OMEN by HP: first official partner of Elite Series

RNS Number : 2537A

Gfinity PLC

23 March 2017

 

Dissemination of a Regulatory Announcement that contains inside information according to REGULATION (EU) No 596/2014 (MAR)

Gfinity plc

("GFIN" or the "Company")

OMEN by HP named as the first official partner of Gfinity's inaugural Elite Series

Gfinity plc (AIM: GFIN), a leading eSports business, announces OMEN by HP ("OMEN"), as its first official partner of the inaugural eSports tournament, Gfinity Elite Series ("Elite Series"). As the Official Hardware Partner, OMEN will be integrated throughout the 10-week professional season which commences in June 2017, together with the supporting Gfinity Challenger competition.

This announcement follows on from the agreement signed in August 2016, with HP Inc Limited ("HP"), for an OMEN sponsored tournament, which took place at EGX, the UK's largest gaming exhibition in September 2016.  Through this ongoing relationship, HP will look to engage with the thriving eSports community, starting with the Challenger Series, where many gamers will take their first steps in competitive gaming.

The Challenger Series encourages amateur gamers of any level to register and compete to earn ranking points to qualify for the Gfinity Elite Draft, meaning they have the chance to earn a place in the Elite Series, as part of eight professional eSports teams.

The series is expected to attract an active audience of eSports enthusiasts and competitive gamers to generate other sponsorship and broadcasting rights for the Company and provide a unique set of sponsorship, media and franchise opportunities for additional potential partners.

Neville Upton, Chief Executive Officer, Gfinity plc, said: "We are incredibly proud to announce OMEN by HP as our first commercial partner for the Elite Series and look forward to working with them to build the most dynamic and entertaining eSports event in the UK. OMEN by HP share our passion for investment in grassroots talent and their expertise and creativity will allow us to deliver the most exciting eSports experience, helping the UK scene fulfill its undoubted potential."

Yvonne Hobden, Consumer Marketing Lead at HP Inc Limited, added: "The unique format of the Challenger and Elite Series is an opportunity for OMEN by HP to play its part in facilitating the growth of eSports in the UK by supporting new talent and backing the best of the pro circuit. Combining powerful hardware and cutting-edge design, our industry leading gaming products are ready for the challenge and we look forward to showcasing them to Gfinity's thriving community."

For more information on Gfinity's Elite Series click on the following hyperlink: www.gfinityesports.com.

Enquiries:

Gfinity plc	www.gfinityplc.com
Neville Upton, Chief Executive Officer	Via Walbrook PR
Allenby Capital Limited - Nominated Adviser and Broker	Tel. [phone]
Jeremy Porter / John Depasquale / James Thomas
Walbrook PR (Media & Investor Relations)	Tel: [phone]
Paul Cornelius / Sam Allen / Paul Whittington	or [e-mail]

About Gfinity

Founded in 2012, Gfinity has quickly established itself as one of the world's leading eSports companies.  The London-based business enjoys strong relationships with game publishers, players and the wider eSports community and has already built a strong reputation for delivering high quality competitions, both on-line and off-line, and producing industry leading eSports broadcasts.

The Company has over half a million registered users, eligible to compete in its online competitions and stages world leading off-line events, which see the top players in the world, across a range of eSports titles travel to the Gfinity Arena in London to take part in competitions, which are broadcast on-line to millions of viewers around the world.  The Company stages events featuring a number of top video gaming titles, across PCs, consoles and mobile devices.

The Company monetises the strong position that it has created through a combination of sponsorship, advertising, broadcast income relating to Gfinity's own events and through fees received for creating and delivering bespoke events for sponsors and game publishers seeking to engage with the eSports community.

About eSports

eSports (electronic sports) is watching or playing competitive video gaming. Leading titles include League of Legends, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Defence of the Ancients 2 (DoTA 2), Call of Duty and Rocket League. The industry is growing rapidly, with new communities developing around more and more titles. The global eSports market generated US$325 million of revenue in 2015 and is expected to make $463 million in 2016. The global eSports audience in 2015 was 226 million people, 80% under the age of 35 and 70% male (source: Newzoo). Online streaming channels Twitch and YouTube command the biggest audiences, although eSports events are also now being broadcast on conventional TV.  The 2015 League of Legends Championships finals in Berlin were watched by 36 million people, with a peak concurrent viewership of 14 million viewers, while at DotA 2's flagship annual championship 'The International 2016' competitors from around the world competed for a prize pot of over $20 million.

 

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