Partnership with Formula 1

RNS Number : 4736O

Gfinity PLC

21 August 2017

 

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

Gfinity plc

("Gfinity" or the "Company")

  Partnership with Formula 1®

Formula 1® enters into esports to launch Formula 1® ESports Series

Gfinity plc, a leading international esports group, announces it has been appointed as esports partner for Formula 1® to deliver the Formula 1® ESports Series commencing in September 2017.

The competition will see gamers across the world compete to become the best virtual Formula 1® driver. The series marks the first year of the annual competition highlighting the sport's long-term investment in esports and gaming.

The partnership brings an opportunity for Formula 1®  to reach the core esports fan base, further enhancing its growing popularity within this demographic.  It also highlights Gfinity's ability to deliver on one arm of its pre-stated strategy, to leverage its esports expertise and market leading technology to support prestigious organisations in delivering their global esports programmes.  This complements the delivery of Gfinity's own competitions, including the Elite Series which successfully launched in UK in July 2017.

During the Formula 1® ESports Series competitors will race through three different stages. A qualification round will take place in September and allow 40 drivers to enter the live semi-final event, which will be a live broadcast event from the Gfinity Esports Arena in London on October 10^th and 11^th. The best 20 will participate in the finals, which will be a live broadcast event from Abu Dhabi on 24^th and 25^th November. At the end of this five-race event, the winner will be awarded the title of first Formula 1® ESport Champion on the same weekend of the last 2017 Formula 1® Championship event.

Sean Bratches, Managing Director, Commercial Operations at Formula 1 ® said:

"This launch presents an amazing opportunity for our business: strategically and in the way we engage fans.  First, it's a growing category with tremendous fan engagement that we're entering in a big way; and we are proud to have Codemasters and Gfinity joining us on this ride. Of course as we do in Formula 1, we'll continue to evolve and innovate in the way we run this virtual counterpart to the F1 Championship to ensure we provide the most exciting and enjoyable experience we can for our fans."

Neville Upton, CEO, Gfinity said:

"Formula 1 entering esports is a powerful endorsement to how vital it is for cutting edge organisations to consider esports in their digital offering in order to reach the elusive and lucrative millennial fanbase.  Gfinity has developed a unique & proprietary technical platform, which coupled with our in depth experience enable us to deliver a world-class turn key solution for our global partners.  We're very much looking forward to working with Formula 1® on this exciting project"

Enquiries:

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

About Gfinity

Gfinity is a leading international esports entertainment business.  The London-based company enjoys strong relationships with the pre-eminent game publishers, esport players and the wider esports community and has built a reputation for delivering top quality esport competitions, both on-line and off-line, and producing industry leading esports broadcasts.

Gfinity delivers online esport competitions open to all registrants and  stages world leading off-line events in which the world's top esport players travel to the Gfinity Esports Arena in London to take part in competitions broadcast on-line to millions of viewers worldwide.  Gfinity stages live esports events featuring top video gaming titles, across PCs, consoles and mobile devices.

Gfinity monetises the strong position that it has created in professional esports through a combination of sponsorship, advertising, and broadcast income relating to Gfinity's own events.  Gfinity will also earn license fees and revenue share from licensing the Gfinity Elite Series format as part of an international roll-out  in addition to fees received for creating and delivering bespoke events for sponsors and game publishers seeking to engage with the esports community.

In 2017 Gfinity launched the Gfinity Elite Series professional esports tournament which has quickly established itself as the pre-eminent professional esports competition in the UK.

 

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