RFRSH: Always open to new markets

HLTV.org talked with the CEO and founder of RFRSH Nikolai Nicholm and learned more about how RFRSH balances the work with several teams and their future plans, including the CS: GO tournament.

RFRSH, the sports marketing company associated with Astralis, Heroic, GODSENT and Norse, recently talked about how their company works in a blog called the "RFRSH Model."

HLTV was very interested in some of the questions and they asked them to Nicholas.The dialogue below (B - question, O - answer).

(Q) According to CVR.dk, Astralis players are not listed as owners, and they do not own property in companies registered as owners. Can you explain how the property of the players works? Can you disclose any data on the percentage of ownership?

(A) We do not want to comment on any personal conditions, but we can say that Astralis players are co-owners of Astralis, and in general they own a significant share.However, as individuals, each of them has less than the minimum listing requirement in the CVR * register.

[* HLTV learned that the minimum listing for ApS is 5%.]

(Q) Also, have new players GODSENT and Heroic been added to the ownership structure of their team?

(A) We are in the process of establishing a co-ownership format with the player for GODSENT, Heroic and Norse.

(Q) When you come into contact with a company that is interested in sponsoring an eSports team, how does the decision process take place on which of the four units you are currently working with get this deal?

(A) Very rarely, the commercial partner / sponsor simply asks "to sponsor the eSports team". RFRSH offers a complete commercial package, from which both teams and partners win. Individual sponsors / commercial partners have different requirements and requests for their marketing investments, all depending on their market / geography, budget, product and if they require impact, participation or events. This requirement of the partner determines how the cooperation is formed. RFRSH actively searches for and develops sponsorship and commercial partnerships on behalf of teams and actively works with PR, media and team to optimize brand recognition and recognition, which ultimately benefits teams, players and business partners, adding value to all parties.

(C) Can all four teams be represented equally in this respect? If so, how did you convince the players that this is so?

(A) As part of the RFRSH structure, teams have access to a marketing organization and a set of tools beyond what is standard on the market, and ultimately they get much more than just "represented equally." The partnerships introduced on their behalf are adapted to what the team can deliver and what the sponsor requests, including full support after entering the agreement, so that teams and players can focus on optimizing their work, also supported by RFRSH. RFRSH invests in teams, organizations, facilities and marketing tools, and thus adds value to the players.

(Q) How does the cash flow between sponsors, RFRSH and teams work? Does the RFRSH work directly with the sponsors, get paid, and then pay the teams or teams pay RFRSH for the agreed amount of what they earn through sponsorship?

(A) A commercial team at RFRSH works directly with sponsors and partners on behalf of teams. This is done in the standard agent format. The investment of the team is made by RFRSH, and as such, our cash flow is negative - this means that the teams benefit from the adjustment, not from the RFRSH. Ultimately, the goal is that the RFRSH will have a positive cash flow from our overall investments, but the teams will always benefit from sponsorship.

(B) In reddit AMA, you mentioned that the acquisition of Astralis gla1ve was not facilitated by RFRSH, but that Heroic players consulted you about the transfer. Does this mean that at any time you can transfer the player from one of your teams to another?

(A) In a case like this, in general, RFRSH is always part of the sale.

(B) Also at the AMA, you mentioned that you think France and North America are particularly interesting from the standpoint of expansion - whether you only look at other CS: GO teams or whether there are other directions that you want to expand, such as other games Or organization of tournaments? What is the next step for RFRSH?

(A) The RFRSH model can be used for all teams, and we are always open to new markets. CS: GO is an exclusive platform for streaming and entertainment arenas, and our goal is to create a global CS: GO tournament. There are many wonderful events there, and we are sure that we will be able to improve and develop live experience, paying even more attention to entertainment, teams, players and all elements of CS: GO and entertainment in the arena.

(C) We recently saw the game