Esports as a tourism generator? It’s more likely than you think!
November 6, 2019
Global revenues for the esports industry will top $1 billion in 2019, with prize pools for tournaments exceeding $34 million. And the revenues from this global phenomenon are starting to trickle down to local communities. The reason for this is the passion of the esports community, which is proving to be a differentiator when compared to traditional entertainment experiences. READ MORE
October 9, 2019
Officials with the city of Raleigh, N.C., are touting the outsized economic impact of the Raleigh Major, a recent tournament the city hosted for long-time esports league ESL and publisher Ubisoft’s latest flavor of its first-person-shooter franchise Rainbow Six. The city and its tourism board worked with consulting company Big Block to evaluate facilities, get a crash course on the business of esports and better prepare for the particular needs of an esports event. The tournament was held over a week in mid-August at the Raleigh Convention Center. READ MORE
Economic impact report released for Six Major Raleigh
October 9, 2019
Ed Tomasi, Managing Director of Esports at Big Block added: “Esports is not something that can be homegrown overnight. By leveraging our team’s twenty-plus years of collective relationships, trust and experience in global esports production and brand management, Greater Raleigh has quickly been elevated on the global stage for having the facilities and ecosystem for hosting world-class esports events.” READ MORE
Subnation’s ‘LVL UP’ Highlights Explosion Of Premium Content For Esports
September 17, 2019
According to Seven Volpone, CEO of Big Block Capital Group (Subnation’s parent), “LVL UP takes an ‘everyday’ gamer and helps them experience the latest trends within the community by leveling up their gaming lair with everything from hardware, furniture, A/V equipment, and other innovative peripherals, courtesy of Goldenboy and our brand partners.” Those partners include Vizio, Razer, RIG, and Buddah Tek. READ MORE
This Week’s Top Esports Videos: Fortnite, Dota 2 and Counter-Strike
August 28, 2019
Finally, we have a video from betway esport featuring NiKo from the Counter-Strike Clan FaZe. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Counter-Strike, multi-platform media brand SUBNATION recently teamed up with world renowned DC artist Bernard Chang to pay homage to creator and gaming visionary Minh ‘Gooseman’ Le through a limited edition apparel collaboration. READ MORE
International video game competition arrives in Raleigh with cosplay advisory
August 15, 2019
“That’s the key here. For people who know Raleigh and have seen the growth, they know about the corporate communities in technology and gaming publishers and developers,” said Ed Tomasi, managing director of esports for Big Block. “But for people outside of the region, (those connections) are a little bit less known. That’s why hosting such a global esport event puts Raleigh on the map.” READ MORE
Raleigh hosting $500,000 ‘Six Major’ esports event this week
August 12, 2019
“Big Block quickly helped Raleigh identify the unique assets within our existing venues and gaming ecosystem here, then began connecting us strategically utilizing their global relationships with esports leagues and event organizers,” Loren Gold, Executive Vice President of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, said in a statement. READ MORE
July 10, 2019
"I can think of no better host and ambassador than ReDeYe to begin our collaboration with Westwood One," said Seven Volpone, CEO of Subnation. "Paul is globally regarded as one of the most respected voices in esports, and his deep knowledge and genuine passion are a testament to how dedicated Subnation is to celebrating the culture of gaming and lifestyle of esports." READ MORE
“The Voice Of Esports” A Boon For Gamers
July 10, 2019
“I can think of no better host and ambassador than ReDeYe to begin our collaboration with Westwood One,” said Seven Volpone, CEO of Subnation. “Paul is globally regarded as one of the most respected voices in esports, and his deep knowledge and genuine passion are a testament to how dedicated Subnation is to celebrating the culture of gaming and lifestyle of esports.” READ MORE
4 Must-Haves Gaming Livestreamer Caffeine Needs to Compete With Twitch
July 9, 2019
“If it thinks it can compete as another gaming ‘network’ it will fail,” CEO of Subnation Seven Volpone told TheWrap. “This is not ABC vs. NBC vs. FOX. They need to have a unique proposition around the development and production of cultural content. Expanding the purview and definition of…” READ MORE
E3 Equals Esports Enthusiasm Everywhere, But Caution Flags Fly
June 15, 2019
"They went from hotel lobbies, and struggling, to everybody paying attention to them and then to grow the sport," said Volpone. "And now, what Subnation is trying to do is trying to protect the integrity of it, where everybody else is trying to water it down." READ MORE
06/13/19: Immortals officially announced the acquisition of OpTic Gaming
June 13, 2019
Respawn, a mental performance drink for gamers, by gamers, announced multiple partnerships, including Subnation and eUnited. The alliance with Subnation is backing the E3 ESPORTS ZONE and LVL UP content series with Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez. “Esports is a global phenomenon, currently being considered as a demonstration sport at the 2024 Olympic Games,” said Sean Driscoll, Product Manager for Respawn. “And with the demands of the gaming community being so unique, we knew that we needed to create a special formula specifically for gamers that help them continuously perform at the top of their game.” READ MORE
Westwood One, Subnation Join Forces Over Esports
June 12, 2019
“Subnation’s goal has always been to celebrate the gaming lifestyle and subcultures with the community through innovative content experiences and activations, wherever they are,” said Seven Volpone, CEO Subnation. “This partnership with Westwood One is the perfect opportunity to create premium audio content for the community, which will complement our immersive, experiential event activations and editorial publication.” READ MORE
'Zach Sang Show' Gets ESports Injection Via Subnation
June 12, 2019
To officially kick off the partnership, Sang is onsite with Subnation at the 2019 Electronic Entertainment Expo, a.k.a. E3. He’s talking with celebrities, artists, insiders, and fans Wednesday and Thursday afternoons in Subnation’s “ESPORTS ZONE.” READ MORE
Shacknews E3 2019 Day 2 live stream schedule
