Latest news with #Wildcard
India.com
4 days ago
- Business
- India.com
SA20 Season 4: Franchises Allowed To Retain Six Players Before Auction; Check All Details
All the big names and rising stars set to headline Season 4 of SA20 will be confirmed at the fourth annual player auction, which will take place in Johannesburg on September 9. The event promises to bring a few changes amongst the squads, and high-stakes bidding with a minimum of 72 player slots available for auction. The squad composition of the teams remains the same, with the league continuing to prioritise opportunities for local talent on a global platform. Of the 18 players in the regular squad, teams can secure a maximum of seven overseas players and a minimum of 11 South African players. Season 4 will again see teams being able to sign one Wildcard player to each squad. The Wildcard player can be a South African or overseas player, and their league fee falls outside of the salary cap. Before the auction, the franchises are permitted no more than six retentions or pre-signed players, comprising a maximum of three overseas players and three South African players. This year features the largest salary cap in the history of the competition, a sizeable R41 million in the purse for each of the six franchises to make up their squads. The salary cap has steadily increased over the years from R34 million in Season 1, making it the highest franchise T20 league salary cap outside of India. In a SA20 first, a significant strategic innovation has been added to the Season 4 auction with the introduction of the Right to Match (RTM) Cards. A Right-to-Match Card allows a franchise the opportunity to match a winning auction bid on a player who played for that team in Season 3 and retain his services for Season 4. Each team will have a limited number of RTM cards to use, depending on the number of South African pre-auction player retentions they use. Stephan Cook, Head of Cricket Operations, SA20, said, 'The SA20 Season 4 player auction is setting up to be the most exciting yet, with about 60% of player slots available for franchises to fill. Mechanisms such as RTM cards, Wildcard players, and an increased salary cap are sure to create interesting situations for teams and will allow them to strategically select their squads. We have seen some life-changing transactions already in the past few years, and the upcoming auction should see plenty more.' The league's commitment to the development of young talent in South Africa remains steadfast. There will no longer be a Rookie Draft; instead, teams must sign a minimum of two Under-23 players in their final 19-player squads. The ever-popular Richard Madley, who has fast become synonymous with the SA20 auction, will once again wield his gavel to control proceedings. The auction will be broadcast live on SuperSport and the SA20 YouTube Channel with rolling coverage across all of the League's social media platforms. The auction marks the first major milestone ahead of the anticipated fourth season, which, this year, will be played in a 'festive season' slot starting on December 26.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
SA20 Season 4: At least 72 slots up for grabs in player auction on September 9
Johannesburg: All the big names and rising stars set to headline Season 4 of SA20 will be confirmed at the fourth annual player auction, which will take place in Johannesburg on September 9. The event promises to bring a few changes amongst the squads, and high-stakes bidding with a minimum of 72 player slots available for auction. The squad composition of the teams remains the same, with the league continuing to prioritise opportunities for local talent on a global platform. Of the 18 players in the regular squad, teams can secure a maximum of seven overseas players and a minimum of 11 South African players. Season 4 will again see teams being able to sign one Wildcard player to each squad. The Wildcard player can be a South African or overseas player, and their league fee falls outside of the salary cap. Before the auction, the franchises are permitted no more than six retentions or pre-signed players, comprising a maximum of three overseas players and three South African players. This year features the largest salary cap in the history of the competition, a sizeable R41 million in the purse for each of the six franchises to make up their squads. The salary cap has steadily increased over the years from R34 million in Season 1, making it the highest franchise T20 league salary cap outside of India. In a SA20 first, a significant strategic innovation has been added to the Season 4 auction with the introduction of the Right to Match (RTM) Cards. A Right-to-Match Card allows a franchise the opportunity to match a winning auction bid on a player who played for that team in Season 3 and retain his services for Season 4. Each team will have a limited number of RTM cards to use, depending on the number of South African pre-auction player retentions they use. Stephan Cook, Head of Cricket Operations, SA20, said, 'The SA20 Season 4 player auction is setting up to be the most exciting yet, with about 60% of player slots available for franchises to fill. Mechanisms such as RTM cards, Wildcard players, and an increased salary cap are sure to create interesting situations for teams and will allow them to strategically select their squads. We have seen some life-changing transactions already in the past few years, and the upcoming auction should see plenty more.' The league's commitment to the development of young talent in South Africa remains steadfast. There will no longer be a Rookie Draft; instead, teams must sign a minimum of two Under-23 players in their final 19-player squads. The ever-popular Richard Madley, who has fast become synonymous with the SA20 auction, will once again wield his gavel to control proceedings. The auction will be broadcast live on SuperSport and the SA20 YouTube Channel with rolling coverage across all of the League's social media platforms. The auction marks the first major milestone ahead of the anticipated fourth season, which, this year, will be played in a 'festive season' slot starting on December 26.
