In the last few years, professional, competitive video-gaming, or “e-sports,” has seen tremendous growth. In 2018, over 100 million people watched the League of Legends World Championship Finals, held in South Korea, which beat viewership of the Super Bowl that year. Before COVID, e-sports could sell out venues like Madison Square Garden. During the pandemic, even more fans have been flocking to events online.
And this has caught the attention of more corporate sponsors.
On today’s Brainstorm, hosts Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O’Keefe explore just how big e-sports have become. Dillon Price, otherwise known as “Attach,” is a professional Call of Duty player for the Minnesota RØKKR. At age 18, he became the youngest ever world champion, winning $100,000 in prize money. Today, he receives a salary from his team, all while capitalizing on streaming and sponsorship opportunities.
We also hear from Johanna Faris of video game giant, Activision Blizzard. She’s the Commissioner of Call of Duty E-sports and explains how the league functions, identifies talent, and how it's been conducting events remotely.
Finally, Marty Strenczewilk, Head of Competitive Gaming for OneTeam Partners, explains how e-sports fans also happen to be the target consumer base for major brands, driving mainstream companies from Nike to BMW to sponsor events and players.