Blizzard Entertainment Inc.’s Overwatch League, a professional video gaming competition, will include an e-sports franchise fielded by Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke and his son Josh.
Blizzard is based in Irvine; its parent company, Activision Blizzard Inc., is in Santa Monica.
Overwatch is a first-person, multi-player futuristic shooter game that has garnered 30 million subscribers and grown into a $1 billion business for Activision Blizzard, since its launch about a year ago.
The game’s success has helped drive revenue and income for Blizzard Entertainment and its parent, and the 30 million subscribers formed the foundation for this year’s launch of the Overwatch League.
Franchise fees weren’t disclosed but the Wall Street Journal reported the teams sold for $20 million apiece.
The league now has franchises in Boston, London, Los Angeles, Miami-Orlando, New York, San Francisco, Seoul and Shanghai; several of the teams were purchased by owners of professional basketball and football teams.
Garrett Reim is a reporter for our sister publication, the Los Angeles Business Journal, where a version of this article first appeared.
