SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Unikrn (#unikrn), a gaming (#gaming), eSports (#esports) and entertainment company, today announced it has entered into a global partnership with Tabcorp (#tabcorp), a world leading wagering (#wagering) business, to launch a new eSports platform - the world’s premier online arena where people can gather, game and safely bet on organized, sanctioned multiplayer video game competitions from around the world. At launch, Unikrn will provide access to live viewing, live discussions and competitive odds to gaming fans globally, including in the US. In addition, in legal sports betting jurisdictions, Unikrn users will be able to bet on the outcome of matches and tournaments, with further bet types to follow.
Built on a massive community set to reach more than 10 million gamers in over 100 countries worldwide in 2015, Unikrn has taken steps to ensure its customers experience a safe and legal wagering environment through its partnership with Tabcorp’s Luxbet platform. As the global gambling industry leader in the annual Dow Jones Sustainability Index, with a 100 percent rating in the ‘Promoting Responsible Gaming’ category, Tabcorp will control the geographic areas where wagering is offered and will also handle all account identification processes.
“eSports is one of the largest sports globally, attracting viewer numbers that are on par with traditional sports such as American football and basketball,” said Rahul Sood, CEO and co-founder of Unikrn. “We couldn’t have found a better partner than Tabcorp to drive innovation and bring wagering to the fast-growing eSports market. Tabcorp’s track record as a global leader in responsible betting and its experience running an integrated wagering and media business provides Unikrn with the platform to build a secure, legal and fun arena for adults to gather, game, and bet on eSports.”
The eSports market continues to boom in popularity. In total, the League of Legends World Championship 2014 saw 288 million cumulative daily unique impressions across all stages. The global audience on Twitch.com saw 16 billion minutes of live gaming streams watched per month last year on average, with the number growing rapidly month over month.
“Tabcorp is proud to be partnering with Unikrn,” said Tabcorp Managing Director and CEO, David Attenborough. “Unikrn is delivering a global gaming community platform that reaches millions of gamers around the world, with a proven record of innovation and success. As an investor in Unikrn, Tabcorp is connecting its Luxbet platform to Unikrn’s gaming and eSports communities.”
By visiting www.unikrn.com (on either mobile or desktop), Unikrn customers can watch the world’s best professional gamers participate in live gaming tournaments around the world. Unikrn features tournaments for AAA titles such as League of Legends, Dota2, Counter-Strike and others. For customers located in jurisdictions that permit online betting, the Unikrn platform provides an opportunity to bet on the outcomes of matches and tournaments through a range of bet types common in more traditional sports betting markets.
About Unikrn
Unikrn is a world leading gaming, eSports and Entertainment Company co-founded by Rahul Sood, who, up until recently, was the General Manager of Microsoft Ventures. Sood resigned from Microsoft to create Unikrn. A serial entrepreneur, Sood spent 18 years in multiple startups; he founded gaming computer creator VoodooPC, which was acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2006. Unikrn has built partnerships with Hewlett-Packard, Hypernia, Logitech, Razer, Tabcorp, and is continuing to forge strategic relationships in the gaming, eSports and entertainment space. Unikrn recently announced the acquisitions of Australian-based Pinion and Germany-based PlayAll. For more information, please visit unikrn.com, follow us @unikrnco and find us on Facebook.
About Tabcorp
Tabcorp is a top 100 company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange with an enterprise value of approximately A$5bn. Tabcorp manages leading customer brands in Australia, including tab.com.au, Luxbet, Sky Racing, Sky Sports Radio, Tabcorp Gaming Solutions and Keno, serving millions of customers every year. Its wagering business is one of the largest commercial wagering businesses in the world with annual revenue exceeding A$2bn. In 2014, Tabcorp was ranked as the global gambling industry leader in the annual Dow Jones Sustainability Index, recognition the company has received in nine of the last ten years.
