MTGx, ESL and Jaunt Partner to Bring eSports to Life Through VR
PALO ALTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– MTGx, the digital accelerator of leading international entertainment group Modern Times Group (MTG), ESL, the world’s leading eSports company, and Jaunt Inc., the leading provider of professional end-to-end technology, rapid processing and distribution of fully-immersive cinematic virtual reality (VR) experiences, today announced a collaboration to capture and develop 360 degree VR experiences of the eSports event Intel® Extreme Masters in San Jose, California. During this weekend’s event, Jaunt will capture the sights, sounds and thrill of the event in full 360-degree, 3-dimensional cinematic VR with life-like audio that can put fans “there.”
Through this collaboration, MTGx and Jaunt are bringing virtual reality storytelling to the MTG portfolio – an entirely new frontier, empowering eSports, sports, TV shows and YouTube stars to exhibit their stories and experiences through a new, innovative media platform. Together, the companies will explore new VR and 360 video experiences that will bring viewers closer to the content they love the most.
“Jaunt VR is the leading name in cinematic VR content production, and their vast expertise in this medium make them a great partner in bringing our content like esport into virtual reality. We have a passion for bringing people closer to the content they love the most and VR might be the ultimate experience for areas such as eSports,” said Rikard Steiber, CEO MTGx and Chief Digital Officer of MTG.
“We are excited to find new ways to connect millions of global eSports fans to our mega events like Intel Extreme Masters via VR and 360 video experiences. It’s still early days, but I do believe the future VR revolution will start with our passionate gamer audience,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of ESL.
“Virtual reality presents an exciting opportunity to enhance the experience of eSports events like the Intel Extreme Masters. With MTGx at the forefront of the growing eSports phenomena, we are harnessing the power of VR to help companies like ESL and DreamHack reach their millions of fans across the globe. Cinematic virtual reality provides eSports fans with an experience that rivals the in-person atmosphere from within the stadium,” said Jens Christensen, CEO of Jaunt.
About MTGx
MTGx is the accelerator and enabling hub for Modern Times Group’s digital planning and execution. Modern Times Group (MTG) is an international entertainment group with operations that span six continents and include TV channels and platforms, online services, content production businesses and radio stations. MTGx is accelerating MTG’s digital innovation, development and expansion by investing in relevant, complementary and scalable digital brands, content and communities. MTG’s fast growing digital offering of world class digital entertainment experiences includes the Viaplay Nordic subscription video on demand service; advertising video on demand TV sites in 8 European countries; the world’s largest eSports company – ESL and DreamHack; and the world’s 5th largest and Scandinavia’s largest multi-channel networks – Zoomin.TV and Splay. Read more at: www.mtg.se and www.mtgx.se.
About ESL
ESL is the world’s largest eSports company, leading the industry across various games with numerous online and offline competitions. It operates high profile, branded international and national leagues and tournaments such as the Intel® Extreme Masters, ESL One, ESL Pro Leagues, StarCraft® II World Championship Series, as well as grassroots amateur cups, leagues and matchmaking systems. ESL covers a broad field of services in gaming technology, event management, advertising and TV production, fully catering to the needs of the eSports ecosystem. With offices in Germany, Russia, France, Poland, Spain, China, North America and partners in many other countries, it has a truly global footprint (www.eslgaming.com).
About Jaunt
Jaunt is pioneering the future of creative storytelling through cinematic virtual reality. Founded in 2013, Jaunt is the leading developer of the hardware, software, tools, and applications to enable cinematic VR and put the power of virtual reality in the hands of today’s best content creators. In addition, Jaunt works with leading creatives – from brands to artists to filmmakers – to create cutting-edge content through its studio arm, Jaunt Studios. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, the company also maintains a presence in Los Angeles and produces branded and original VR content for audiences worldwide. Jaunt’s investors include The Walt Disney Company, Evolution Media Partners, China Media Capital, Highland Capital Partners, Google Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, Axel Springer, ProSiebenSat.1 SE, The Madison Square Garden Company, Peter Gotcher, Blake Krikorian, and Sky (corporate.sky.com). Experience more at www.jauntvr.com.