NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Madison Square Garden Company (NYSE:MSG) today announced that Nick Allen has
been named head of MSG’s growing esports division, effective October 2. Mr. Allen, a well-regarded esports industry
executive, most recently served as vice president of Esports for Twitch.
As MSG’s vice president of Esports, Mr. Allen will be responsible for driving the company’s efforts to expand its presence in
the esports industry, with a primary focus on operating Counter Logic Gaming (CLG), MSG’s newly acquired esports franchise.
Mr. Allen will serve as CLG’s chief operating officer, working closely with CLG Founder and President George “HotshotGG”
Georgallidis on advancing the company’s initiatives. This includes finding new and innovative ways to grow the brand, driving
marketing partnerships, developing media rights opportunities and creating live, ticketed events. In addition, he will
develop relationships with major game publishers, leagues and entities across the esports industry, including the NBA2K esports
league, as well as help create events to showcase esports teams and content at MSG’s venues across the country.
“We couldn’t be happier with the addition of Nick to our team here at MSG as we start to take a leadership role in the growth of
the esports industry,” said Jordan Solomon, executive vice president, MSG Sports, Madison Square Garden Company. “Nick brings with
him an extensive knowledge of esports and a deep set of relationships developed through overseeing some of the industry’s most
popular events, and he has created initiatives that have continued to grow the gaming community. His vision for the esports space
will be an invaluable asset to The Madison Square Garden Company and to CLG.”
“Nick is one of the best people I know in esports. I've known him for many years and seen firsthand the passion he has for the
space and what he has done for the industry," said Georgallidis. "We are excited to have Nick here on the CLG team and know that he
will bring with him that passion and experience to take CLG to new heights for many years to come.”
“It is an honor to become a part of The Madison Square Garden Company as the organization continues their journey into the
esports industry,” said Allen. “And I couldn’t be more excited to be joining the CLG family. I’ve known George since the early days
of League of Legends, and admire what he has accomplished as a player and what he has built with CLG. I’m looking forward
to doing incredible things with George and the amazing players and staff that have created one of the strongest teams and brands in
all of esports.”
Mr. Allen most recently served as vice president of Esports for Twitch, where he was responsible for establishing and executing
Twitch’s global esports strategy, including overseeing their annual esports budget, and organizing and developing Twitch’s first
formal, cross-functional approach to promoting esports viewership growth. In addition, he played a critical role in
negotiating and executing Twitch’s largest developer partnerships and building and managing Twitch’s esports team, which handled
league operations, marketing and individual esports programs and initiatives. Prior to joining Twitch in 2015, Mr. Allen was
the esports operations manager for Riot Games, establishing the organization’s first team dedicated to the operation of esports
competitions, including League of Legends World Championships, Championship Series, and Challenger Series. Before Riot Games,
he served as an esports division and operations manager for IGN Entertainment. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in social work
from Sacramento State University.
About The Madison Square Garden Company
The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) is a world leader in live sports and entertainment experiences. The company presents
or hosts a broad array of premier events in its diverse collection of iconic venues: New York’s Madison Square Garden, The Theater
at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre; the Forum in Inglewood, CA; The Chicago Theatre; and the Wang
Theatre in Boston. Other MSG properties include legendary sports franchises: the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York
Rangers (NHL) and the New York Liberty (WNBA); two development league teams -- the Westchester Knicks (NBAGL) and the Hartford Wolf
Pack (AHL); and one of the leading North American esports organizations, Counter Logic Gaming. In addition, the Company
features the popular original production – the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes – and through Boston Calling
Events, produces outdoor festivals, including New England’s preeminent Boston Calling Music Festival. Also under the
MSG umbrella is TAO Group, a world-class hospitality group with globally-recognized entertainment dining and nightlife brands: Tao,
Marquee, Lavo, Avenue, The Stanton Social, Beauty & Essex and Vandal. More information is available at www.themadisonsquaregardencompany.com
About Counter Logic Gaming
Counter Logic Gaming (CLG) is a premier North American esports organization known for its passionate fan base and winning culture.
Founded originally in 2010 as a League of Legends team by George Georgallidis, it is one of the largest esports organizations in
the world. CLG fields teams in all leading esports titles: League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive,
Super Smash Bros., and H1ZI. It is also known for its past success with teams in Dota 2,
Hearthstone, Halo and Call of Duty. CLG has won multiple championships throughout its history: the LCS
Summer 2015 Championship at Madison Square Garden, the LCS Spring 2016 Championship at Mandalay Bay; and the Halo 2016 World
Championship in Hollywood, California. More information is available at www.clgaming.net
Contacts:
Ryan Watson/ Ryan.watson@msg.com / 212-465-5945