The Philadelphia 76ers just bought a pair of eSports teams

[Mac]

The Philadelphia 76ers' ownership group announced on Monday that it has acquired two eSports teams, Team Apex and Team Dignatas, and will merge them into a single organization under the Dignatas banner. The team will compete in League of Legends, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm while the 76ers will handle the day-to-day operations including player recruitment, marketing and sales.

This marks the first time that a North American sports franchise has bought into eSports, unlike in Europe where a number of top football clubs -- including Vfl Wolfsburg, West Ham United, Manchester City and Valencia CF -- all own their own digital sports teams. A few NBA owners like Mark Cuban, Dan Gilbert and Steve Kaplan have invested in teams and leagues, none have flat out bought one. The closest we have to that is retired NBA star Rick Fox, who purchased team Gravity Gaming before renaming it Echo Fox.

https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/26/the-philadelphia-76ers-just-bought-a-pair-of-esports-teams/

Since PE is an RCE and profits are paramount on most players minds, otherwise why would they be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop their characters, I wonder how many of the super duper uber players in PE have been contacted by National sports franchises to be purchased because of their top position in this game and this games growing importance in esports world? How much did they offer?

 

[gwit]

I was contacted but they said I had to pay them - something about there are meant to be winners in e-sports???

 

[Mac]

I was contacted but they said I had to pay them - something about there are meant to be winners in e-sports???

Dr. Sheen prescribes more tigers blood.

 

[AxeMurderer]

Since PE is an RCE and profits are paramount on most players minds, otherwise why would they be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop their characters, I wonder how many of the super duper uber players in PE have been contacted by National sports franchises to be purchased because of their top position in this game and this games growing importance in esports world? How much did they offer?

I will wait until they offer me Ronaldo salary. BTW when you say PE you sound old. And what do you mean "this games growing importance in esports world"

 

[Billy Jean Ruby]

I'm open to any sponsorship and investor for my firm!
I will always wearing sponsor logo to my armour and comment accordingly after every "match" to every sport magazine and newspaper available, a 5 year contract preferred.

 

[Yoshii Lem]

The idea of people sitting at computers doing sports is too funny.


Will say that there is the competitiveness like in real sports so can see why sports is buying eSport teams
And several millions of people do watch these eSports and pay to be in person to the games.

I'm guessing is as hard to be elite in eSports as real sports - only the top few who play will make money at it.















#space_flight ~ where pilots advertise to grow their business

 

[Oleg]

eSports tournaments work on a completely different model to EU. There isn't really much connection between the two.

When I was promoting events a few years back I tried to get things moving in the direction that eSports have taken (primarily by adopting a spectator & sponsor-based model rather than a pay-to-enter model for events), but MA showed no interest in that and I wasn't really able to do it without their support.

At that time the eSports market barely existed, so if they'd been up for it we could have got in early, and who knows where we would be now. It's too late to try and break into it now, I think.

 

[Mac]

I will wait until they offer me Ronaldo salary. BTW when you say PE you sound old. And what do you mean "this games growing importance in esports world"

Ya, I feel old too. I refuse to call this EU, it will always be PE to me, besides it doesn't feel like it ever got out of the "Project" mode anyway.

"this games growing importance in the esports world" NOT!

I'm open to any sponsorship and investor for my firm!
I will always wearing sponsor logo to my armour and comment accordingly after every "match" to every sport magazine and newspaper available, a 5 year contract preferred.

That's the spirit! I can see a esports attorney contacting you soon yelling, "SHOW ME THE MONEY!"

The idea of people sitting at computers doing sports is too funny.


Will say that there is the competitiveness like in real sports so can see why sports is buying eSport teams
And several millions of people do watch these eSports and pay to be in person to the games.

I'm guessing is as hard to be elite in eSports as real sports - only the top few who play will make money at it.

#space_flight ~ where pilots advertise to grow their business

I agree, I think its funny too, but then again I am completely amazed by the whole movement! The growth, the money, the visibility, etc.

eSports tournaments work on a completely different model to EU. There isn't really much connection between the two.

When I was promoting events a few years back I tried to get things moving in the direction that eSports have taken (primarily by adopting a spectator & sponsor-based model rather than a pay-to-enter model for events), but MA showed no interest in that and I wasn't really able to do it without their support.

At that time the eSports market barely existed, so if they'd been up for it we could have got in early, and who knows where we would be now. It's too late to try and break into it now, I think.

I remember a while ago at some convention and some people where there competing, I remember thinking at the time about the potential of it all, but they didn't follow through.

MA be like

 

[Mac]

eSports powerhouse Team Liquid picked up by new investor group

Another acquisition:

eSports powerhouse Team Liquid picked up by new investor group
The ownership group, aXiomatic, includes Steve Case, Tony Robbins and Magic Johnson.

While 2016 has been a great year for eSports exposure — several championships have gotten screen time on ESPN networks — it's also been a great year for money. Not only is it estimated to grow to a $500 million industry this annum, but traditional sports conglomerates like the Philadelphia 76ers and German soccer club FC Schalke 04 are buying pro gaming teams outright. But the latest news isn't just another purchase deal. An odd assortment of entertainment and investors created aXiomatic, an ownership group dedicated to scooping up eSports teams, and are starting off by purchasing one of the more famous ones: Team Liquid.

The Netherlands-based pro gaming organization started as a clan on Blizzard's Battle.net gaming network in 2000, but today, it's a powerhouse with 50 players across 10 teams for League of Legends, Dota 2, StarCraft 2, CS: GO, and others. Current Team Liquid co-CEOs Steve Arhancet and Victor Goossens will keep those positions, and both assured in a blog post that their roles are even more secure now that they are not sole owners.

The ownership group, aXiomatic, is composed of a slew of entertainment and sports executives. These include Mandalay Entertainment CEO Peter Guber, who is co-owner of the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as Magic Johnson, AOL co-founder Steve Case and entrepreneur Tony Robbins. They hope to build Team Liquid into a major sports entertainment franchise, according to Deadline.

https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/27/esports-team-liquid-bought/

 

[RobBuona]

Well, the 76ers have been a garbage organization for years, if that means anything...

 

[bigdaddy trim]

This is first time I heard of this, not much if gamer apart from this. When I saw west ham mentioned I had to Google it and yeah they was first team in England to sign someone. I do find it very interesting, but not that surprising with money in football theses days and how far the gaming has envolved from the days of subbuteo.