Professional sports teams recruiting and signing video gamers to contracts $EA
In yet another example of “Revenge of the Nerds”, the gamers of the world are starting to see a payoff for the thousands of hours spent playing video games. While still rare, the world of eSports is gaining enough momentum that the so-called “real sports” teams are seeing how they can get involved by actually signing “players” to contracts.
From a thematic investing perspective, the clear connection around this is the Connected Society thematic. But where we’ve placed many of the gaming companies are in the Content is King thematic because after all, even though the internet and the ability to connect online with other players is required, these games are taking share of wallet from cable companies, movies, and other entertainment outlets.
Sure, the professional sports leagues and gaming industry have been intertwined for decades. But when professional sports teams are starting to recruit and sign the actual players of the games to professional contracts, then that’s when this kind of development from our perspective moves into the mainstream and becomes an investible idea.
eSports is an umbrella term for competitive video-gaming, an industry that has mushroomed thanks to the spread of high-speed internet and the development of streaming platforms, such as Twitch.tv. . . .
Football clubs are exploring the opportunities of eSports in two ways.
Source: The Economist explains: Why sports teams are recruiting video gamers | The Economist
