On New Year's Day, rumors flew about MLG being purchased by Activision Blizzard for $46 million USD. At the time, the vast majority of available information discussed how this would affect shareholders, particularly those with lower-class stock in the eSport company. (As it turns out, very poorly.) I wondered why Activision Blizzard would want MLG's assets, especially considering their heavy involvement with ESL, afreecaTV, and others.
According to a press release from Activision Blizzard themselves, they intend to “create the ESPN of esports.” The Activision Blizzard Media Networks division will be led by the former CEO of ESPN, Steve Bornstein, and the co-founder of MLG, Mike Sepso. The other co-founder of MLG, Sundance DiGiovanni, will remain at MLG. It was previously rumored, during the investor's leak, that he was replaced by the former CFO of MLG, Greg Chisholm. While I expect that some shuffling has occurred, DiGiovanni will apparently remain in a management role at MLG. Granted, it could be equivalent to Hideo Kojima's “holiday” last October, but that would just be silly.
As far as I can tell, other broadcasters have not commented on what this means to them.
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This smacks of corruption.
A
This smacks of corruption.
A company like Activision-Blizzard, which has games it wants to become accepted, legitimate esports (Heroes of the Storm, Overwatch), should not be allowed to own a business that publishes competitions for those games. It would be like ESPN having a vested interest in a particular sport or team involved in a sport they cover.
IF MLG is established, or becomes established, as the go-to channel for esports, ATVI could refuse to run competitions of other games such as the upcoming Battleborn, causing them to have to fight even more of an uphill battle to gain recognition than a game normally would.
I’d like to see the FTC take a serious look at this.
You mean it would be like
You mean it would be like ESPNFL?