Skillz and Comic Relief US Partner to End Child Poverty

SAN FRANCISCO, July 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Comic Relief US is partnering with Skillz to host fundraising tournaments for its Red Nose Day campaign, with promotional support from Comic Relief celebrity advocates. Comic Relief US is a nonprofit that harnesses the power of entertainment and engagement to create positive change. Its popular Red Nose Day events raise funds supporting Comic Relief's mission to end child poverty and keep kids - many of whom have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic - safe, healthy, and educated.

"Skillz and its millions of players provide an innovative way to get new communities involved in Red Nose Day activities every day," said Alison Moore, CEO at Comic Relief US. "The Red Nose Day campaign has positively impacted nearly 25 million children since its debut in America in 2015, and Skillz tournaments will help us to engage more people with Red Nose Day's mission, and help more vulnerable children."

Skillz is transforming the way modern nonprofits engage with donors, enabling anyone with a mobile device to contribute to charitable causes by playing games. Skillz has worked with organizations including the American Cancer Society, World Wildlife Fund, and American Red Cross. Last year, Skillz hosted the largest nonprofit tournament in mobile esports history by partnering with Susan G. Komen, raising over $120,000 from more than 25,000 participating mobile game competitors. The company's most recent nonprofit tournament on Juneteenth 2020 helped Skillz raise over $100,000 for the NAACP.

"Protecting children during this pandemic is critical to building a brighter future for all of us," said Andrew Paradise, CEO and founder of Skillz. "By partnering with Comic Relief, Skillz is leveraging our mobile games to tap a new generation of first-time donors and drive funding for programs that keep kids healthy and happy."

Players can contribute to the Red Nose Day initiative by entering public tournaments in Skillz-powered games including Cube Cube and Blackout Blitz. Participants can also engage with celebrity supporters by following and competing against them in their own private Skillz tournaments. Visit the Skillz Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts on July 17 and 18 to see all the celebrities joining the fun and how to compete in their fundraising tournaments.

For more information on Skillz-enabled games and implementing mobile esports competitions, visit www.skillz.com or email launch@skillz.com.

About Skillz Inc.
Skillz is the leading mobile games platform that connects players around the world in fair, fun and meaningful competition. The Skillz marketplace expands the gaming ecosystem, helping developers share their art with the world and build multi-million dollar franchises by enabling social competition in their games. Leveraging its patented technology, Skillz hosts billions of casual esports tournaments for 30 million mobile players worldwide and distributes millions in prizes each month. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and backed by leading venture capitalists, media companies, and professional sports leagues and franchises. Skillz has earned recognition as one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, CNBC's Disruptor 50, Forbes' Next Billion-Dollar Startups, and the #1 fastest-growing company in America on the Inc. 5000. www.skillz.com

About Red Nose Day
Red Nose Day USA is a fundraising campaign run by the non-profit organization Comic Relief US, also known as Comic Relief, Inc., a registered U.S. 501(c)(3) public charity. Red Nose Day started in the U.K., built on the foundation that the power of entertainment can drive positive change, and has raised over $1 billion since the campaign's founding in 1988. The sixth annual Red Nose Day took place on Thursday, May 21, 2020.

Red Nose Day launched in the U.S. in 2015 with a mission to end child poverty, and has raised over $200 million to date to positively impact nearly 25 million children. Money raised supports programs that ensure children in need are safe, healthy and educated, both in America and around the world. For more information about Red Nose Day USA and its impact, visit www.rednoseday.org. Follow @RedNoseDayUSA on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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