WePlay Studios
WePlay Studios is a B2B content production company that delivers end-to-end event organization, live broadcast, AR/virtual production, and broadcast services for esports organizations, sports leagues, gaming companies, and entertainment brands through owned studios in Los Angeles and Kyiv.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersWilmington, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What WePlay Studios does
WePlay Studios is a privately held content production company founded in 2012 in Kyiv, Ukraine, by Yura Lazebnikov and Oleg Krot, originally focused on organizing amateur esports competitions and now operating as a subsidiary of WePlay Holding under the Delaware-incorporated entity WePlay Esports Media, Inc. The company delivers end-to-end content production services covering event organization, live broadcast, stage and studio design, augmented reality (AR) and virtual production, computer graphics and animation, and branding — serving enterprise clients across esports organizations, sports leagues (NFL), entertainment brands, gaming companies, and media platforms (MEGOGO, Enthusiast Gaming, OTK).
The underlying technical stack centers on what the company describes as the first fully operational multi-camera, real-time, projection-based virtual production workflow for broadcast applications, combined with AR integration and 3D scanning technology leveraging Unreal Engine for reconstructing real-world environments. The company owns and operates two production facilities: a 1,860-square-meter esports arena in Inglewood, Los Angeles (opened 2022) and an esports arena with two television studios in Kyiv (opened 2020), enabling in-house control of the full production pipeline from concept through multi-platform broadcast on Twitch, where the company has accumulated 235 million+ views and nearly 2 million followers across more than 40 produced events.
WePlay Studios operates a B2B professional services revenue model with no publicly disclosed pricing, generating income through event production services, content production and filming, studio/venue rental, and technical integration services. Customer acquisition combines direct enterprise field sales with event-driven demand generation (WePlay AniMajor, NFL Tuesday Night Gaming, VTuber Awards, WePlay Academy League) and channel partnerships with influencer networks (One True King) and media companies (Enthusiast Gaming, MEGOGO). The company rebranded from WePlay Esports to WePlay Studios in 2023 to signal expansion beyond esports into broader entertainment content production.
WePlay Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WePlay Studios
- Legal name
- WePlay Esports Media, Inc.
- Website
- https://weplay.tv
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- WePlay Studios is a B2B content production company that delivers end-to-end event organization, live broadcast, AR/virtual production, and broadcast services for esports organizations, sports leagues, gaming companies, and entertainment brands through owned studios in Los Angeles and Kyiv.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WePlay Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Esports and Entertainment Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Performing Arts Companies (7111)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Esports Broadcast & Production (Tournament Streaming, Observers, Remote Production) (MPAFAEAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Console Esports Tournaments & Leagues (MPAKANAL)
Keywords
Where WePlay Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wilmington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
WePlay Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Event Production Services: Full-service event organization and management including concept development, stage design, branding, and live execution of esports tournaments and gaming shows
- Content Production and Filming: Video production services, live broadcasts, computer graphics, and animation for clients including sports leagues, gaming companies, and entertainment brands
- Studio Rental and Venue Services: Rental of owned production studios and esports arenas in Los Angeles and Kyiv for third-party events and content creation
- Technical Integration Services: Technology partnership and system integration services for broadcast applications and virtual production workflows
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
WePlay Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WePlay Studios produces esports tournaments, gaming shows, and entertainment content for enterprise clients including sports leagues, gaming companies, and entertainment brands. Leveraging owned production studios in Los Angeles and Kyiv, the company delivers end-to-end services from concept development and stage design to live broadcast with proprietary virtual production and AR capabilities. Notable productions include WePlay Academy League, NFL Tuesday Night Gaming, VTuber Awards, and Dota 2 AniMajor.
Product overview
WePlay Studios is a content production company that offers a comprehensive suite of services including event organization, production and filming, live broadcasts, stage and studio design, augmented reality and virtual production, computer graphics and animation, and branding and design. The company operates as a unified service offering rather than a software platform with discrete modules. WePlay Studios manages esports tournaments (such as WePlay Academy League and WePlay AniMajor), produces gaming entertainment shows (NFL Tuesday Night Gaming, VTuber Awards, Gamers and Guardians), and provides virtual production capabilities using AR and real-time projection-based workflows. The company operates dedicated venues including WePlay Esports Arena Los Angeles and WePlay Studios Kyiv (featuring an esports arena and two TV studios). The company rebranded from WePlay Esports to WePlay Studios in 2023 to reflect expansion beyond esports into broader entertainment content production.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Event Organization and Management End-to-end event planning, coordination, and execution services for esports tournaments, gaming shows, and entertainment events, including concept development, stage design, branding, and live execution.
- Production and Filming
- Live Broadcast Services
- Stage and Studio Design
- Augmented Reality and Virtual Production
- Computer Graphics and Animation
- Branding and Design
- WePlay Esports Arena Los Angeles Rental venue and production studio in Inglewood, Los Angeles, California (1,860 square meters) used for content production, esports events, and third-party event hosting.
- WePlay Studios Kyiv Esports arena and two TV studios in Kyiv, Ukraine for filming and broadcast production, including Ukrainian-language sports broadcasts such as UEFA Champions League and World Cup.
