British Esports and BLAST Team Up to Bolster UK’s Esports Industry During Landmark Year for the Industry

Mimi Craig

6 min read | 13 Jun 2024

British Esports and BLAST to join forces to drive the growth and development of the UK ecosystem. The United Kingdom is hosting a record number of tier one esports events in 2024 during a historic year for the industry.

Sunderland, Thursday 13th June 2024 – British Esports, the national body for esports in the UK, and BLAST, the global esports entertainment company, have announced a strategic partnership during a landmark year for the UK industry.  

This collaboration will focus BLAST and British Esports efforts on political lobbying, grassroots development, education, careers, and professional development. The partnership comes during a historic year for the UK esports industry, with a record number of tier one esports events taking place, helping to position the region as a global hub for esports and gaming.

With the UK holding an 6% share of the global esports market and the global sector expected to reach $1.6 billion by the end of this year, this partnership aims to capitalise on this momentum and foster further growth.

Robbie Douek, CEO of BLAST, said: “This partnership with British Esports is a pivotal step in our mission to support the esports ecosystem in the UK. By focusing on key pillars together, we aim to create a sustainable and inclusive environment that encourages growth and professional development at every level. This year alone, the world’s biggest game publishers are choosing the UK as a destination for their esports ecosystems and arena events, helping position the region as a global hub for esports and big-scale events. This partnership with British Esports will allow us bridge the gap between tier one arena events and grassroots esports.” 

Chester King, CEO of British Esports, said: “2024 is a landmark year for esports in the UK as we host some of the most iconic global esports events.This is an incredible opportunity to leave a legacy from grassroots to professional that promotes the UK as a leading global destination for esports. That is why we were thrilled when Robbie and the team at BLAST visited our National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland earlier this month to finalise our partnership. This collaboration between two leading British esports organisations will not only help to solidify the UK as a leading hub for esports but also ensure that we are nurturing the next generation of talent and providing them with the tools and opportunities they need to succeed.”

The partnership comes in a month where London is set to host two tier one esports arena events in consecutive weeks, with the BLAST Premier Spring Final taking place in Wembley Arena this week and the RLCS London Major in Copper Box Arena next week. These combined events will see more than 25,000 fans watch live esports events in-person in the United Kingdom in June alone. 

To mark the launch of the partnership, Robbie Douek, CEO for BLAST, recently met Dave Martin, SVP for British Esports, for a tour of the National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland.

For more information about British Esports and BLAST, please visit British Esports and BLAST.

# # ENDS # # 

Contacts

Mimi Craig | Marketing Manager | British Esports | mc@britishesports.org

Joe Lovelace | Head of Communications | BLAST | joe@blast.tv

About British Esports

Established in 2016, British Esports is the national body for esports in the UK.  As one of the world’s leading esports authorities, we are the recognised member of the Global Esports Federation for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and founding member of the International Olympic Committee Esports and Gaming Liaison Group.  From nationwide amateur grassroots competition to cutting edge esports curriculum and national representation on the global stage, we’re dedicated to increasing levels of esports awareness, improving esports standards, and inspiring future esports talent.  For more information and all the latest news, visit www.britishesports.org or follow British Esports on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitch, YouTube, TikTok.

About BLAST

We’re on a mission to take esports to the next level of global entertainment. We excite and invite billions of fans to join the esports revolution. We create live and digital experiences – from tournaments that pack out major arenas around the world to great content that’s guaranteed to blow your socks off.

We are famous for our unparalleled production quality and game changing fan-first moments. Bringing together the best teams and biggest superstars to fight it out for glory and multi-million dollar prize pools. Attracting tens-of-thousands of fans to our crazy-big-adrenaline-pumped live events in big arenas from London and Copenhagen to Atlanta and Sao Paulo, with millions more watching at home from all around the world on our global broadcasts.

We work with some of the world’s best game publishers and brands to elevate their properties into amazing esports experiences. We are currently working with world-leading game publishers Epic Games, Valve and Ubisoft to produce, market and deliver esports for popular titles Rocket League, Fortnite, Rainbow Six and Counter-Strike 2.