Thoughts on SCR e-sports divisionHi everyone,
Looking for others' opinion on what value (current and future) we should put on the Score's esports division. I haven't necessarily been a believer in the future of esports, but am rethinking this now. My son has been looking forward all week to the NHLPA Fortnite charity tournament (being live-streamed on ESPN Twitch channel today 1-4 PM) and am finding myself excited about watching it now too. Even professional sports teams are investing in e-sports teams. And this weekend I came across this article in the Globe which was listing the top permanent changes they see in a post-COVID world, I've posted the article below. I know we've been focusing on the Score's betting division and future profits, but what are they doing with e-sports? Are we undervaluing their presence in this space? Full disclosure, I am invested and "long" on the Score.
Look forward to other's thoughts.
Globe and Mail Saturday, May 16
THE ESPORTS STREAM WILL BECOME A FLOOD
BY SIMON HOUPT
Sports shutdown? What sports shutdown?
A few weeks ago, Wayne Gretzky led the Edmonton Oilers to a 5-4 overtime win over Alexander Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals. Golf fans hungry for action were thrilled last weekend when Dean Burmester sunk a hole-in-one on the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland.
Did it matter that those real athletes were actually playing digital versions of themselves on virtual platforms?
So-called e-sports – digital renditions of physical sports, such as NHL 20, which was the platform on which Gretzky faced off against Ovechkin, or pure online video games such as Fortnite – have been growing in popularity for years. Many believe the pandemic will be a tipping point for more widespread acceptance.
In a recent online post, the Canadian-born venture capitalist Matthew Ball suggested e-sports “has been popularized and legitimized in an unpredictable and profound way. And ... forever after, there will be more revenue, more funding, more viewership and better distribution as a result.”
After years of standing by while massive audiences have grown on such online platforms as Twitch, where gaming fans watch their favourite players stream themselves in competition, broadcasters are jumping on board. This month, Sportsnet began airing the new season of NBA 2K, an official basketball e-sports league operated by the NBA, which includes the Toronto-based Raptors Uprising GC, marking the league’s first time on TV in Canada.
This Sunday night, TSN2 will air the final of the eMLS Tournament Special, a competition featuring teams of one real MLS athlete paired with a pro gamer playing the video game FIFA 20.
Meanwhile, the NHL continues its NHL Player Gaming Challenge, in which real NHL players have been facing off against each other on NHL 20. The series, which airs on NBC in the United States and on Sportsnet in Canada, has provided fans a chance to eavesdrop as some of their favourite players sit on their couches and chirp at each other.
“Video games are here to stay,” said Chris Golier, the NHL’s vice-president of business development and innovation.