The Overwatch League will begin its fourth season of the esports league virtually this year on April 16th. Eight of the 20 teams will play in Asia while the others continue to stream their matches without in-person attendance.
“In the first two years, that was the narrative—e-sports will be bigger than the NFL!” said John Patrick Lee, a product manager with Van Eck Associates. “But in the last few years, they’ve kind of shifted their focus to much more of a lifestyle brand, streaming kind of organization.”
The Overwatch League was founded on November 4th, 2016. The league’s inaugural season was first held in 2018. The league is owned by Overwatch producer Blizzard.
The Profit‘s Take:
Overwatch League is the dumpster fire that Activision Blizzard should probably be shutting down but won’t because that requires admitting failure. It has only been painful for owners. The decision to stay virtual is no surprise given Activision Blizzard’s pivot away from live events. It also will help to keep costs down for all involved, so that the league has some small chance of long-term survival.
(All information was provided by The Overwatch League and Fortune)
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