Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 5:27 PM on Monday, May 11th, 2020
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group(GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible. LEARN MORE.
Interest in Esports Is booming!
Esports is the fastest growing theme in the gaming sector
Although eSports currently caters to a niche audience – almost 10 per cent of the global online population of around 4.5 billion – its reach is expanding rapidly
Esports is the fastest growing theme in the gaming sector. These organised multiplayer video game competitions have enjoyed spectacular growth over the last decade, with thousands of fans filling stadiums to watch live events and millions following them on streaming platforms.
Although eSports currently caters to a niche audience – almost 10 per cent of the global online population of around 4.5 billion – its reach is expanding rapidly.
GlobalData’s latest reSports eport states that the industry has proved largely immune to the Covid-19 pandemic due to its prompt transition into online formats and sudden spike in interest from traditional sports organisations, which pushed esports further into the mainstream and brought it to the attention of a wider audience.
Rupantar Guha, Senior Analyst of Thematic Research at GlobalData, commented: “Brands from a wide range of industries are investing in esports to reach a young demographic that is typically resistant to traditional advertising channels. The increasing involvement of non-endemic brands such as Coca-Cola and BMW is helping to legitimise eSports, as well as bringing in significant revenue.â€
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:30 PM on Sunday, May 10th, 2020
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group(GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible. LEARN MORE.
CSGO has a million active players, is CSGO the best esports for tournaments?
With over a million active players playing CSGO it’s a huge game and with over 450 million esports fans worldwide. Of these 450 million fans 201 million are active players from League of Legends, Dota 2 and CSGO.
CSGO only recently hit the 1 million milestone. Previously at 950,000 and jumped to 1 million active users. In areas like China, CSGO is unpopular but the game is still clearly the most popular.
Looking at CSGO with Asiabet.org, sites like these offer a wide range of games and reviews that show how much esports fans love esports betting.
Big tournaments in the CSGO Esport universe provide the ability to inspire and improve your style by seeing the incredible talents of athletes representing your favourite team.
Please enjoy this list of the next CSGO 2020 tournaments if you share our enthusiasm. Don’t forget – the list is in progress, and when it is publicly released, we will include updates on other contests according to the CSGO tournament schedule.
Many tournaments have different formats, however, esports platforms have data on each match and data on all teams.
Most pro players do not only use different skins to customise their characters but also to personalise csgo settings.
List of the most-watched CSGO tournaments:
ESL One Cologne (506,000 viewers)
IEM Katowice (1,200,000)
StarLadder Berlin (838,000)
These tournaments see millions of views following the tournament due to esports fans not being able to watch the tournament live.
What is CSGO?
CSGO or lengthened to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the Valve and Secret Path Entertainment squad focused the first-person shooter, published in 2012. The name itself was a standalone game developed in 1999 and eventually adapted into a Valve game series.
Players play the role of a terrorist or counter-terrorist with each side having a particular task to achieve before they are eliminated by the opposing team, or according to the full timeline, such as, for example, planting and protecting a bomb on a specific location, while counter-terrorist agents must destroy the terrorists before they can be planted or re-armed
Esports fills the gap while sports declines
In recent years, global recognition on a different stage has been influenced by esports clubs, competitions and matches. The result was that the marketers were looking more and more at the sporting industry in the same way as they consider conventional American sport like basketball and football.
Earlier in this year, we saw leading brands like Nike, BT, and Kia Motors all partner with sports teams at Louis Vuitton’s then planned 2020 League of Legends World Championships.
With the advent of the pandemic of coronavirus, athletics have now another feature where the sporting industry maintains: widespread suspension of live activities and all the resulting destruction.
But one distinction with esports is that it is fairly well placed to change to the pandemic environment, given its increasing popularity for filling stages and arenas around the world. Live sporting competitions can be moved online very quickly, unlike conventional sporting. Even though IEM Katowice is absent from his usual live crowd, the annual Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) game event set a new crowd record in early March, making it one of the most highly watched major tournaments ever.
