BLAST partners with sports fantasy company Underdog for Austin Major

BLAST has announced that sports fantasy company Underdog will become an official partner of two Counter-Strike events coming up in 2025.

Underdog was an official partner of this year’s BLAST Premier Lisbon Open, and will now feature in BLAST Premier Copenhagen Rivals and the BLAST.tv Austin Major in the US and Canada.

Underdog will be featured on BLAST’s English broadcasts of the three events and will appear frequently on physical and digital assets. Underdog will also be included in BLAST’s Fantasy mini-game, available to US and Canadian users. Fan activations will also be available at Underdog’s booth in BLAST’s Austin Major.

Leo Matlock, Chief Business Officer at BLAST, commented: “We’re really excited about this collaboration with Underdog, They are a brand who’ve been a key player in the innovative and growing, sports gaming space for some years.”

Underdog’s first appearance was at the BLAST Premier Open S1 in Lisbon Portugal. Looking ahead, it is set to feature in BLAST Premier Rivals S1 on April 30th, where the eight best Counter-Strike teams will compete for the lion’s share of a $350,000 (~£277,000) prize pool.

“Underdog has chosen a blockbuster time to partner with BLAST ahead of our sold-out BLAST.tv Austin Major in June,” Matlock said. “Beyond adding to our live broadcasts and events, we are thrilled that our dedicated and committed BLAST.tv fantasy fans will have the opportunity to engage with Underdog over the next few months.”

BLAST.tv Fantasy launched back during the Paris Major in 2023 under the name ‘Major Manager’ before re-launching as Fantasy for BLAST’s Premier Fall Groups that same year. According to BLAST, it has recorded over 250,000 sessions since 2023, and in has seen 10,000 active users throughout the 2025 season so far.

Finally, Underdog will become an official partner for the BLAST.tv Austin Major online tournament, where 24 teams compete across three stages for the largest share of a $1,250,000 (~£990,000) prize pool.

“We’re always looking for innovative partnerships like this one with BLAST Premier,” said Zach Powell, Director of Partnerships at Underdog. “We are excited to be a part of the upcoming events and to engage with a new audience through our first-ever in-person esports tournament.”