- Technical Integration Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 235 million views on Twitch
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WePlay Studios
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
WePlay Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
WePlay Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NFL (National Football League)coreLaunched own show with the NFL - NFL Tuesday Night Gaming and related gaming entertainment content.
- 1500 or NothinminorCeremonial opening of new studio celebrating 20th anniversary of 1500 or Nothin project.
- VTuber AwardsminorOfficial production partner for VTuber Awards 2023, winning Webby People's Voice award.
- i am u areminorOfficial partner of i am u are creators fair project, representing Ukrainian creative and tech economy in New York.
- MEGOGOcoreStrategic production partnership for 2023 with MEGOGO media service. WePlay produces Ukrainian-language sports broadcasts including UEFA Champions League and World Cup from their Kyiv studios.
- Dovzhenko LeagueminorVenue partnership providing WePlay Esports Arena Los Angeles for Dovzhenko League Ukrainian-American filmmaking community meetings and sessions.
- Lawrence Dopsun (1500 or Nothin)minorCollaboration with Lawrence Dopsun's 1500 or Nothin project to create more opportunities for content creators.
- One True King (OTK)coreStrategic partnership with One True King, America's largest influencer network. WePlay Studios invested in OTK and serves as production partner for their gaming content and events.
- Enthusiast GamingcoreProduction partnership with Enthusiast Gaming for NFL Tuesday Night Gaming show - a gaming collaboration bringing together NFL players and content creators. Partnership extended to Season 2.
- Global Gaming LeagueminorStrategic partnership to host League competitions in California, expanding presence in the US market.
- NFL (National Football League)corePartnership with NFL for NFL Tuesday Night Gaming show, a first-of-its-kind gaming collaboration featuring NFL players and content creators.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
WePlay Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Riot Games (Esports): Major game publisher that produces its own global esports broadcasts (League of Legends, Valorant); represents the in-house alternative WePlay competes against for third-party production contracts with publishers.
Regional players
- StarLadder: Ukraine-based esports tournament organizer historically running CS:GO and Dota 2 events; comparable regional peer with overlapping producer role in Eastern European esports production.
Direct peers
- BLAST Premier: Danish esports tournament organizer producing high-end CS:GO and other FPS broadcasts; competes directly for game publisher contracts and sponsors in the same premium production segment WePlay serves.
- Freaks 4U Gaming: German gaming and esports agency providing event production, influencer marketing, and content services to publishers and brands; comparable services mix and B2B client base in European gaming.
- PGL Esports: Romanian-headquartered esports production company that organizes and broadcasts major Dota 2 and CS:GO Majors; shares WePlay's profile as a third-party esports tournament and broadcast production house with strong technology capabilities.
- ESL FACEIT Group: World's largest esports tournament organizer and production company, operating ESL and FACEIT leagues; directly comparable as an end-to-end esports tournament and broadcast production business serving similar gaming clients and audiences.
- Mainframe Events: Independent esports and gaming production agency producing events, broadcasts, and creator content for publishers and brands; comparable B2B services portfolio targeting similar enterprise gaming clients.
Emerging players
- Enthusiast Gaming: Publicly-traded gaming and esports media company that co-produces NFL Tuesday Night Gaming with WePlay; adjacent peer competing in esports content, events, and influencer services to similar gaming audiences.
- Galaxy Racer: Global esports organization with content production and event capabilities; emerging peer with overlapping production, content, and tournament operations across multiple regions.
- One True King (OTK): Influencer network and content production company that WePlay invested in and co-produces gaming shows with; comparable creator-driven gaming entertainment production model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WePlay Studios social profiles
Digital presenceWePlay Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WePlay Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
WePlay Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WePlay Studios M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WePlay Studios
What does WePlay Studios do?
WePlay Studios produces esports tournaments, gaming shows, and entertainment content for enterprise clients including sports leagues, gaming companies, and entertainment brands. Leveraging owned production studios in Los Angeles and Kyiv, the company delivers end-to-end services from concept development and stage design to live broadcast with proprietary virtual production and AR capabilities. Notable productions include WePlay Academy League, NFL Tuesday Night Gaming, VTuber Awards, and Dota 2 AniMajor.
Is WePlay Studios a public or private company?
WePlay Studios is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was WePlay Studios founded?
WePlay Studios was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is WePlay Studios based?
WePlay Studios is headquartered in Wilmington, United States, in the North America region.
How does WePlay Studios make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Event Production Services are the primary driver. The others are content Production and Filming, studio Rental and Venue Services and technical Integration Services.
Who are WePlay Studios's main competitors?
Riot Games (Esports) is listed as a broad incumbent. StarLadder is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are BLAST Premier, Freaks 4U Gaming, PGL Esports, ESL FACEIT Group and Mainframe Events. Emerging players are Enthusiast Gaming, Galaxy Racer and One True King (OTK).
Does WePlay Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for WePlay Studios.
What industry is WePlay Studios in?
WePlay Studios's product category is Esports and Entertainment Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAEAJ, Esports Broadcast & Production (Tournament Streaming, Observers, Remote Production), with a secondary code of MPAKANAL, Console Esports Tournaments & Leagues. Its NAICS code is 512 and its SIC code is 7812.