It can only be the solution for the millions of fans whose regular activities are now held. Announcers are informed. So why are companies only just coming on board if they should have had an edge in the first mover?
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 7:01 AM on Thursday, May 7th, 2020
Signed a binding Letter of Intent to acquire LHE Enterprises Ltd, the holding company of online sportsbook and casino operator Argyll Entertainment AG and its operating support subsidiaries
Argyll has established itself as a fast growing and innovative gaming company within the UK and Irish market
“With Argyll already generating around $12 million in revenue annually, this acquisition will have a major positive impact for our company,†commented Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group.
BIRKIRKARA, Malta, May 07, 2020 — Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (NasdaqCM: GMBL, GMBLW) (or the “Companyâ€), a licensed online gambling company with a focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming, signed a binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire LHE Enterprises Ltd, the holding company of  online sportsbook and casino operator Argyll Entertainment AG and its operating support subsidiaries (â€Argyllâ€).
Since launching its flagship brand, www.sportnation.bet, in the summer of 2017, Argyll has established itself as a fast growing and innovative gaming company within the UK and Irish market leveraging the expertise of its 40 strong staff in marketing, technology, risk management, and regulation to offer its customers an entertaining, safe and secure online gaming experience, an award winning rewards program, and access to exclusive and proprietary sports and gaming content.
“With Argyll already generating around $12 million in revenue annually, this acquisition will have a major positive impact for our company,†commented Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group. “In the current global environment of COVID-19 there has been a surge of interest in online gaming to fill the void left by traditional sports and other activities. Argyll’s established footprint and revenue base, combined with our strong cash position from our successful April capital raise combined with our esports betting platform, places Esports Entertainment in a great position to capitalize on this evolving opportunity.â€
Argyll, incorporated in Switzerland, with operational support services in London, UK and Malta, is licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission under licence no. 000-045143-R-323955-001 and the Irish Revenue Commissioners under licence reference no. 1014456 to operate online sportsbook and casino sites in the UK and Ireland, respectively.
ABOUT ESPORTS ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. is a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming. Esports Entertainment offers fantasy, pools, fixed odds and exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at vie.gg. In addition, Esports Entertainment intends to offer users from around the world the ability to participate in multi-player mobile and PC video game tournaments for cash prizes. Esports Entertainment is led by a team of industry professionals and technical experts from the online gambling and the video game industries, and esports. The Company holds a license to conduct online gambling and 18+ gaming on a global basis in Curacao, Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Company maintains offices in Malta. For more information visit www.esportsentertainmentgroup.com
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. The safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 protects companies from liability for their forward-looking statements if they comply with the requirements of the Act.
Contact:
U.S. Investor Relations RedChip Companies, Inc. Dave Gentry 407-491-4498 [email protected]
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 3:42 PM on Tuesday, May 5th, 2020
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group(GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible. LEARN MORE.
The company tested its live content strategy with a charity esports event May 1.
theScore has set new records for Youtube views in two straight months, headlined by 28 million views in April.
Toronto-based theScore is best known for its sports news and betting apps. But it has quickly developed a strong following on YouTube for esports – surpassing 1 million subscribers last November.
Now, the company is adding to its esports repertoire by introducing live-streamed shows and community events to gaming fans.
theScore’s esports vertical, launched in 2015, has undergone multiple iterations, according to Aubrey Levy, who oversees esports strategy as the company’s vice president of content. What began as just providing scores and highlights of significant pro leagues and events has shifted to a focus on competitive gaming culture.
“It’s been a bit of navigation and an exploratory journey to get to the strategy that works,†Levy said. “We started by thinking we could leverage our existing sports app and apply that to esports when nobody was doing that. We did that. We marketed the hell out of it and saw some pickup, but ultimately we saw a cap on that addressable audience, which was surprising.â€
theScore now produces between eight to 10 original shows weekly for viewers, delving into crucial moments from competitions and profiling player personalities. The approach is a common one within esports circles as a means to grow the industry’s popularity with casual gamers while appeasing hardcore fans.
