European esports organization G2 Esports has taken on outside investors for the first time, raising an undisclosed sum from a group that includes Barcelona midfielder André Gomes; Marc Lemann, co-founder of Brazilian sports agency Go4It; multicultural media company MACRO Ventures and Everblue Management, the private family fund of Eton Park Capital Management Founder Eric Mindich. G2 will use the money to hire players and fund content creation and brand initiatives. Also, Inner Circle Sports has been hired as a strategic adviser as G2 continues to evaluate prospects (Ben Fischer, Staff Writer).
A "gamble" by online betting group GVC that it could secure a takeover of Ladbrokes Coral with an offer believed to be worth as much as £3.6B ($4.6B) "failed to pay off, as the two companies ended talks in recent weeks." GVC approached Ladbrokes Coral with an offer that "would have created one of the world’s largest gambling companies," according to people familiar with the matter. However, discussions "ended amid disagreement over the value of each of the companies" (LONDON TIMES, 8/23).
