With over 1,200 goals scored in 314 games, impressions exceeding 66 million, streamed in four languages across multiple streaming platforms, culminating in over 10 million minutes watched – PES League 2019 was back, and firing on all cylinders.
Following Konami’s direction, Jelly coordinated and delivered the biggest PES League international esports tournament using all of our our in-house skills, knowledge and expertise. We managed the whole event’s online presence, tournament coordination and talent management.
How We Won The Tournament
While preparing for the event it was necessary to work within certain Client-led parameters. However these were successfully negotiated and we were still able to deliver the following two seasons, resulting in an offline World Finals across two different competitive styles, 1v1 and Co-Op (3v3):
The national finals included online tournaments split across PC, Xbox and PlayStation networks, with coordination of multiple players and staff across several international time zones. Our offline national finals were carried out with the support of local brand sponsors such as Gamestop in Germany and Musimundo in Argentina, the winner from those offline national finals won a place at the offline Regional Finals.
This year saw a notably increased number of sponsored and partnered players; this shows the strength of the PES League brand and something our esports experts wanted to harness, support, and engage with. We endeavoured to work closely with Player Managers and sponsors, resulting in the first ever PES League tournament season where players were able and encouraged to wear their sponsored esports jerseys. To ensure a fair and equal playing field, we provided clear guidelines and structure to the Managers whilst being understanding of their role within the tournament.
Using our event management and logistics team we delivered the offline Regional Finals in Argentina, Liverpool, Mexico City, Porto, Tokyo and London; this resulted in over 650 flights booked. Delivering across the world in South America brought its own challenges with technology restrictions and limited availability.
Our in-house web development team managed and maintained a website showcasing the complex tournament structure and providing results and release news at every key moment during the tournament season. The website was translated in over 16 languages to ensure it was accessible to all.
Communication was a key factor in our success, not only for our Japanese Client or our talented competitors; but also with our audience and the wider public. Our in-house social and community team created and realised a comprehensive social media strategy, liaising with all players, player managers and their sponsors to ensure our content generated interest and positive engagement across all channels and platforms. During the offline events, our team provided clear and exciting content including real time clipping and administrating competitions and engagement via Twitch Drops.
Utilising homegrown talent has, and will always be, at the core of our ethos as a company, therefore we looked for and worked with influencers and known PES community members including:
To supplement our broadcast and social content, we spent time with the players before each Regional Final creating video player profiles, giving our team of elite and skilled video editors mere hours to turn around from capturing, cutting to publish.
Throughout the season, our Business Development managers brokered and encompassed multiple brand partnerships with GT Omega Racing, ASTRO Gaming, Philips Hue, PlaySeat, Scuf Gaming and Red Bull for their products to appear at the PES League Regional and World Finals.
Our content not only was broadcast on PES League channels, but also featured on GINX TV, Globo esports and TNT Sports – international sports and esports news outlets.
TL;DR?
✔ Online and offline tournaments
✔ Coordinating over multiple time zones
✔ Full and comprehensive logistic management
✔ Brand sponsors and partnerships facilitation
✔ Bespoke website and routine updates
✔ Comprehensive social media strategy
✔ Worked with influencers, talent and influential brand community members
✔ Video editing
✔ Broadcasting to multiple channels in multiple languages
✔ Bespoke merchandise
Overcoming logistical, language and legal barriers to ensure a smoothly organised and successful esports tournament took over a year of planning and execution with over 50 members of staff. Eliga Sul Stars and Usmakabyle may have won the trophies… but we conquered the League.