Rather than adapting franchises to popular esports titles, theScore’s original shows, including “The Story Of†and “Esports Shorts,†look for story angles from competitive League of Legends or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive that directly fit its shows concepts. theScore also partners with publishers to produce one-off series that promote a tournament or a younger esports title such as Mortal Kombat or Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege.
Staff being forced to work remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t led to a disruption in any of theScore’s programming. theScore attracted a record 23.3 million views in March, a number it later surpassed in April with 28 million views. The company attributes the rise in viewership partly to the backdrop of traditional sports being on pause.
“I think consumers are looking for outlets, and fortunately, we’ve been able to benefit in terms of an uptick in viewership because of that,†Levy said. theScore’s April viewership totals represent a 150% year-over-year increase.
Following the success producing video-on-demand content for streaming audiences, theScore took its first crack at running a live esports event around Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six Siege on May 1.
The COVID-19 relief event, “Pros vs. Plebs,†offered fans of Rainbow Six Siege a chance to enter a one-day competition and face off against current world champions SpaceStation Gaming and former world champion and esports content creator George “KingGeorge†Kassa.
Fans gave $5 per entry – which was donated to the Coronavirus Relief Fund part of the Global Giving’s Disaster Recovery Network. More than $8,000 was raised, according to theScore.
The three-hour stream was broadcast on theScore’s Twitch and YouTube channels and was produced without the help of a third-party, according to the company. More than 37,000 fans have watched the event as of May 4.
“This is an extension to live streaming from VOD, and less so about starting an events division,†Levy said. “The event just seemed like a good opportunity for us to dip our toes into the water with livestreaming.â€
theScore concedes there will be a large amount of trial and error as it introduces more live shows or community-based gaming competitions across multiple titles. To date, there is no defined or concrete content strategy for its new approach.
However, in the leadup to the coronavirus pandemic, theScore came up with several show ideas to test, including a desk-side studio show and another focused on gameplay style.
“Honestly, I think both live shows and events are open avenues for us,†Levy said. “We have the capacity to run these community-based events. And if they are successful I think we have the ability to continue standing those up across multiple titles. At the same time, we figure out our next live show after our charity event. I think you’ll probably see us try out both.â€
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 3:50 PM on Monday, May 4th, 2020
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group(GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible. LEARN MORE.
How NBA 2K And Esports Are Filling Voids Left By The Coronavirus Outbreak
On a Saturday night at downtown Manhattan’s Terminal 5, the atmosphere resembles that of a primetime awards show
Flashing bulbs and cameramen line a red carpet, straining for shots of luminaries as they walk by
A line of spectators waits to be granted entry to an event promised to feature celebrities, musical guests and the best in the world at their craft being recognized
Only this isn’t the Oscar’s, Emmy’s or Grammy’s. It’s the 2020 NBA 2K League Draft.
The evening has all the makings of the big leagues. The venue, one that’s featured performances from the likes of Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg in recent years, sets the stage; players who spend most of their lives in relative anonymity are, for tonight, transformed into full-on celebrities.
“There are more than 50 million players who play 2K in some way, shape or form,†said Brendan Donohue, NBA 2K League Managing Director. “We’re ending up with the top 100 players in the world, so we want to make that player feels like he got to the highest mountaintop.â€
Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis announces the first pick on behalf of Wizards gaming. Former New York star Allan Houston selects for Knicks gaming. It’s a watershed moment of sorts for NBA 2K and even esports as an industry, a sign of how far a once-niche pursuit has come in just a few short years and a clear notice served that this world isn’t going anywhere.
And within just a few weeks, it will be shattered by a worldwide crisis – replaced by a wholly different reality, one shedding a completely new light on the relevance and importance of gaming in our modern world.