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
72 Player slots available in Betway SA20 season 4 auction in Johannesburg
With at least 72 spots available across all teams, this year's auction promises excitement, surprises, and strategic bidding as franchises aim to build their strongest line-ups yet. Shashwat Nishant New Delhi The much-anticipated player auction for Season 4 of the Betway SA20 is set to take place on Tuesday, 9 September, in Johannesburg. With at least 72 spots available across all teams, this year's auction promises excitement, surprises, and strategic bidding as franchises aim to build their strongest line-ups yet. The team structure remains consistent, with each squad consisting of 18 players. Of these, franchises are permitted to include up to seven international players and a minimum of 11 South African talents, continuing the League's commitment to showcasing local players on an international stage. Each team will also be able to add a Wildcard player to their squad, either South African or international, whose fee does not fall under the main salary cap. Prior to the auction, teams are allowed to retain or pre-sign up to six players: a maximum of three locals and three overseas stars. This season brings with it the highest salary cap in the history of the SA20, a massive R41 million per franchise. That's a significant rise from the R34 million cap in the league's inaugural season, further solidifying SA20's position as the most lucrative T20 league outside India. A key innovation in Season 4 is the introduction of Right to Match (RTM) Cards. This new feature gives teams the ability to retain a player from their Season 3 roster by matching the highest bid placed by another team during the auction. The number of RTM cards each franchise can use will depend on how many local players they have retained ahead of the auction. Stephan Cook, SA20's Head of Cricket Operations, emphasized the importance of this year's auction: "With 60% of all player slots available, the auction is shaping up to be our most dynamic yet. Features like RTM cards and Wildcard signings, combined with an increased salary cap, will allow teams to approach squad building with even more strategy and creativity." In a further push for youth development, the league has scrapped the Rookie Draft. Instead, each team must include a minimum of two players under the age of 23 in their final 19-man squad. The auction will once again be hosted by the charismatic Richard Madley and will be broadcast live on SuperSport and the SA20 YouTube channel, with real-time updates across all SA20 social media platforms. This auction kicks off the road to Season 4, which is set to begin on 26 December 2025, during the festive season.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Thousands and Wildcard Announce $9M Fundraise Co-Led by Arbitrum Gaming Ventures and Paradigm
MCKINNEY, Texas, June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands, a revolutionary web3 protocol that transforms word-of-mouth marketing into a universal attribution infrastructure - together with sister company The Wildcard Alliance - today announced a joint $9 million fundraising round co-led by Arbitrum Gaming Ventures and Paradigm. The companies, founded by co-CEOs Paul and Katy Drake Bettner whose past work includes Words With Friends, Lucky's Tale, and Age of Empires, have secured $6.5 million to date and expect to close the remaining funding over the next 60 days. This new funding builds on the companies' $46 million Series A raised in 2022, and will be used to accelerate development of their integrated ecosystem of products, utilizing the Thousands protocol and platform to unlock new channels of creator-centric user acquisition and help launch their own upcoming game, Wildcard. "It's simple," said Paul Bettner, co-CEO. "Wildcard only succeeds if its creators and community succeed. So we need a better way to reward these incredible contributors who drive immense value to the game. Thousands gives us the on-chain 'rails' to solve this problem, to record and reward user acquisition and conversion at every step of the funnel." "It's simple," said Paul Bettner, co-CEO. "Wildcard needed a better way to reward the incredible contributors who drive immense value to the game – the creators, the influencers, the super fans. Thousands gives us the on-chain 'rails' to solve this problem, to record and reward user acquisition and conversion at every step of the funnel." The synergy between Wildcard and Thousands has already demonstrated explosive growth. The Thousands network recorded over $800,000 in revenue in May 2025 alone, with an average revenue-per-stream of $50k, average viewer-to-payer conversion of 77%, and a new all-time-high revenue record at $134k — metrics that far exceed industry standards. The Thousands network addresses an untapped, trillion dollar word-of-mouth economy, by making influence and attribution transparent, programmable, and incentive-aligned. The Thousands network enables creators and communities to earn instantly when their content drives conversions, while IP owners benefit from significantly lower customer acquisition costs compared to traditional