the past year. Guild secured first and second place in season five of the FNCS and third in season six. They reached third/fourth place in the Valorant VCT 1 and VCT 2. Won first place in the Rocket League Spring Cup Regional 3. In the six months leading to 31st March 2021, Guild won £0.3m in prize money, before deductions.
Guild has also revealed further plans for its recently launched academy – so there is definitely a lot going on in the pipeline for them. However, I am still interested to find out why they’re seemingly not involved with UKETC as reported above.
Regardless of how you slice it, Guild is big. Whether you agree with their claim as the world’s fastest-growing esports organisation, you can’t deny their investments are paying off on the global stage. Watch this space.
GET EMPLOYED IN ESPORTS
Get support for starting your career in esports.
Students in the UK have just one week left to apply for the Student Career Spotlight.
The scheme is a collaboration between the National University Esports League (NUEL) and esports job platform – Hitmarker. It is designed to help more students find a career in the esports industry.
Successful applicants will have their cover letter and CV reviewed by Hitmarker. This aims to help them prepare to apply for esports jobs. Students will also be spotlighted through Hitmarker and NUEL’s social media channels, to help raise their profile to potential employers.
While spaces are limited, this is a nice little helping hand for any students looking to start their careers. If you have any interest in a career in the industry, then apply. You have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.
To apply, please complete this form. You will need a completed CV and Cover Letter in order to fill out this application. Hurry though, the deadline for applications is Monday 12th July.
That’s it from me, friends! I’ll see you all next week for another installment. In the meantime, share your thoughts on this update by tagging @geekybrummie on Twitter. Adios!
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