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CHAMPIONS TO BE CROWNED IN F1 ESPORTS PRO SERIES GRAND FINAL LIVE THIS WEEK

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TIMING DETAILS, WHERE TO WATCH INFO, AND DRIVER QUOTES FOR F1 ESPORTS PRO SERIES PRESENTED BY ARAMCO

The F1 season may have ended on Sunday, but we have even more racing action for you as F1 Esports Pro Series presented by Aramco culminates with this week’s Grand Final! We will see a new champion crowned as four drivers are in contention of winning a first title, whilst Red Bull and Alfa Romeo will fight it out for the teams’ championship. To get you up to speed with the action, you can view the ‘Top 5 moments’ from a thrilling Event 3 on YouTube here and are free to embed this in editorial if you wish.

Alfa Romeo’s Jarno Opmeer, and Red Bull’s pairing of Frede Rasmussen and Marcel Kiefer, are the main contenders vying to get their hands on the trophy, but Renault’s Nicolas Longuet is still in the hunt and has the ability to cause an upset. The Grand Final will see drivers race at Suzuka, Mexico City before the season ends at Interlagos, as so many famous F1 campaigns have in the past.

The winners of the drivers’ championship and teams’ championship will be presented virtually with their awards after the final race on Thursday, as well as the winner of this year’s DHL Fastest Lap Award.

The live shows will be streamed online via F1’s official channels on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Huya, as well as broadcast on television by international partners such as ESPN (US), Sky (UK) and Ziggo (Netherlands), whilst Qualifying show content will be streamed exclusively on Twitch, YouTube and Huya (China). For full information about the Pro Series visit: https://www.f1esports.com/

Please see the table below for the full breakdown of the platform splits so you don’t miss a moment of the action this week:

 

Day Session Time (GMT) Coverage
Wednesday 16 December Qualifying Show 1
(featuring Quali. 1 highlights and Quali. 2 live)
15:30 – 16:45 Twitch / YouTube / Huya (China)
Evening Show 1
(featuring Quali. 1 and Quali. 2 highlights, Race 1 re-run and Race 2 live)
19:30 – 21:00 TV & Online
Thursday 17 December Qualifying Show 2
(featuring Qualifying 3 live)
15:30 – 16:45 Twitch / YouTube / Huya (China)
Evening Show 2
(Featuring Race 3 live and season highlights)
19:30 – 21:00 TV & Online

 

Ahead of this year’s Grand Final, we caught up with F1 Esports pundit Nic Hamilton, and three of the title contenders, to get their thoughts on the season so far and the final round of races. Please feel free to use these comments in editorial around the build-up to the Grand Final.

 

Nic Hamilton

It’s going to be a really interesting last event. Jarno Opmeer is showing how strong he is, especially his one lap pace and taking the championship by storm initially. As a team Alfa Romeo seemed really strong, a couple of bad rounds from Dani Bereznay has put a halt to the number of points they have been able to collate. Red Bull have been working together all the way through the season and they don’t seem to make many mistakes. They’re very close on pace and they protect each other which I’ve been very impressed with.

For me I think Jarno Opmeer will win the Drivers’ Championship and Red Bull will take the Constructors’ Championship.

Jarno Opmeer

I’ve been leading since the first race so it would be very disappointing to let it slip now. I know that Frede [Rasmussen] and Marcel [Kiefer] are both having an insane season so they have been pushing me very hard. I’m very confident because we have been making good progress every race but I’m just focussing on what I can do to get the maximum out of this last event.

Marcel Kiefer

[On the Constructors’ Championship] We shouldn’t underestimate Alfa, they have showed that they are excellent especially in Event 1 where they were ahead. We’re a bit more confident going into the Grand Final as we have a bit of a gap but it can still turn around quickly if things don’t go to plan. We can’t rest we just need to keep our heads cool and bring home the points.

Nicolas Longuet

I’ve been happy with my performance this year as it’s essentially my rookie year. There has been so much work that has gone behind this season so I don’t think fourth in the Drivers’ Championship is too bad. Hopefully I can break into the top three in the final event.

 

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BETBY EXPANDS E-SIM GAME PORTFOLIO WITH NEW eSOCCER AND eFIGHTING TITLES

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BETBY, the premium sportsbook supplier, has expanded its proprietary esports feed, BETBY Games, with the launch of two new e-sims inspired by some of the most popular titles in global gaming: FIFA’s Penalty Shootout and Mortal Kombat 11. With these additions, the BETBY Games portfolio now includes 16 titles, offering expanded betting opportunities for operators and players.

