The business of sports tech, in brief.
VALORANT Champions Shanghai arrives at the end of a 2026 season that has refused to settle on a single dominant team, region, or even a definitive player. That unpredictability has been reflected at almost every major event. Nongshim RedForce clinched the Masters Santiago title; LEVIATÁN took the…
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) launched globally in 2016 and found extraordinary success in Southeast Asia (SEA), becoming one of the region’s biggest mobile esports titles. Even as Free Fire led installs and Honor of Kings emerged as a major challenger, MLBB has remained SEA’s leader in…
On August 28th, VCT China organization FunPlus Phoenix issued a statement announcing that it had “terminated all cooperation” with its IGL and controller, Blendi “kovaQ” Kovaci. According to FPX, the player made “inappropriate remarks while communicating with teammates during a game.” As a result…
As the dust settles on the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Stage 2 events, we turn our attention to the crowning event of the year: Champions Shanghai. At the heart of the discussions is one simple question: which teams are the strongest in each region? Building on an earlier analysis of the…
Sportradar has expanded its partnership with Polymarket, extending its sports data, streaming and integrity services to the prediction market platform across more than 20 leagues and competitions. The expanded US agreement adds properties including the Bundesliga, Euroleague Basketball, Chinese…
Team Spirit has officially become the first Dota 2 team to have lifted the Aegis of Champions three times, doing so at TI15 in Shanghai last week. Their conquest this time around was a little harder than their previous one, as they had to take down tournament favorites TEAM VISION 3-2 in the Grand…
It’s easy to know that League of Legends, with its immense history and popularity, is the most watched MOBA in the world. In 2025 alone, more than 735.9 million watch hours of League of Legends content were viewed by fans, according to Esports Charts. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, League’s mobile…
VALORANT Champions 2026 marks the culmination of the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), drawing the world’s best teams to the bright lights of Shanghai, China. From Sep. 24 to Oct. 18, teams from across the Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China will battle for the title of world champion and the lion’s…
The International 2026 (TI 2026) is currently underway in Shanghai — and if you’re a true Dota 2 fan, this is definitely an event you don’t want to miss. After 109 games in the group stage, we’ve already witnessed plenty of upsets, pocket strats, and unorthodox picks. More importantly, many clear…
For the first time in Dota 2 history, zero Chinese teams have qualified for the top eight of The International, with Xtreme Gaming, Vici Gaming, and Team Resilience exiting TI15 in the group stage. This stings even more, as this year’s iteration is being hosted in Shanghai – their home turf. And…
Every region has a game that dominates its gaming ecosystem. Korea has League of Legends. Pakistan has Tekken. Japan has Street Fighter. Southeast Asia has Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Europe has Counter-Strike 2. Meanwhile, China has a strong footprint in all games, but there is one game that they…
NDI and Shenzhen KTC Technology have entered into a strategic partnership to integrate native IP video connectivity into KTC’s next generation of commercial-display products. Under the agreement, KTC will receive
Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) has partnered with Tixserve and Tradable Bits to launch a mobile-first connected fan experience for the 50th Anniversary Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens tournament 2026, bringing together secure digital ticket fulfilment, fan engagement and first-party fan data in a…
For years, the script on the League of Legends esports international stage has been the same: China and Korea battle it out for the top spots, with one Western team barely keeping up. The Mid-Season Invitational 2026 completely threw that script away, partially rewriting the storylines for the…
Underdog stories aren’t built on random happenstance. Rather, they are fostered through the unseen moments that fly under the radar. League of Legends isn’t any different from any other form of competition. Teams are bracketed into their specific roles, similar to other sports. China’s LPL is…
After a grueling series of qualifiers, we’ve finally locked in the 16 teams competing at The International 15, which is going to be Dota 2’s biggest tournament of the year. If you’re one of those seasonal viewers who only comes out of your cage for TI, here are some of the most important storylines…
VALORANT Masters London’s second Playoffs day kicked off last week with a three-map thriller between VCT EMEA darkhorse FUT Esports and VCT China legend Champions EDward Gaming (EDG). Tension was brewing throughout the series, with FUT Esports delivering banter on stage and receiving boos from the…
Alibaba signs exclusive 6-year deal with UEFA for AI services and 360-degree replay technology across Champions League, Europa League and Euro 2028.
The VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) is in the midst of its four regional Stage 1 events across EMEA, Americas, Pacific, and China. Each competition offers a qualification to Masters London in June. As the second international tournament of the year, Masters London is meant to unite the best VCT teams…
VCT Americas first seed FURIA and EMEA side Gentle Mates have become the first Playoffs contestants to be eliminated from VALORANT Masters Santiago. The two teams were sent home by BBL Esports (EMEA) and All Gamers (China), respectively, with both organisations remaining in the running for the…
