After leading CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Olympic charge for seven years, Chris Overholt is now looking to help Toronto make its mark on the esports map.
Overholt, who stepped down as CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee on Wednesday, has wasted little time resurfacing as president and CEO of OverActive Media which has acquired the rights to bring an Overwatch League franchise to Toronto.
Vancouver is also joining the league, with Canucks Sports & Entertainment chairman Francesco Aquilini at the helm.
B次元官网网址淥verwatch,B次元官网网址� a team-based first-person shooter with its own quirky style, has spawned a blue-chip esports league backed by big names and big money.
There are currently 12 teams: Boston Uprising, Florida Mayhem, Houston Outlaws, London Spitfire, New York Excelsior and Philadelphia Fusion in the Atlantic Division and Dallas Fuel, Los Angeles Gladiators, Los Angeles Valiant, San Francisco Shock, Seoul Dynasty and Shanghai Dragons in the Pacific Division.
Other expansion franchises for 2019 are Washington, D.C., Paris, and Chengdu and Hangzhou, China. Atlanta and Guangzhou, China, joined the fold last month.
B次元官网网址淭he Overwatch LeagueB次元官网网址檚 inaugural season was a great success,B次元官网网址� said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. B次元官网网址淭his past season alone, fans spent 160 million hours watching the leading Overwatch players in the world compete.
B次元官网网址淲e are thrilled to add eight new outstanding team owners from Europe, China, and North America to our Overwatch League ownership group. We now have 20 of the very best owners in professional sports.B次元官网网址�
The Toronto group is headed by tech entrepreneur Sheldon Pollack, venture capitalist Adam Adamou and the Kimel family led by Michael Kimel as principal owner. Kimel is a co-founder of the Chase Hospitality Group.
Those already holding Overwatch ownership stakes include New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, New York Mets COO Jeff Wilpon (New York) and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (L.A. Gladiators), whose sports empire includes Arsenal, the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche and Comcast Spectacor which owns the Philadelphia Flyers (Philadelphia Fusion).
The original cost of a franchise was pegged at US$20 million with reports suggesting the next round would go for a minimum of $35 million.
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The London Spitfire won the inaugural league championship B次元官网网址� and $1 million B次元官网网址� in July, defeating Philadelphia 3-0 at a soldout Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Philadelphia collected $400,000 as runner-up.
The B次元官网网址淕rand FinalsB次元官网网址� were streamed worldwide via Twitch, in China on ZhanQi TV, NetEase CC, and Panda TV, and broadcast to U.S. audiences on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, and Disney XD, along with a highlights show the next day on ABC.
The estimated global average minute audience across both days was 861,205.
The league is the brainchild of Overwatch developer Blizzard Entertainment, whose gaming portfolio also includes B次元官网网址淲orld of WarcraftB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淪tarCraft.B次元官网网址� Blizzard says Overwatch is the fastest of its titles to reach more than 30 million players.
B次元官网网址淭he Overwatch League has visionary leadership, strong franchises, and connects with millions of players globally,B次元官网网址� Aquilini said in a statement. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e pleased to have the opportunity to expand into esports and we canB次元官网网址檛 wait to launch the team in Vancouver, which will also represent fans across the Pacific Northwest, including Seattle and Portland.B次元官网网址�
Overwatch franchise owners clearly see the league as a chance to get in what is close to on the ground floor of a burgeoning field. Citing a Goldman Sachs report, the Toronto group says esports are on track to reach nearly 300 million viewers globally by 2022.
B次元官网网址淎s a space in sports and entertainment, it really is exploding,B次元官网网址� Overholt said in an interview. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know whether weB次元官网网址檝e seen anything like it ever before.B次元官网网址�
The league plans to continue staging its games at BlizzardB次元官网网址檚 esports arena in Burbank, Calif., in 2019 with plans to stage games in the franchise cities in 2020. Overholt says his group is already looking at possible local venues.
There is a lot to do in not much time.
B次元官网网址淣obody understands that better than me right now,B次元官网网址� he said with a laugh.
Free agency in the league opens this weekend.
B次元官网网址淲e think weB次元官网网址檙e fine and weB次元官网网址檙e going to be well-positioned to wade right into the free agent market and see what we can put together,B次元官网网址� said Overholt. B次元官网网址淏ut we feel good about not only putting a team together, (but) putting a competitive team together right out of the gate.B次元官网网址�
Under Overwatch League rules, teams sign players to one-year guaranteed contracts with a one-year option. The minimum annual salary is $50,000 B次元官网网址� the CFL minimum is C$54,000 B次元官网网址� with health insurance, a retirement savings plan, and housing/practice facilities also provided during the season.
OverActive Media Group used to be The Ledger Group, rebranding in April to B次元官网网址渢o reflect its focus on the ownership of esports platforms.B次元官网网址�
The company has already invested in Splyce Inc., a professional esports team involved in B次元官网网址淟eague of Legends,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淐all of DutyB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淗aloB次元官网网址� leagues. It also has interests in Askott Entertainment Inc., a leading esports gaming company, and Enthusiast Gaming Inc., an esports media company.
Overholt worked for London Life Insurance before joining Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment in 1996 as the RaptorsB次元官网网址� director of corporate marketing before being promoted to vice-president, sales and service, looking after both the Raptors and Maple Leafs. He went on to join the NHLB次元官网网址檚 Florida Panthers as chief marketing officer and executive vice-president of business operations and the NFLB次元官网网址檚 Miami Dolphins as vice-president of corporate partnerships and broadcasting.
MLSE has already got into the esports space via Raptors Uprising GC, a member of the NBA 2K League. It also has a FIFA soccer gamer representing Toronto FC. The Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps also have soccer gamers.
The NHL is the next league expected to get into the esports field.
Toronto and Vancouver have already both staged successful gaming events.
Scotiabank Arena hosted the North American B次元官网网址淟eague of LegendsB次元官网网址� championship in 2016, with the two-day event selling out in under a minute.
VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Rogers Arena recently hosted the International Dota 2 Championships with more than $25 million up for grabs.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
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