The latest releases further reinforce BETBY’s two core esports verticals — eSoccer and eFighting — and reflect the company’s ongoing commitment to delivering diverse and engaging betting content. The football-themed title introduces fast-paced gameplay, with each match lasting less than 3 minutes, and includes three leagues based on the World Cup, Spanish La Liga, and Brazilian Série A. Featuring over 15 betting markets in a classic format of 5 shots for each team, this addition brings 30,000 matches per month to the BETBY Games feed, all designed to run with low margins and high engagement.

The second release draws from the iconic world of arcade-style fighting games, offering dynamic player-versus-player action in a Best-of-3 (BO3) format with each match also taking less than 3 minutes. Featuring more than 15 markets and three ongoing tournaments — Elements and Forces, Power and Royalty, and Technology and Chaos — this title equals the football counterpart delivering another 30,000 monthly matches to the platform.

With these new launches, BETBY Games now boasts 70+ tournaments, 350+ betting markets, and supports over 300,000 live matches every month, cementing its position as one of the most comprehensive and high-frequency esports betting solutions in the industry.

Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Sportsbook Product at BETBY, commented: “The launch of these new titles showcases our commitment to evolving the BETBY Games offering and delivering esports content that resonates with players worldwide. By drawing inspiration from globally recognized franchises, we create products that are both familiar and optimized for high-frequency betting environments. This approach enables operators to expand their portfolios and gives players even more excitement and engagement.”

This launch follows the recent success of BETBY Games, which was awarded Best Esports Product 2025 at the SiGMA Americas Awards. This achievement underscores BETBY’s strategic focus on redefining the esports betting experience through unmatched flexibility, deep customization, and exceptional engagement for both operators and players.

The post BETBY EXPANDS E-SIM GAME PORTFOLIO WITH NEW eSOCCER AND eFIGHTING TITLES appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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GIANTX wins Madrid’s heart during a historic weekend for European esports

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Global esports organisation GIANTX has come away from Madrid with a landmark victory, outstanding performances, and the affection of thousands of fans, after the Spanish capital turned into the European hub for esports over the weekend. The LEC Roadtrip, hosted by Movistar KOI — the organisation led by Ibai Llanos — proved to be a resounding success in terms of attendance and organisation. GIANTX, with roots in London and Málaga, played a starring role. Only a narrow defeat against the hosts prevented a perfect weekend. Now, the focus shifts back to Berlin, where GIANTX will fight for a place in the playoffs of the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), the continent’s premier esports league.

For the first time, the LEC temporarily moved its competition from Berlin to Madrid. The Spanish capital once again demonstrated the strength and passion of its esports community, particularly in League of Legends. Around 10,000 spectators filled the Madrid Arena over two days, witnessing four thrilling matches — all decided on the final map — alongside fan activities and community events. The success of the Roadtrip has reignited calls for more international esports events to be hosted in Spain.

GIANTX approached the weekend with two objectives: to improve their standings by securing key victories and to reaffirm their status as one of Europe’s most historic esports organisations, with more than 15 years of tradition and success. The support for GIANTX was immense, with fans travelling from across the country to gather in Madrid. While the team fell just short of a perfect weekend, they earned the respect and affection of the entire arena.

On the competitive front, GIANTX made a strong start by defeating G2 Esports, the historic powerhouse of European League of Legends. It was GIANTX’s first-ever victory over G2, following a tense three-map series that also played out heavily on social media. In the first game, Lot and Jackies led the charge with standout performances on Jax and Yone. Although GIANTX faltered in the second map after a promising early game, they pulled off an unforgettable comeback in the decisive third map, overcoming a formidable performance from G2’s superstar Caps.

Later on Sunday, GIANTX faced KOI in another fiercely contested series. After a standout performance with Tristana in the second game, GIANTX forced a third map but could not maintain their momentum. KOI, who had defeated Fnatic the day before, emerged victorious and closed out the weekend as Roadtrip champions. Fnatic, meanwhile, secured a win over G2 to salvage their weekend.

GIANTX proved itself a top-level contender at the Madrid Arena, but earlier inconsistencies during the Spring Split now weigh heavily in the standings. To qualify for the LEC playoffs, GIANTX must defeat Team BDS next weekend and Team Heretics the following one. The team currently holds a 2-5 record — results that do not fully reflect the positive performances seen in Madrid.

