A lot of sports teams have seen the opportunities in esports. Given the industry is expected to generate nearly $700 million in 2017 (Newzoo, 2017), it’s no surprise.
Another professional sports organisation joins esports
Essendon Football Club has just announced that they are entering the esports scene. Essendon FC is getting involved via their acquisition of the Australian esports team Abyss.
More about Abyss
Team Abyss is set to compete in League of Legends, Oceanic Pro League and Oceanic Challenger League in 2018.
Abyss will be relocating to Melbourne. As expected, Essendon will integrate the team as its own division of the club. A new name and branding will be organised at a later date.
Words from the CMO
This is what the CMO for Essendon, Justin Rodsky, had to say about the new deal with Abyss.
“As a Club, we are looking at ways to diversify our business, invest in growth and create new opportunities to drive incremental consumer and commercial revenues.
“eSports teams are no different to any other professional sports club model and eSports fans are no different to any other sports fans in their passion to support their team.
“We will bring our expertise in elite and professional sport to strengthen the team across all areas, including a particular focus on player welfare and development.
-Justin Rodski, Essendon FC CMO
Who else has invested in esports recently?
Essendon FC is another club to add to the list of professional sports organisations that have become involved in eSports.
Here are some other notable names of esports investors:
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Miami Heat
- New York Yankees
- Adelaide Crows
- Manchester City
Want to know more about the esports industry?
We’ve spoken previously about the prevalence of esports. You should read more about the investment people are making in female esports players. Also, we’ve talked about the importance of the mobile gaming industry and its possible movement as its own esports category.
Another growing aspect of the esports industry is its viewership. More people than you think are consuming gaming video content.
Source: http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/2017-12-07/essendon-enters-esports
