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Stats Perform Hires Steve and Peter Hirdt, the Pioneers of Sports Broadcast Research and Content
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Stats Perform, the revolutionary leader in sports AI and data, announced the hire of Steve and Peter Hirdt, the two biggest innovators in U.S. sports broadcast research and content over the past four decades. The Hirdt brothers join Stats Perform from Elias Sports Bureau with Steve taking over as senior director of operations and research and Peter as senior director of content and broadcast service.
“Having worked in network television for 45 years, there is no single person I have relied upon or trusted more than Steve Hirdt,” said legendary NBC sports broadcaster Al Michaels. “Together we’ve worked close to a thousand events (baseball, football, basketball), and he’s made every telecast better. His perspective is unmatched. Working with Steve has been an honor, and the countless times I’ve been praised for coming up with fascinating information, let the truth be told: It almost always came from Steve. This is a major, major coup for Stats Perform.”
The Hirdts are synonymous with sports data in the United States, having pioneered the widespread use of statistics in sports media. The standards that the Hirdts established and the language and techniques they developed are fundamental to the statistical content produced by leagues, teams, and the media.
“If you talk to anyone across the sports broadcast industry, Steve and Peter’s names come up as two of the most influential minds for modern sports statistics and media coverage,” Stats Perform Chief Executive Officer Carl Mergele said. “Over the past four decades, they instilled standards and practices that led the sports broadcast industry to embrace the use of data to enhance storytelling. Now they join Stats Perform at a pivotal moment as we use industry-leading AI and our unmatched historical database to unlock a new set of sports insights. Having Steve and Peter on board takes our illustrious research media team to an even higher level.”
Steve Hirdt is the country’s foremost expert on sports statistics. From his research on the first edition of The Baseball Encyclopedia, to his groundbreaking work on ABC Monday Night Baseball, and 35 years as an Emmy Award-winning director of information on Monday Night Football on both ABC and ESPN, Steve has been an influential advocate for sports data that is accurate, innovative and interesting. During his career at the Elias Sports Bureau, including more than 20 years as executive vice president, Steve’s deep sports knowledge and insight made him a trusted advisor to the country’s leading sports executives, writers and broadcasters. He is also a frequent committee member for the Baseball Hall of Fame and a recognized voice on documentaries and talk shows.
“I am thrilled to join the team at Stats Perform, which already has deep roots in sports broadcasts worldwide,” Steve said. “With recent advancements in AI, Stats Perform is at the forefront of ushering in new capabilities for data and statistics in sports. We look forward to joining the team to create the new wave of sports broadcast.”
Before Stats Perform, Peter spent more than four decades at the Elias Sports Bureau, where he mastered the presentation of statistical content during 16 years consulting on ABC Monday Night Baseball and Monday Night Football and CBS Sports’ MLB coverage. Peter was also the lead writer of the Elias Baseball Analyst (nine annual editions) and Elias Says, a daily column on ESPN.com for 13 years. He conceived, designed and managed the Graphics Library, a service now used on virtually all MLB, NBA, and NHL telecasts. He served as liaison to Elias’ broadcast and media clients, led the company’s expansion into soccer, and developed and implemented its social media strategy. As a vice president since the mid-1990s, Peter negotiated contracts with many of Elias’ largest clients.
“We are excited for the opportunity to bring our decades of experience in statistics and sports media to a company with the infrastructure and technology to fully support our initiatives,” Peter said. “Stats Perform is at the forefront of using AI and machine learning to get deeper and faster meaning out of sports moments. I am thrilled to join and take advantage of the new AI capabilities at our disposal.”
Stats Perform powers broadcasters and digital destinations with data-driven insights, industry-leading global research support, editorial content and photos that keep audiences informed and engaged with the action. With historical databases reaching back to the 1870s, Stats Perform covers hundreds of leagues including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, NCAA Football, men’s and women’s college basketball, EPL, EFL Championship, La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Serie A, PSL, QSL, NRL and Top 14.
“Steve and Peter’s illustrious careers have had a direct impact on the way we watch and conceptualize sports today,” Stats Perform Chief Operations Officer Mike Perez said. “Stats Perform has one of the best media research teams in the business and having the Hirdts at the helm opens us up for so many exciting opportunities.”
This week, the Hirdts are attending the 2019 Baseball Winter Meetings
in San Diego, California.
Mike Breen of ESPN and ABC said: “The Hirdt family has had an extraordinary impact on how we view and enjoy our sports. Their integrity and accuracy are only exceeded by their love and passion for the sports they cover.”
Bob Costas of MLB Network said: “For decades, the Hirdts have provided keenly insightful and always 100 percent reliable information enhancing the depth of sports coverage and the quality of its presentation. The key has been not just the wealth of raw data, but an editorial sense that produces genuine insights and interesting story lines supported by that data.”