On an early April afternoon, Ronnie Singh is sitting alone in his bedroom. Singh – better known in the gaming world as Ronnie 2K, Director of Influencer Marketing for NBA 2K and the franchise’s wildly popular public face, boasting over a million Twitter followers – is handling commentary and organization duties for a one-on-one tournament being played remotely between 16 NBA players, broadcast on ESPN.
He’s alone, as are each of the tournament’s participants, due to the coronavirus outbreak that’s swept the world in the weeks since he and other big names in the 2K realm convened on Terminal 5.
Scheduled 2K League play, the bulk of which is typically run at a central studio location in New York, was shut down. Players, like their NBA counterparts, began sequestering at home.
It was certainly an adjustment for Singh, who by his own admission hadn’t gone more than 10 days without traveling in four years. His efforts shifted to a support role, both for his staff and for the many players around the NBA with whom he’s developed close relationships over the years. He also took advantage of a rare chance to log a few more hours on the 2K sticks and connect with the community.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 05: Dwyane Wade (L) and Ronnie 2K attend the NBA 2K20: Welcome … [+] Getty Images for NBA 2K20
Quickly, though, his days were busied by helping fill society’s live competition void, starting with the ESPN collaboration.
“We had a responsibility to provide entertainment where there was a massive vacuum,†Singh said in a phone interview.
Some broadcast clunkiness aside (to be expected for such a unique first-time event), the tournament’s success was pretty undeniable. It was the single highest-viewed esports program in ESPN’s history, an early indicator of the public’s appetite for this sort of thing while traditional sports are shut down.
Secondarily, it was a chance to answer a question Singh and the folks at 2K have long debated: Who is really the best NBA player at the game? Competing schedules would normally keep such a dedicated competition from happening – dominant eventual champ Devin Booker and others might not have even been available to play otherwise.
“I think people really appreciated watching these guys get their competitive juices flowing in a game they love,†Singh said. “I think it was really well-received.â€
So well, in fact, that there’s real interest in a sequel before long. Ronnie isn’t giving away any details, but keep an eye out – and in typical 2K style, expect a fresh format to keep fans on their toes.
NBA 2K League is set to begin play remotely Tuesday night, another big bridge for the sport to cross. It’s been no small undertaking, one facing similar challenges to the formation of the ESPN collaboration.
“A lot is going to be different about this season,†said Donohue. “We normally play most of our games in our New York studio. This year we’re going to be going to 23 different studios – teams will be playing from their homes or studios in their respective markets.
“We’ll be doing a broadcast right at those locations. They’ll be with their teammates – they’ve been living together for the last several months.â€
The league is prepared to play remotely for as long as needed to ensure safety, Donohue says. At least six weeks are scheduled for now.
A contestant toggles a game controller during day one of the NBA 2k League (NBA2KL) professional … [+]
The difficulties of the shift have also offered opportunities to innovate. Instead of a single location in New York as the league’s hub, a virtual studio has been set up to serve every market playing. Play-by-play commentators will be located in several cities, but everything will feed into one centralized broadcast that can toggle between games.
There are tweaks abound for the tactical diehards out there as well. Based on feedback from players and team GMs, the league has expanded positional player “archetypes†– each of the five positions on the floor (point guard, shooting guard, etc.) now has eight such archetypes rather than five, opening up previously-unexplored strategic gold mines.
Twenty-three is the high-water mark for teams in the league in its third season, with a unique addition this year: The Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai will join, the first team outside North America to do so.
Who are the favorites?
“I think the T-Wolves, after winning last year, will come back strong,†Singh says. “The Blazers are always very strong.
“Celtics gaming, they have one of the best players in the league in Fab, they’re always going to be dangerous. There’s a lot of parity in the league for what I believe is the first time, so I’m fascinated to see the action when it kicks off.â€
A distinct pride in their work is evident when speaking to Singh or others involved with NBA 2K. Between buy-in from the NBA superstars who define its identity and many of the franchise’s grassroots efforts, more than just a video game tropes don’t sound contrived.