June 11, 2019
Wednesday brings a ton of new great content for you to enjoy, and we’ll be streaming a ton of new interviews as we talk about everything we’ve seen so far during our live stream at E3 2019. this year we've partnered up with Subnation to bring an entire day of content, interviews, and special appearances. READ MORE
Shacknews E3 2019 Day 1 live stream schedule
June 11, 2019
Shacknews is kicking off E3 2019 in style with a jam-packed day of great content over on our Twitch.tv channel. We have appointments set with quite a few developers on the show floor, but we’ll also be working alongside Subnation to bring a ton of great content to our stream. You can find a full schedule of our shows below to see what we’re covering and when. READ MORE
Esports Arenas Coming To A Campus, Or Cafe, Near You
June 11, 2019
“Esports is a global phenomenon that is bringing world-class gaming experiences to local communities,” said Ed Tomasi, Managing Director esports at Big Block and its subsidiary Subnation. Tomasi’s companies are working with Raleigh, N.C., city officials and groups to help make the Research Triangle area a hub for future esports events. READ MORE
E3 2019 tips: How to survive the mayhem of gaming's big trade show
June 7, 2019
This place in the West Hall will feature a content stage programmed by Subnation and Shacknews, plus an esports stage for community exhibition matches with influencers and pro gamers. READ MORE
Esports Stadiums Are Popping Up Everywhere
May 31, 2019
“Esports is a global phenomenon that is bringing world-class gaming experiences to local communities,” said Ed Tomasi, Managing Director esports at Big Block and its subsidiary Subnation. Tomasi's companies are working with Raleigh, N.C., city officials and groups to help make the Research Triangle area a hub for future esports events. READ MORE
Raleigh, NC Preparing to Host Major Esports Events
May 22, 2019
Big Block, which specializes in esports consulting, will now help the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (GRCVB) and the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance to evaluate local facilities, as well as educate them on the esports industry and ensure they’re ready to host major events. READ MORE
Esports is Having a Cultural Breakout Thanks to Overwatch – But It Has a Long Way to Go
May 20, 2019
“Brands also need to know that the gaming and esports communities are hyper aware of intrusive and irrelevant marketing,” said Ed Tomasi, Managing Director of esports at Big Block // Subnation, a creative agency and lifestyle platform. “In fact, ads like that can get brands shunned (flamed) almost instantly and with a mass global impact.” READ MORE
April 25, 2019
PLATFORMS
Goldenboy signed on to host a new series, titled LVL UP, in partnership with Try Hard Channel and Subnation. The digital series, with Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez hosting, production begins May 20 with a premiere slated for E3 via the IMGN TryHard Channel on Instagram and TheSubnation.com. READ MORE
How 5G Technology Will Determine Who Is Crowned The Netflix Of Gaming
March 14, 2019
The numbers don’t lie; esports is destined for greatness. And when we witness a legacy brand like GameStop watch their stock plummet after posting a loss of $488.6m in Q4, the industry is in clear need of disruption. The Netflix model has resulted in great success, leading to a larger market capitalization than Disney and Comcast. Gaming consoles have always provided a solid infrastructure for the industry, but with 5G technology finally enabling cloud gaming in the near-future, why not take a chance on a proven, successful streaming model to drive wider adoption? READ MORE
Subnation and IMGN Create Lifestyle Content for Gamers
March 4, 2019
“A lot of people just started to rush into esports, and they really didn’t understand it from a gut level, really understanding what makes the players tick, what makes the people who watch the players tick,” says Big Block Media CEO Seven Volpone. “People were starting to approach it more from a brand perspective or a sports perspective, straight up trying to make it almost like ESPN content. How can I follow a team? We realized that the people who were gaming were also the kids standing in line to get a limited pair of sneakers from Supreme or the kids waiting for a limited piece of street art.” READ MORE
Sports Video Group News: Subnation and IMGN Create Lifestyle Content for Gamers
March 4, 2019
Feeding the ever-expanding audience for gaming content, multimedia platform Subnation and media company IMGN have partnered to create three series that will be distributed primarily via IGTV. The goal is to create lifestyle content for gamers, premium series that reflect their interests. READ MORE
Extra: Sunny Side ’19 opens doc call; “All Together Now” goes to Russia
March 1, 2019
Subnation, IMGN Media pen premium partnership
Multi-platform media brand Subnation has secured a premium content partnership with New York-based IMGN Media to produce and distribute three esports short-form series across multiple social platforms. READ MORE
‘Pimp My Ride’ for Gamers? Subnation, IMGN Media Partner on 3 Short-Form eSports Series (Exclusive)
February 26, 2019
Subnation, the multiplatform media brand of Big Block Media Holdings, is doubling down on its celebration of all things gaming by partnering with IMGN Media to launch three new short-form eSports series, Wrap Pro has learned. READ MORE
Esports Already Happened. Econcerts Are What’s Next
February 12, 2019
My friend Ed Tomasi, managing director of esports at Big Block, has roots in the gaming and esports worlds that go back to the early 2000s, and I was curious to get his take on it. READ MORE
Facebook’s esports dreams face the privacy PR nightmare
February 7, 2019
It’s no secret that Facebook’s mishandling of consumer data has landed it in hot water. This forced the social-media behemoth’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg a date with Congress to explain how data from an estimated 87 million Facebook users was leveraged to influence voters during the 2016 election.
“That is the secret here. For those that understand Raleigh and have observed the development, they understand about the corporate communities in gaming and technology publishers and developers,” explained Ed Tomasi, managing director of esports for Big Block. “However, for people beyond the area, (those relations ) are a tiny bit less understood. That is why hosting this type of international sports occasion puts Raleigh about the map.” READ MORE