About Stats Perform:
Stats Perform collects the richest sports data in the world and transforms it through revolutionary AI to unlock the most in-depth insights for media and technology, betting and team performance. With company roots dating back almost 40 years, Stats Perform embraces and solves the dynamic nature of sport – be that for digital and broadcast media with differentiated storytelling, tech companies with reliable and fast data to power their innovations, sportsbooks with in-play betting and integrity services, or teams with first-of-its-kind AI analysis software. As the leading sports data and AI company, Stats Perform works with the top global sports media, tech companies, sportsbooks, teams and leagues.
SOURCE: Stats Perform
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THE STAGE IS SET AS FINAL TEAMS ARE CONFIRMED FOR THE PUBG MOBILE GLOBAL CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND FINALS
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- The 2025 PUBG MOBILE Global Championship (PMGC) ignites as final two teams qualify for the Grand Finals
- Alter Ego Ares and Team Flash clawed their way through the pressure-packed Last Chance stage, claiming their well-deserved spots in the Grand Finals, as more than 1.2M fans around the world witnessed this nailbiting weekend
- 16 elite teams are now advancing to the main stage in Bangkok to battle for the lion’s share of the $3,000,000 prize pool
- In celebration of PUBG MOBILE and Balenciaga’s continued the Balenciaga I PUBG collaboration, the 2025 PMGC Grand Champions will take home the custom designed BALENCIAGA l PMGC l PGC 2025 Champion Jacket
- Building on a successful collaboration campaign with PUBG MOBILE, Porsche will invigorate the 2025 PMGC stage with the prize of a Porsche Cayenne to the MVP player of the 2025 PMGC Grand Final
After weeks of intense battles and a decisive Last Chance qualifier, the stage is set and the final teams are locked in for the 2025 PUBG MOBILE Global Championship (PMGC) Grand Finals. This past weekend marked the conclusion of the 2025 PMGC Last Chance stage, where 16 teams fought tooth-and-nail to be a finalist in this year’s culminating PUBG MOBILE Esports tournament. Highlighting the significance of this stage ahead of the main event, the Last Chance weekend saw more than 1.2M fans witness the action across the globe. With the dust now settled, the final two teams have secured their slots in the Grand Finals, where they’ll compete for their share of the massive $3,000,000 prize pool.
The Last Chance took center stage from December 6th -7th, as teams battled fiercely for their final opportunities to reach the Grand Finals. Day one saw Alter Ego Ares making an early statement, while Influence Rage and Loops Esports climbed the leaderboard with strong performances. On day two, the intensity ramped up as Weibo Gaming pulled off crucial late-game plays to surge up the leaderboard, while Team Flash stayed consistent, surviving each round to stay in the running. In the end it was Alter Ego Ares and Team Flash who had secured their spots in the Grand Finals, closing out the Last Chance stage and setting the stage for the ultimate showdown of the year.
Final teams qualified for the Grand Finals:
- Alter Ego Ares
- Team Flash
- DRX
- Regnum Carya
- EArena
- R8 Esports
- ThunderTalk Gaming
- Kara Esports
- MadBulls
- Alpha7 Esports
- ULF Esports
- D’Xavier
- Alpha Gaming
- DPlus KIA
- Team GOAT
- Vampire Esports
The 2025 PMGC Grand Finals roster brings together seven powerhouses from the Gauntlet Stage, six elite qualifiers from the Group Stage, the two Last Chance survivors, and Vampire Esports as the Host Country Invitee. With all finalists confirmed, the spotlight shifts fully to Bangkok, where the Grand Finals will erupt inside Siam Paragon from December 12th – 14th. As the defining event of the competitive calendar, the 2025 PMGC not only brings together the world’s strongest PUBG MOBILE Esports teams, but also marks a new era for the scene as it joins forces with the 2025 PUBG Global Championship (PGC), as PUBG UNITED 2025. Across three action-packed days, the world’s best squads will battle through six matches per day, as they chase fame and glory.
All signs point to an electrifying Grand Finals, with a roster stacked full of top-tier contenders. Alpha Gaming are poised as a team to watch after ripping through Group Green in the Group Stage with unwavering consistency, while R8 Esports made their intentions known early by dominating the opening Gauntlet Stage. Last year’s reigning champions Dplus KIA bring the heat to this year’s Grand Finals line-up, and with the remaining teams hungry to disrupt the established order, this year’s 2025 PMGC Grand Finals are set to make history.
Set to make this PMGC the grandest Grand Finals yet, and in continuing the city-wide celebrations, PUBG MOBILE partners Balenciaga and Porsche will each be represented through prizes awarded to the Champion team. Balenciaga has designed an exclusive jacket for each player of the 2025 PMGC Champion team, as a symbol of the talent and effort they have displayed. For the MVP player of the 2025 PMGC Grand Finals, they will be awarded with a brand new luxury Porsche Cayenne, the perfect prize for the player who shines the brightest in their performance.
