SportsHero and Icon Esports join forces to promote Indonesian football network
Icon and SportsHero will jointly operate and co-brand an esports focused prediction network on SportsHero’s Indonesian platform.
Fantasy sports app platform SportsHero (ASX: SHO) has signed an exclusive three-year deal with Australian company Icon Esports to jointly operate and co-brand an esports-focused prediction network in Indonesia.
The network will be run on SportsHero’s OlahBola platform, dedicated to football fans worldwide who follow series such as the English Premier League and Spain’s La Liga.
It will be launched later this year and will see the partners deliver advertising and sponsorship opportunities and share all Indonesian esports revenues and operating costs.
Joint effort
Under the terms of the agreement, SportHero and Icon will be jointly responsible for identifying new sponsors and corporate partnership opportunities; collaborating on the design and development of a web app and public facing products; and engaging with influencers and marketing agencies to promote the network.
SportsHero will take care of engaging local Indonesian media groups and football personalities to drive promotion, while Icon will manage content, professional participants, and the recruitment of influencers and support staff.
The company will also engage web app developers to produce the customer facing product, and ensure the introduction of an appropriate payment platform to facilitate the collection of revenue.
The deal may include periodic Indonesian esports tournaments, media coverage for esports and coaching and scouting services.
SportsHero retains an option to extend the deal for a further three-year term.
Monetising OlahBola
Chief executive officer Tom Lapping said the Icon deal would provide an opportunity to monetise OlahBola with new brand partners and advertisers.
“Icon’s functionality is a strong and complementary fit with our OlahBola app [and will] enable us to engage esports fans and new brand partners to drive new income streams,” he said.
“We have a highly engaged audience and we believe this partnership will allow us bring more value to our users and expand our revenue pipeline.”
Intelligent and engaging
SportsHero’s sports prediction platform has been developed to be “intelligent and engaging”, providing a dynamic and immersive social experience coupled with monetary and other prizes.
The launch of Olahbola (the collective chant of Indonesian football crowds) in July gave the nation’s fan base access to a fully-localised Indonesian platform showcasing international games.
It coincided with the restart of the English Premier League and La Liga in June.
Parent company
Icon is the parent company of the largest esports organisation in the Oceania region.
It generates revenue by running marketing campaigns for global brands such as Intel, Red Bull, Marvel, Singtel (Optus) and L’Oréal, following Australian esports brand Chiefs Esports Club into fantasy events and competitions which provide access to a large fan base.