The post GIANTX wins Madrid’s heart during a historic weekend for European esports appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Assessing the esports DFS opportunity in the US

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Oliver Niner, Head of B2B says that DFS remains a compelling vertical with huge growth potential especially if operators expand their offering into esports

The roll out of legal online and mobile sports betting across US states has presented a significant opportunity for operators, but the market has proved harder to crack than many anticipated.

The cost of customer acquisition is skyrocketing, building brand equity is taking much longer than expected, and there’s been a slowdown in new states embracing regulation and licensing.

This has led to a run of operators exiting the market as the numbers simply don’t add up.

But while this is happening, the daily fantasy sports space continues to thrive and remains a compelling opportunity for operators.

DFS has a unique legal standing in many states where sports betting is still restricted, allowing operators to reach audiences they otherwise couldn’t.

It also fosters deeper engagement with those who play – players aren’t just betting on outcomes; they’re actively managing lineups and pitting their knowledge and skills against others.

This is the perfect combination for retention and loyalty – something sportsbooks struggle to achieve with players easily swayed to join another brand simply because of a generous free bets offer.

There’s also an untapped opportunity in bringing the worlds of esports and daily fantasy sports together, allowing operators to connect with an entirely new audience.

Until now, traditional DFS brands have focused on the major sports, but the younger, digital-native audiences are more interested in esports such as CS2 and LoL than the NFL.

 

Why the DFS model works:

Before discussing how operators can get in on the esports DFS action, it’s important to understand why the DFS model works so well in the US, especially for those looking to diversify their offering.

The first is regulatory accessibility. DFS is legal in more states than traditional sports betting, allowing operators to enter markets where sportsbook licensing is unavailable or complex.

DFS has much lower acquisition costs while serving as a gateway to paid gaming. It often attracts a younger, more engaged audience at a lower CPA compared to traditional sports betting.

Strong user retention is another upside. Unlike one-off bets, DFS players return regularly to manage lineups, track stats and compete in contests, driving retention rates way beyond sports betting.

It’s also esports ready. Esports fans are highly engaged with player performance stats, making DFS a natural fit. It can then serve as an introduction to real-money esports betting when regulations allow.

 

The esports DFS opportunity to be explored:

DFS is an established and thriving vertical and while some operators offer esports within their proposition, it often lacks depth, innovation and mainstream adoption.

Esports fans are naturally engaged with stats, player performance metrics and in-game analytics, so easily segue into the DFS format.

Titles like LoL, CS2, Dota 2 and Valorant offer rich data sets that allow for creative and competitive fantasy formats, but most operators are yet to really get into it.

This leaves a major gap in the market and a huge opportunity for those who put together a compelling esports DFS product, especially as the popularity of esports betting grows.

 

What a compelling esports DFS product looks like:

The foundation of any esports DFS product is reliable, real-time data and the ability to provide a range of engaging contest formats.

This is where companies such as PandaScore come in. We provide operators with comprehensive esports data including player and team stats across all the major disciplines.

We supplement this with accurate odds and DFS pricing models, helping operators to set accurate and competitive odds – both our data and odds feeds are integrated seamlessly via API.

We also provide unrivalled market expertise; the team has years of experience powering esports betting which we leverage to ensure our partners can succeed with esports DFS.

In addition to markets and odds, players need to be able to access deep performance metrics so they can make informed decisions.

It’s also important for the operator to provide a smooth and intuitive experience via a seamless UX and mobile first approach to site and app navigation.

The diversity of the contests offered needs to be considered, too. This includes classic salary cap formats as well as pick’em games and more.

It goes without saying that social interaction needs to be baked into the experience through features such as leaderboards, private leagues and head-to-head challenges.

 

Operators need to get ahead in a rapidly evolving market:

The US sports betting and iCasino market is fast moving with the landscape constantly changing – just look at the conversation around sweepstakes casinos.

For me, DFS and especially esports DFS remain an underutilised growth channel that operators need to take advantage of.

As esports betting gains traction – PandaScore recently surpassed €1bn in bets through its platform – DFS serves as a vital entry point through which operators can build brand recognition and engage a digital-first audience primed and ready to play.

This audience might not be familiar with real-money betting today, but by providing them with an experience they are familiar and comfortable with, they can become the bettors of tomorrow.

At PandaScore, we are here to help operators capitalise on this opportunity with best-in-class data, pricing models and strategic support.

For operators, this means the numbers will always add up when it comes to esports daily fantasy sports.

The post Assessing the esports DFS opportunity in the US appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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