Trainwrecks, a popular streamer who has consolidated his presence as one of the most prominent gambling streamers and co-founder of Kick, a disruptor streaming service, has suggested that the highly successful platform is on its way to make some huge signings that would “devastate” the streaming industry and offer even more opportunities for small and mid-sized hardworking creators to gain traction.

New Potential Signee to Change the Streaming Paradigm

Kick has been a pioneer in letting in gambling streamers and also letting consumers filter gambling content if they don’t wish to see it in the first place. The platform has since signed Amouranth and Adin Ross, xQc, and offered them eye-watering seven-figure deals, including a purported $100 million offer to xQc, which has been recently criticized.

As to Trainwrecks, the Kick co-founder is very confident that the next signings on the platform will include personalities whose switch to the platform will be felt well across the streaming segment. Who this may be is another matter altogether. Kick has not revealed any details about who the new contracts may target.

However, the streaming giant has spared no dime in bringing over more prominent figures, encroaching easily on Twitch territory and compelling consumers, content creators, and viewers to set their new streaming home as Kick.

Kick has also made sure that its platform is organic and free of manipulations, addressing both earlier concerns about botting and the proliferation of gambling content. Kick has been able to completely upend how streamers are paid.

Potential Target for Devastating Signing

The platform offers a 95/5 split, with the bulk going to the content creators themselves, whereas Twitch and YouTube offer 50/50 and 70/30 respectively. Some content creators though have not been tempted by the Kick’s carrot just yet with Asmongold openly supporting the platform but not making a switch.

There was speculation earlier in 2023, and indeed, Asmongold joining now would really coincide with Trainwrecks’ promise of a “devastating signing.”

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Evolution has published its interim report for the first half of 2023, also highlighting its performance during the second quarter of the year. The company’s metrics increased across the board, attesting to its robust business.

Evolution’s operating revenues for Q2 increased by 28.2% to $491 million (all figures in this article have been converted to USD). The operating revenues for H1 sat at $969.1, representing a 29.8% year-on-year increase.

EBITDA for Q2 2023 was 30.8% up on 2022 at $346.9 million. The H1 EBITDA was $681.1 million, also representing a 30.8% YOY increase

Profit for Q1 was almost $294 million. Profit for the January-June period, meanwhile, was $573.5 million.

Evolution reported that earnings per share for the second quarter of 2023 amounted to $1.38. Earnings per share for the first half of the year, on the other hand, amounted to $2.68.

Evolution also noted that the EBITDA margin in Q2 was the highest the company has ever recorded. For reference, the company reported an EBITDA margin of 70.7% for Q2 2023 and an EBITDA margin of 70.3% for H1 2023.

The second quarter of the year also saw the company launch Funky Time and grow its live casino presence in Latin America.

The report continues the favorable trends recorded in Q1 2023.

CEO Carlesund Promises a Busy Pipeline

Martin Carlesund, Evolution’s chief executive officer, expressed his excitement about the good results in his official statement. He praised the company’s outstanding EBITDA margin, underlining that it corresponds to the company’s earlier projections.

However, Carlesund noted that he feels that the company can do more to leverage its execution power to the fullest.

Carlesund praised Evolution’s RNG operations as a major source of revenue for the company, announcing that the company has a busy RNG roadmap for H2. He also praised the launch of the Funky Time game show, saying that everything went smoothly and as planned.

Carlesund teased that 2023’s roadmap is Evolution’s strongest ever. Still, the company plans to have an even more exciting roadmap in 2024. 

While Evolution will have to deal with a tougher macroeconomic climate, Carlesund said that the company is bullish on continuing its international growth in key markets such as the US, LATAM, Europe and Asia. 

We will continue to invest for growth, to try new solutions – sometimes fail – but always strive to be better, every single day. Together with the soon 18,000 people at Evolution, I look forward to the second half of 2023 with great enthusiasm.

Martin Carlesund, CEO, Evolution

In unrelated news, Evolution just teamed up with Big Time Gaming to launch Golden Catch in the United States.

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After much speculation, U2 has finally confirmed that they will perform shows dedicated to their iconic album Achtung Baby at Las Vegas’ new globe-shaped venue, MSG Sphere. 

U2 Announces Highly Anticipated Shows at MSG Sphere with Mysterious UFO-Themed Ad

The Irish rockers had previously hinted at the shows before the Super Bowl, posting an image of a newborn baby within the newly constructed MSG Sphere on a website called U2xsphere.com. The official announcement came with a mysterious UFO-themed ad for the ‘U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere’ shows. 

The announcement of U2’s shows at MSG Sphere has been highly anticipated since rumors first began to circulate last year. While the pandemic delayed the venue’s opening until 2023, the wait will undoubtedly be worth it for U2’s fans. The band’s last US concert was in July 2018, and they have not played together on stage since December 2019 when their Joshua Tree anniversary tour ended in Mumbai, India.

In a statement published on the band’s website, U2 members said that the Sphere show had been in the works for a long time, and they did not want to let people down, least of all their audience. They also admitted that they missed their audience and that their fans were always the fifth member of the band.

The Sphere shows will mark U2’s first-ever concerts without drummer Larry Mullen Jr., who will sit out due to a reported neck surgery. Bram van den Berg will fill in for Mullen at the Sphere concerts.

Despite Mullen’s absence from the Sphere shows, the band remains confident that they will deliver a memorable performance. “It’s going to take all we’ve got to approach the Sphere without our bandmate in the drum seat, but Larry has joined us in welcoming Bram van den Berg who is a force in his own right,” said Bono, The Edge, and Adam Clayton in the statement on their website.

U2 Prepares to Deliver Next-Level Live Experience with MSG Sphere’s Unmatched Technology

U2 has always been known for pushing the boundaries of live performances, incorporating the latest technology and innovation into their shows. The Sphere’s state-of-the-art audio and visual experience, including 580,000 square feet of programmable LED panels, will provide the perfect backdrop for the band to take their live experience of music to the next level. When completed, the 388-foot-tall venue will hold between 17,500 and 20,000 people.

According to The Edge, the Sphere is not just a venue for U2, but rather a canvas of unparalleled scale and image resolution that provides endless possibilities for immersive experiences in real and imaginary landscapes. He explained that it was a unique opportunity that only came once in a generation, and after careful consideration, they would be crazy not to accept the invitation. 

U2’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of live performance is likely to make the Sphere shows an event that music enthusiasts and fans would not want to miss.

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