Take a recent partnership with musical entity UnitedMasters to collaborate on the NBA 2K20 soundtrack. Up-and-coming artists from around the world were asked to submit tracks for consideration, with ten actually added to the game to help launch their creators.
“One thing we’ve done that’s different than a lot of other video game brands is adapted to the culture of basketball,†Singh said.
Now, though, the stakes are different. 2K League was already well on its way, with over a million unique viewers for last season’s finals, but no one expected this. As corny as it may sound to some outsiders, those involved feel a real sense of the gravity of it all: A pursuit that for so long has struggled for mainstream acceptance is finally discovering it right as our definitions of normal collapse.
“I’ll tell you what: I’m in my 30s, and just like everyone else in my generation I’ve had to defend our playing video games,†Singh says. “Now it’s an aspirational career.â€
For many, at least right now, it might be even more than that.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 1:00 PM on Friday, May 1st, 2020
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group(GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible. LEARN MORE.
With content consumption patterns changing, the NHL continues to embrace eSports with Player Gaming Challenge
One of the major things marking the 21st century is a radical shift in the way people consume their entertainment
Sports are no different, with eSports video streaming being the main way NASCAR, NBA, and NHL fans have been getting their fixes this spring
It’s not lost on the National Hockey League brain trust that the world we once knew has changed in dramatic ways. And we’re not just talking about what will be remembered as one of the most culture-shifting periods in the history of humankind.
One of the major things marking the 21st century is a radical shift in the way people consume their entertainment. Music is all about streaming, after decades of vinyl, CDs, cassettes, and 8-tracks. There’s no need to head to the video store or multiplex when you’ve got Apple TV, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. And why spring for Nancy Silverton’s Breads From the La Brea Bakery when YouTube will walk you through every step of making sourdough?
Sports are no different, with eSports video streaming being the main way NASCAR, NBA, and NHL fans have been getting their fixes this spring.
Like other major organizations, the NHL has taken our lockdown times and found a positive among the uncertainty.
Last week, the league gave traditional-hockey-starved fans something to get excited about by announcing the Player Gaming Challenge, a four-week charity tournament featuring players from every NHL team—including the Seattle Kraken! (And no, we don’t care if the NHL expansion franchise ends up being named the Seattle Grunge, Seattle Pioneer Squares, or Seattle Microsofties—there’s only one name that counts, and that’s the Kraken!)
But the league’s recognition of the booming world of eSports began long before the Player Gaming Challenge, starting with streamed NHL 20 video versions of cancelled COVID-19 games in mid-March.
When he’s reached by the Straight at his Connecticut home, NHL mobile marketing strategist Chris Golier is excited about how the league has successfully pivoted to eSports.
In some ways the shift isn’t new. Golier notes the ongoing success of the NHL Gaming World Championship, the 2020 version of which got under way on March 11. That’s where hockey-obsessed gamers from around the globe compete in online matches for this year’s pool of $200,000 in prize money.
“The objective, right from the beginning, has been ‘Let’s use this gaming platform as a way to reach the younger fans,’ †Golier says of the eSports tournament, which is now in its third year. “It’s a touchstone for fandom—some people start to learn the game based on playing the game, and in some cases that’s because of the video game.â€
With folks turning to eSports in record numbers to pass the time—think everything from eNASCAR races to NBA2K20 to NHL 20—the challenge became capitalizing on that. Giving hockey fans something to get excited about a time when the Stanley Cup Playoffs would normally be in full swing added an extra incentive.
It was out of this that the Player Gaming Challenge was born. Step one was reaching out to teams, and the response to the tournament was enthusiastic across the board. Fifty players from the 31 existing NHL franchises signed on, with Thatcher Demko and Adam Gaudette eager to represent the Vancouver Canucks.
