MTG's ESL and DreamHack Launches ESL Pro Tour in 2020; The World's Largest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Circuit With an Aggregated Prize Pool of Over $5 Million

- MTG portfolio companies ESL and DreamHack today jointly announces the forming of ESL Pro Tour; the world's largest Counter-strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) circuit ever, co-developed and executed by the two companies

- The circuit will link over twenty CS:GO tournaments and leagues on five continents and feature an aggregate prize pool of over USD 5 million for 2020

- MTG owns 82 percent of the world's largest esports company ESL and 100 % of Swedish premier gaming lifestyle festival DreamHack. The ESL Pro Tour launch is the first of several moves to create global esports tours for various games

STOCKHOLM, Sept. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Modern Times Group MTG AB (MTG) today announces the launch of the global CS:GO competition circuit ESL Pro Tour (ESLprotour.com). The forming of the new global esports tour is an important step to professionalize the global esports industry and therethrough increase monetization of esports such as sponsorship and media rights in line with MTG's strategy.

ESL Pro Tour combine ESL and DreamHack tournaments to a circuit which links over twenty CS:GO tournaments and leagues. The ESL Pro Tour will feature an aggregate prize pool of over USD 5 million for 2020 from competitions on five different continents, making it the world's largest and most lucrative circuit in Counter-Strike's 20 year history. The new tour is announced today ahead of ESL One in New York, US, during which details will be presented September 28th.

"While esports is attracting millions and millions of viewers and fans worldwide, the monetization of media rights has been lagging behind in part due to a lack of viable media products. With the forming of ESL Pro Tour, we are taking an important step to change that; it's global, recurring and announced well ahead of execution," says MTG President and CEO Jørgen Madsen Lindemann.

Even though esports continues to attract more and more interest, the value of media rights has lagged behind the swift rise of the audiences watching and viewing esports globally. For media buyers keen to invest in esports to reach their global audiences, the ESL Pro Tour will provide all the qualities of an excellent media product to invest in.

"The new ESL Pro Tour is the first of its kind and is made possible by our ownership of the two global players in esports, ESL and DreamHack. We will continue to leverage our unique position to further professionalize the esports industry and our ambition is to announce more global activations similar to ESL Pro Tour," says President and CEO Jørgen Madsen Lindemann.

Founded in 2000, ESL has been developed into the world's largest esports company. It operates high profile, branded international leagues and tournaments such as ESL One, Intel® Extreme Masters, ESL Pro League and other top tier stadium-size tournaments, as well as ESL National Championships. DreamHack is the Swedish premier gaming lifestyle festival and fellow MTG company aimed at grassroots events for aspiring pro gamers globally. Together they form the natural Segway for any pro gamer to go from zero to hero.

The ESL Pro Tour will be presented in detail at ESL One New York at Barclay's Center on the 28th of September 2019 to journalists, partners and teams in a specific ESL Pro Tour media briefing. Read more on ESL Pro Tour at http://eslprotour.com/.

About MTG AB 
MTG (Modern Times Group MTG AB (publ.)) (www.mtg.com) is a strategic and operational investment holding company in esports and gaming entertainment. Born in Sweden, the shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm ('MTGA' and 'MTGB').

About ESL
ESL is the world's largest esports company. Founded in 2000, ESL has been shaping the industry across the most popular video games with numerous online and offline competitions. It operates high profile, branded international leagues and tournaments such as ESL One, Intel® Extreme Masters, ESL Pro League and other top tier stadium-size events, as well as ESL National Championships, grassroots amateur cups and matchmaking systems, defining the path from zero to hero as short as possible. With offices all over the world, ESL is leading esports forward on a global scale. ESL is a part of MTG, the leading international digital entertainment group. about.eslgaming.com.

About DreamHack
DreamHack is all about entertainment for the digital generation. Founded in 1994 as a BYOC LAN party, DreamHack grew over 20 years to a global phenomenon as the digital festival for today's youth, hosted throughout Europe and North America. DreamHack festivals feature multiple esports competitions, live music, exhibitions, creative competitions, LAN party, cosplay and much more. DreamHack helped pioneer esports and continues to be one of the largest global producers of esports content. Millions of viewers tune in from all over the world to watch DreamHack broadcasts every year. DreamHack events welcomed over 310,000 visitors in 2018. More information is available at dreamhack.com. DreamHack is part of leading international digital entertainment group MTG. More information at dreamhack.com.

About ESL Pro Tour
ESL Pro Tour is a circuit combining over twenty Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournaments and leagues previously unconnected ESL and DreamHack into one narrative that builds towards two masters championships each year, IEM Katowice and ESL One Cologne. The collaboration aims to create a more complete path from zero to hero for aspiring players, a more compelling story to follow for existing CS:GO fans and a much more transparent structure for new esports fans. More information on eslprotour.com.

For more information:
Lars Torstensson
EVP Communications & Investor Relations 
Direct: +46 (0)702-734-879
lars.torstensson@mtg.com 

Oliver Carrà
PR Director
Direct: +46-708-666-433
oliver.carra@mtg.com 

Mtg.com / Twitter / LinkedIn 

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