Allied Esports and TV Azteca Announce Alliance With Gears Esports to Broadcast Gears 5 Pro League in Latin America

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MEXICO CITY & IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V. (“TV Azteca”), one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television programming in the world, and its exclusive global esports programming partner, Allied Esports, today announced that Azteca Esports will broadcast the Gears 5 Pro League in Latin America through a new alliance with Gears Esports.

Starting October 28, Azteca Esports will produce live, weekly coverage of the four-team Latin America region, including a live finale on November 25 at TV Azteca Studios in Mexico City.

Gears Esports announced the Gears 5 Esports Program and Pro League earlier in 2019, creating opportunities for Gears of War fans from around the world to participate in global competition. The Gears 5 Pro League 2019-2020 schedule, which includes North America Alpha, North America Bravo, Latin America and Europe divisions, will conclude in July 2020 with the first Gears 5 World Championship.

"Mexico's incredible passion for the Gears franchise has resulted in fans expressing their love of Gears through everything from Gears Ink tattoos to themed weddings. This enthusiasm extends to the games themselves, as the player base in Mexico produces some of the highest activity for Gears titles and features more players playing Gears of War 4 at the highest professional skill levels than anywhere else. For this season of Gears Esports, we felt it was important to partner with the team at Azteca Esports to reach this passionate community in an authentic way," said Rose Gunson, Esports Creative Program Manager for Gears Esports at The Coalition.

The announcement continues TV Azteca and Allied Esports’ strategic alliance to create and produce esports events and content via Azteca Esports that will reach a growing gaming audience and set the foundation for the development of Mexico’s first 24-hour digital channel dedicated to esports and video game culture.

“Creating electrifying programming with industry partners like Gears Esports will be the foundation and backbone of our future network, powered by Allied Esports’ unmatched innovation and expertise and TV Azteca’s vast reach,” said David Moon, Chief Operations Officer at Allied Esports Entertainment, the parent company of Allied Esports. “On the heels of multiple successful events and broadcasts this summer that were watched by millions, we are excited to bring the Gears 5 Pro League to an audience that has shown a hunger for great esports content.”

Azteca Esports has already produced several successful original esports events in Mexico in 2019, including Nation VS Nation in May 2019, which featured 40 competitors in a USA vs. Mexico format playing PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The event was Allied Esports’ first event and broadcast production in Latin America and reached over two million viewers across TV Azteca’s broadcast channels.

Azteca Esports has also produced an original Super Smash Bros Ultimate event – Glory Road – that featured more than 60 players competing for two days. The production registered a reach of more than seven million people through TV Azteca’s digital platforms.

In July 2019, Azteca Esports streamed the Fortnite World Cup on Azteca Deportes’ social networks, reaching audience metrics comparable to TV Azteca’s broadcasts of Saul Canelo´s international boxing fights and the Super Bowl.

According to Rodolfo Ramírez, head of Azteca Deportes: “We anticipate that this alliance will be a cornerstone for TV Azteca´s esports strategy and that the Gears Pro League will be an integral part of our 24-hour digital channel. Our goal is to always pursue the best content possible for the Mexican audience and to be considered a top platform to consume esports in the region.”

The companies also intend to work together to develop and build a network of esports talent with expertise across all game genres and titles and with experience in additional forms of entertainment.

About Gears Esports

Gears Esports is a showcase of the raw, visceral intensity epitomized by the Gears of War franchise, and a celebration of the uncompromising legion of fans that make up its unparalleled community. Since moving to The Coalition in 2016, competitive Gears of War has ascended from modest ballroom affairs to major international events around the world. Now, together with premier esports operator PGL, The Coalition is excited to introduce you to the next chapter of Gears Esports.

The Gears 5 Esports program will provide more opportunities for players of all skill levels from around the world to compete for fun and fortune in a season boasting more than $2 million worth of prizing.

For more information about Gears Esports, please visit gearsofwar.com/en-ca/esports.

About Allied Esports

Named to Fast Company’s 2019 World’s Most Innovative Companies list, Allied Esports is a leading esports entertainment company with a global network of dedicated esports properties designed to serve as competition battlegrounds, content production facilities and community hubs.

Through direct operation or membership via the Allied Esports Property Network, the world’s first esports venue affiliate program, Allied Esports’ properties span North America, Europe, China and Australia, and include the world-renowned HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas, its fleet of mobile arenas, the HyperX Esports Trucks, and the HyperX Esports Studio in Hamburg, Germany.

For more information about Allied Esports, visit AlliedEsports.gg and follow @AlliedEsports. Allied Esports is a subsidiary of Allied Esports Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AESE).

About TV Azteca

TV Azteca is one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television programming in the world, operating four television networks in Mexico: Azteca uno, Azteca 7, adn40 and a+, through more than 300 owned and operated stations across the country. The company also operates TV Azteca Digital, the operator of several Mexico’s most visited websites and social media platforms.

TV Azteca is a Grupo Salinas company (www.gruposalinas.com), a group of dynamic, fast growing, and technologically advanced companies focused on creating: economic value through market innovation and goods and services that improve standards of living; social value to improve community wellbeing; and environmental value by reducing the negative impact of its business activities. Created by Mexican entrepreneur Ricardo B. Salinas (www.ricardosalinas.com), Grupo Salinas operates as a management development and decision forum for the top leaders of member companies. These companies include TV Azteca (www.TVazteca.com; www.irtvazteca.com, Grupo Elektra (www.grupoelektra.com.mx), Banco Azteca (www.bancoazteca.com.mx), Advance America (www.advanceamerica.net, Afore Azteca (www.aforeazteca.com.mx), Seguros Azteca (www.segurosazteca.com.mx), Punto Casa de Bolsa (www.puntocasadebolsa.mx), Totalplay (www.totalplay.com.mx) and Totalplay Empresarial (www.totalplayempresarial.com.mx). TV Azteca and Grupo Elektra trade shares on the Mexican Stock Market and in Spains' Latibex market. Each of the Grupo Salinas companies operates independently, with its own management, board of directors and shareholders. Grupo Salinas has no equity holdings. The group of companies shares a common vision, values and strategies for achieving rapid growth, superior results and world-class performance.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “estimates,” “projected,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “future,” “propose” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the control of the parties, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include: the inability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the business combination; the ability to meet Nasdaq’s continued listing standards; costs related to the business combination; Allied Esports Entertainment’s ability to execute on its business plan; the ability to retain key personnel; potential litigation; and general economic and market conditions impacting demand for Allied Esports Entertainment ’s services. Allied Esports Entertainment does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Media Contacts:

Brian Fisher
Allied Esports
brian@alliedesports.com
714-975-8368

Luciano Pascoe
Tel. +52 (55) 1720 1313 ext. 36553
lpascoe@gruposalinas.com.mx

Investor Contact:

Lasse Glassen
Addo Investor Relations
lglassen@addoir.com
424-238-6249

Source: Allied Esports Entertainment, Inc.

Released October 25, 2019