The Player Gaming Challenge will see players from each team competing head-to-head from their homes, in games viewable on platforms ranging from Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube to television broadcasts on Sportsnet ONE and NBCSN.
Working with its teams as well as the NHL Players’ Association, the NHL had a good idea which players were already active on streaming platforms and social media. A short list of participants includes Ryan Reaves (Vegas Golden Knights), Filip Forsberg (Nashville Predators), Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington Capitals), and Zach Hyman (Toronto Maple Leafs).
A big goal of the tournament is to engage fans through in-game banter—and if you’ve ever heard players miked up during an on-ice NHL game, you know that what gets said behind the play and between the whistles is fascinating. Considering that participants include the famously colourful likes of the Calgary Flames’ Matthew Tkachuk and his brother Brady from the Ottawa Senators, the NHL 20 gameplay in some ways seems like bonus content.
“The Tkachuk brothers were actually taped over the weekend, and you can imagine there was some good chirping going on,†Golier says with a laugh. “We tried to align the matchups in that way—either there was a common bond where they’d played together in the pros or juniors, or came from the same area and came up together in a province. In some cases we had college teammates. We tried to group them together in that way, so the actual matches themselves would be a whole lot of fun.â€
Some games have already been taped for the tournament, which officially starts April 30, and Golier says there’s a major payoff for those who love hockey.
“It gives fans another point of reference for the players,†he suggests. “The players are human—they have families, and they’re in this quarantine together. They’re working out the best they can, much like we’re all trying to get a run in. To see that side of the players they normally don’t see—gaming is the conduit here. It’s the conversation starter, and it also allows the players to get their juices flowing again. They don’t want to lose, even though all this is for fun and for charity.â€
And yes, hockey fans aren’t the only big winners of the Honda-sponsored Player Gaming Challenge. NHL 20 game publisher Electronic Arts donated $70,000 to COVID-19 relief as part of the initiative, an amount matched by the NHL.
The important message in a time of crisis is an oft-repeated one: we’re all in this together.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 2:25 PM on Wednesday, April 18th, 2018
Toronto’s Yusuf Abdulla hits training camp with 102 other gamers ahead of season
Jamie Strashin
Toronto’s Yusuf Abdulla does an interview at the draft for the NBA’s esports league, NBA 2K. (Photo courtesy Yusuf Abdulla)
Yusuf Abdulla never thought he would be make it to the NBA. Not in a million years.
Sure, the 25-year-old Toronto native played some college basketball. But that was years ago. Abdulla’s closest connection to the game today is his obsession with the video game NBA 2K.
It turns out the countless hours he’s spent honing his skills have paid off. He was one of 102 players drafted earlier this month to play in the NBA’s inaugural NBA 2KÂ league. It is the first professional gaming league being operated by one of North America’s four major sports.
All 17 teams in the league are affiliated with NBA franchises. Just like real teams, there’s a general manager and front-office staff in place.
Abdulla made his first-ever trip to New York City for the draft, held at the Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.
“It was unbelievable,” said Abdulla, who along with the rest of the draft class was outfitted with a new suit for the occasion. “You feel like an NBA player, but just a virtual NBA player. It’s the same perks though. They treat you well. It was amazing”.
Abdulla was taken 45th overall by Toronto’s entry, the Raptors Uprising Gaming Club.
“It means the world to me,” he said. “You don’t even understand. After I got drafted, I have had so much support from fans, friends, family. The Raptors are calling me the hometown hero.”
The NBA is the first professional sports league attempting to tap into the exploding and lucrative world of esports. In recent years, esports leagues focused around popular games like League of Legends have formed, offering millions in prize money. Some U.S colleges have even started recruiting and offering athletic scholarships to accomplished gamers.
It’s why the NBA chose to partner with Take-Two Interactive, the maker of the popular NBA 2KÂ game, which has sold nearly 80 million copies this year.
