After securing a $1.58M USD investment round in February, Final Level, a Brazilian gaming content platform and owner of the esports team Gamelanders, is kicking-off its international expansion. The project will be carried out in collaboration with the UK-based company 1st11, which has operations in England, Argentina, Canada, and Italy, and is one of Final Level’s investors.
Final Level is now selling its format abroad, consisting of a gaming-lifestyle-based content that, in Brazil, generated more than 5M subscribers on YouTube, 21M followers on Instagram, and deals with brands like Coca-Cola and Subway. The company delivers a guideline book to the producers who buy it, together with the local branding rights. It is a similar process to what Dutch company Endemol does with its reality show products such as Big Brother and Deal or No Deal.
The first confirmed country to receive its own version of Final Level is Spain through the producer Xanela Producciones, which is already casting the participants for the show. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is still not confirmed when the project will be aired, although it is predicted for the second semester of 2021. Financial details on the acquisition by Xanela Producciones were not disclosed, but Final Level will also receive an amount based on local production costs. “It is a common practice among audiovisual producers across the world who use this model of exportation,” Final Level’s CEO Fernanda Lobão said.
Regarding the esports project held by Final Level, which is named Gamelanders, Lobão told The Esports Observer that the international expansion may result in new Gamelanders rosters for esports other than Valorant, as its team formed in Brazil is among the best in the world. Lobão also says that the package sold abroad includes esports projects: “We already designed an esports plan, as the Rakin Cup [a Valorant tournament organized in Brazil by Final Level] already has a global characteristic.”
Lobão also says that this expansion may bring Final Level to other formats even outside the social media environment such as TV and on-demand platforms, as the producers that buy the format may negotiate it in their territories.
Since its foundation, Final Level has said its objective is to become the biggest gaming community in the world. Starting an international expansion based on exporting its format may be a significant step towards this objective. Final Level is owned by multiple investors, with the GO4IT Capital group holding the majority of its shares.
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