channels. "Thousands is redefining how games and content reach audiences," said Rick Johanson, Founding Partner at Arbitrum Gaming Ventures. "Their web-native streaming layer – think Twitch meets WalletConnect – allows every connected viewer to become an active participant in an on-chain economy, transforming spectators into engaged users." "We believe in this game and we believe in this team," said Dave White, Research Partner at Paradigm. "Paul, Kate, and team have created one of the most eagerly anticipated games in crypto and we're very excited for what comes next." Since their initial funding, both platforms have achieved significant milestones. Wildcard was recently approved for release on Steam, where the 100k+ community are now playtesting Alpha builds of the game weekly, in preparation for Wildcard's Early Access release later this year. These playtests are broadcast on several times a week, helping to demonstrate the Thousands' network's ability to sustain engagement and monetization, with an average revenue _per viewer_ of $141 dollars. "Thousands doesn't feel like streaming. It's no longer a one-way street.", said Payton Kaleiwahea, content creator and founder of WolvesDAO, "Fans and creators are interacting; you're not just watching the game. You're connected to it. You're inside it. With Thousands, being there matters, and that changes everything." About The Wildcard Alliance and Thousands The Wildcard Alliance and Thousands are building the future of interactive entertainment, powered by communities. Founded by industry veterans Paul and Katy Drake Bettner, the companies are building disruptive new products at the intersection of cutting-edge technology, beloved IP, and fun. The Wildcard Alliance previously raised $46 million in 2022 from investors including Paradigm, Griffin Gaming Partners, and Sabrina Hahn. Learn more at and Media Contact:Leah Schultzpress@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE The Wildcard Alliance, Inc.
Metro
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Metro
2025 Shanghai Masters Snooker draw, schedule and prize money announced
Judd Trump will head to the Shanghai Masters as defending champion (Picture: Getty Images) The world's best players contest the Shanghai Masters next month, with the draw throwing up some cracking contests in the high profile non-ranking event. The world's top 16 qualify for the tournament, joined by the next four highest ranked Chinese players and four amateur wildcards. The 24-player draw means the top eight in the world go straight into the last 16, while players ranked 9-16 have to face the Chinese qualifiers. The Shanghai Masters was first held in 2007 but it was a very different ranking tournament back then, switching to the invitational format in 2018. Almost a Chinese version of London's Masters, it has become a fantastic early-season event which always attracts the biggest names in the game. Ronnie O'Sullivan has especially enjoyed it, winning four editions of the event on the spin from 2017-23, either side of a gap over Covid. Judd Trump goes in as the defending champion this time round after he beat Shaun Murphy in last year's final. Ronnie O'Sullivan is the most successful player at the Shanghai Masters (Picture: Getty Images) When is the Shanghai Masters? The tournament runs from July 28 to the final on August 3 at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium. It will be the second trophy handed out of the 2025/26 season after the Championship League comes to a conclusion on July 23. Shanghai Masters draw and schedule Monday July 28 UK times Round One 02.30: Barry Hawkins vs Wu Yize 02.30: Si Jiahui vs Wildcard 07.00: Zhang Anda vs Yuan Sijun 07.00: Chris Wakelin vs Wildcard 12.30: Neil Robertson vs Pang Junxu 12.30: Shaun Murphy vs Wildcard Tuesday July 29 Round One 02.30: Mark Allen vs Wildcard 02.30: Xiao Guodong vs Lei Peifan Round Two 07.00: Kyren Wilson vs Si/Wildcard 07.00: Mark Selby vs Murphy/Wildcard 12.30: Ding Junhui vs Zhang/Yuan 12.30: Judd Trump vs Robertson/Pang Wednesday July 30 Round Two 07.00: Mark Williams vs Allen/Wildcard 07.00: John Higgins vs Xiao/Lei 12.30: Zhao Xintong vs Wakelin/Wildcard 12.30: Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Hawkins/Wu Shanghai Masters Prize Money Winner £210,000 Runner-up £105,000 Semi-finals £70,000 Quarter-finals £35,000 Last 16 £17,500 Last 24 £10,000 Judd Trump won his first Shanghai Masters title last year (Picture: Getty Images) Trump's brilliant 2024 win Trump made a tournament record 10 centuries on his way to the trophy last year, beating Mark Williams, Si Jiahui, O'Sullivan and Murphy along the way. Speaking after winning the title last year, he said: 'The age of the crowd in China is so much younger than the rest of the world. I always enjoy playing in front of a fanbase where I can inspire the next generation. I think that is why my record in China is so good,' said Trump. 'I want to win as many big tournaments as possible this season. This is probably one of the top five events on the calendar. To win this one early on is an amazing start. I would like to replicate what I did last season and get close to five wins or even more. I couldn't have dreamed of a better start.'