The 102 draft picks of the NBA’s esports league pose with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, centre. (NBAE/Getty Images)
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said it’s an area the NBA has been curious about for a while.
“A couple of years ago, at Madison Square Garden, I attended a League of Legends competition and that was incredibly eye-opening for me, to see the enthusiasm from a packed house of gamers cheering for things on a screen that I couldn’t understand,” he said.
Silver said the NBA is putting its full energy behind this new venture.
“From the NBA’s standpoint, this is our fourth league,” he said. “We have the NBA, WNBA, the G league. This is the fourth league in our family and that’s exactly how we are treating it. It’s one more professional league. We are welcoming a new generation of players.”
The season tips off at the beginning of May. Teams will play weekly games through August, culminating with playoffs. There will also be three in-season tournaments with $1 million in prize money up for grabs. Games will played out of the NBA studio. Plans on ticket sales and a potential broadcast deal still haven’t been announced. In the past, both Fox and ESPN have broadcast esports competitions.
For Abdulla, getting this far wasn’t easy.
The National
Video games: The Olympic event of the future?
Will video games be an Olympic event in the future? It could be closer to happening than you think. The video game industry is booming with the advent of eSports — there are competitive leagues, with lucrative sponsors, news conferences and million-dollar prize pools, not to mention the hundreds of millions of fans across the world. With the Olympics looking to attract a younger audience, video games and eSports might just be coming to an Olympic venue sooner than you’d think 7:17
Just like real players vying for limited space in the NBA, he had to prove himself countless times before being selected.
After making it through an initial qualifying stage, he was assigned to the NBA combine where he played almost eight hours a day for two weeks, showcasing his skills.
He also had to submit a two-minute video explaining why he was good fit for the league. After making it through to the final 200 players, Abdulla had to go through an hour-long interview with league officials.
“They asked me how I thought I would perform on the big stage — how would you react if you were losing, how would you treat your teammates because people can turn hostile?” Abdulla said. “Let’s say your teammate is missing shots or misses you wide open under the rim and you lose the game, what would you do?”
Basketball IQ
Abdulla said he always believed he had a chance to reach this stage. He fell in love with the game as a child and even played in college for a few years..
“I grew up in a rough neighbourhood and I couldn’t really play basketball outside,” he said. “My mother wouldn’t let me because she didn’t want me to get hurt. So instead of doing that, I needed a hobby so I started playing 2K. And I got good. I have a real-life basketball IQ. I understood the game better because I played in real life.”
Abdulla admitted he has devoted an inordinate amount of time to the game. And like thousands of others, his family told him to turn off the television.
“They have said video games are a waste of time. You should work, find a part-time job instead of wasting your time,” he said. “And I would tell them in life you have to enjoy what you do. And when the news dropped about this 2K league, I knew with my skill level, I was good enough to get in.”
“Fourteen months ago, there was no path,” said Brendan Donahue, NBA 2K’s managing director. “Now we are going to reward them for their passion and dedication to the game. There are 1.6 million daily players and we had the challenge of creating a path to becoming a professional.”
As a newly minted professional, Abdulla is currently in a training camp with his five new teammates, getting ready for the first season.
“Basically we are going to practise together, create some chemistry,” Abdulla said.
6-month contract worth $32-$35K
Abdulla and his teammates will live together during the season. Each player has been signed to a six-month contract and will be paid between $32,000-$35,000.
But the NBA is hoping Abdulla and the league’s 145 other players will earn much more, hopefully becoming household names similar to the league’s biggest stars.
Silver said the league is committed to making that happen.
“What we are hoping to do with an entire new group of athletes, these 102 gamers, using same model as the NBA or WNBA, is developing them as unique personalities with their own following,” he said.
Which has Abdullah dreaming of big things.
“I am hoping for lots of sponsorships, a shoe deal maybe,” he said. “ Who knows? Depending on my game play I could go as far as Nike.”
