Spout Entertainment (spout360)

Spout Entertainment Group, operating spout360.com, was a Singapore-based e-entertainment company focused on the Southeast Asian esports market. Founded in January 2017 by Daryl Teo, a former head of strategic products at Grab, the company aimed to create a sustainable esports ecosystem by addressing various industry needs. Its operations were multifaceted, encompassing a media and content platform, a talent agency, and even physical gaming venues.

The company launched with a significant US$2.1 million seed round from venture builder Reapra, which was a notably large amount for a seed round in the region at the time. This funding was intended to fuel expansion into emerging markets like Myanmar and the Philippines. Spout Entertainment's strategy involved several components. Its primary media outlet, Spout360, was envisioned as an ESPN-Twitch hybrid for regional esports, providing multimedia content, news, and live coverage of competitions. A key technological focus was the development of near-instantaneous translation and captioning for live video content to overcome language barriers in Southeast Asia.

Beyond media, the firm operated Spout Agency to manage pro gamers, helping with sponsorships and brand representation. It also made strategic acquisitions, including the venture builder Zaany Technologies to enhance its tech and mobile application capabilities, and the Alienware Arena in Singapore, which it rebranded as Spout Arena to serve as a physical hub for events and gamer training. The business model aimed to monetize through corporate partnerships and advertising, leveraging its growing online and offline community. However, despite its ambitious start and multiple initiatives, including a fantasy league and plans for a TV series, reports from mid-2018 indicated that the Spout360 website had become inactive and many staff had departed, suggesting the company ceased operations.

Keywords: esports media, Southeast Asia gaming, talent management, esports content, pro gaming, gaming news, live streaming, venture capital, digital media, fantasy league, Spout Agency, Daryl Teo, Reapra, Zaany Technologies, Spout Arena, esports competitions, video translation, influencer agency, Singapore startup, gaming community