Fans can tune in to watch the 2025 PMGC Grand Finals on PUBG MOBILE Esports’ YouTube, Facebook and Twitch channels, between December 12th – December 14th. For more PUBG MOBILE Esports news, stay tuned on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and TikTok.
The post THE STAGE IS SET AS FINAL TEAMS ARE CONFIRMED FOR THE PUBG MOBILE GLOBAL CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND FINALS appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Million Games has announced the release of Goblin Brew, a mischievous 5×5 fantasy slot developed by Yugo Workshop through the Million Stars partner programme.
Set in a dimly lit goblin tavern, Goblin Brew combines light-hearted fantasy with rewarding gameplay, offering Free Spins, Expanding Wilds, and a unique progression system that keeps every round unpredictable.
Landing 3 or more Beer Scatters triggers the Goblin Gold Spins, where silver coins grant extra spins and gold coins increase the global multiplier. As players collect more coins, low-paying symbols are removed, paving the way for higher wins and an electric build-up toward the maximum payout of 5,000x the bet.
“Goblin Brew has all the ingredients for a fun, rewarding slot,” said Thomas Nimstad, CEO of Million Games. “It’s visually rich, mechanically engaging, and delivers a player experience that balances excitement with accessibility. Yugo Workshop has done a fantastic job of capturing that perfect mix.”
With a 96.11% RTP and medium volatility, Goblin Brew offers approachable yet high-value gameplay that fits perfectly into modern casino portfolios.
Goblin Brew is now available to all Million Games partners and integrated operators worldwide.
The post Million Games Launches Goblin Brew – A Wild Night of Free Spins and Fortune appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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A large-scale $1 billion online casino shady scheme involving Ukrainian fraudsters Vadim Gordievsky and Alyona Suvorova has been discovered in Kazakhstan.
The Kazakhstan Financial Monitoring Agency has revealed a large-scale shady scheme with a whole layer of cross-border transfers. While referring to the press service of the Agency, Elordainfo.kz informs that numerous bank employees and 120 people from several countries were involved in the operation of the shady scheme.
The money was sent to various payment organizations, disguised as legal transactions, and was later withdrawn to numerous online casinos.
At the same time, local authorities managed to eliminate the call center, which employed foreigners, which provided technical support for four online casinos as well as advice on money transactions. In addition, the organizers of the call center created a gambling partnership program that was used to accept payments and withdraw them in cryptocurrencies. The overall turnover exceeded 200 million USDT.
During the implementation of all these measures, over 70 searches were conducted. As a result of these activities, local authorities managed to gather physical evidence as well as to detain nine suspects.
According to law enforcement authorities in Kazakhstan, the key organizer of the shady miscoding scheme is Ukrainian Vadim Ivanovich Gordievsky, born in 1974. He led this organized crime group and used the local Marginplus company for these purposes (marginplus.kz). In addition to companies from Kazakhstan, Gordievsky also worked with illegal Russian online casinos while helping them to facilitate payments.
Already in 2008, Vadim Gordievsky served as deputy head of the Boryspil Regional State Administration and was in charge of land issues. Under Gordievsky, various lands of Boryspil were sold while the money was stolen. In the same 2008, he was dismissed from his position with a huge scandal, but his case never resulted in criminal proceedings. A lot of money and connections in government offices helped him avoid accountability.
In 2012, when Viktor Yanukovych came to power, Vadim Gordievsky took the chair of the head of the highway service in the Odessa region, where he managed to get access to millions of dollars, which he later invested in FC Alta Capital.
After the initiation of criminal cases for financial crimes, fraud, and the announcement of his wanted list by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vadim Gordievsky left Ukraine on forged documents.
According to investigators, Gordievsky’s partner, Mikhail Kovalev (Mykhaylo Kovalov), who has a number of companies in the EU, in particular, in Poland and a residence permit in Spain, was closely working with Gordievsky. By using numerous fictitious companies in Poland, in particular, STABLEX SOLUTION Sp. z o. o (solvexs.pl) he engaged in illegal payments and cash withdrawal in cryptocurrencies.
His partner, who is also his former Kyivstar employee, Alyona (Olena) Suvorova (born in 1983), who left Ukraine for Moscow after February 2022, and Ukrainian IT specialist Denis Andreevich Rykov (born in 1990), who currently lives in St. Petersburg, also participated in the shady scheme of illegal bookmakers and dubious payments.
Judging by her social media accounts, Alyona Suvorova is currently positioning herself “as an entrepreneur, investor, and crypto trader with 5+ years of experience.” According to Suvorova herself, she has been developing payment technologies in the field of FinTech for 10 years. In 2021, she opened her own business for international crypto transfers. In addition, she is the founder of the Lemoncoin Crypto Academy.
The law enforcement agencies of Kazakhstan are asking for information about the location and data of all these people. In the near future, Vadim Gordievsky, Alyona Suvorova, and other defendants will be put on the international wanted list. According to local laws, they face up to nine years in prison.
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