Blizzard has announced that the Overwatch League will be the first esports league to feature a city-based structure. Matches will start later this year, with the first full season taking place in 2018. Teams have been sold to the following seven individuals/cities:
- Robert Kraft, Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group and the New England Patriots (Boston)
- Jeff Wilpon, Co-Founder and Partner of Sterling.VC and COO of the New York Mets (New York)
- Noah Whinston, CEO of Immortals (Los Angeles)
- Ben Spoont, CEO and Co-Founder of Misfits Gaming (Miami-Orlando)
- Andy Miller, Chairman and Founder of NRG Esports (San Francisco)
- NetEase (Shanghai)
- Kevin Chou, Co-founder of Kabam (Seoul)
Matches for the first season will be played at an esports arena in Los Angeles. At the same time, local venues are being developed for each team. The plan is for future seasons to feature a traditional, home/away schedule for all teams.
Teams will receive an equal share of league revenue from advertising, ticketing, and broadcast rights. They will also be able to keep local revenue up to a certain amount each season. If teams generate money above that number, a percentage of it will go into the shared revenue of the league.
More Stories
Evo 2018 Coming in August
Rosters Finalized For Esports Championship Series-Season 2