New franchise owners include Cox Enterprises in
Atlanta and Nenking Group in GuangzhouBoth teams will join the
Overwatch League for the start of the 2019 season
The Overwatch LeagueTM has its first champion in the London
Spitfire, but new competition is on the way for the 2019 season.
Today two more teams, Atlanta and Guangzhou, joined the world’s
first major global city-based esports league. The ownership groups
operating those franchises are:
- Atlanta, Georgia—Cox
Enterprises, a leading communications, media, and automotive
services company, which has partnered with Province, Inc. to form
Atlanta Esports Ventures
- Guangzhou, China—Nenking Group,
a financial and entertainment conglomerate, and owner of the
Guangzhou Long Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association
“After thrilling fans with an amazing Grand Finals at the
Barclays Center, we’re excited to follow that up by expanding the
Overwatch League next season,” said Pete Vlastelica, president and
CEO of Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues. “We’re pleased to add
the Atlanta and Guangzhou teams to the ownership group, and we look
forward to bringing the league to even more fans across both
regions in 2019.”
“We know Atlanta and Guangzhou have deeply engaged fan
communities and we can’t wait to unveil their teams,” said Nate
Nanzer, commissioner of the Overwatch League. “As the league
continues to grow, we’re looking forward to seeing more talented
pros in action as more roster spots open up.”
“The esports phenomenon is only getting bigger and the Overwatch
League is at the center of the excitement,” said Dallas Clement,
chief financial officer of Cox Enterprises. “Atlanta has some of
the most passionate fans in the world—and now, we get to bring this
energy to the Overwatch League. We are thrilled to help lead the
evolution of esports by building a team in our hometown."
"The popularity of Overwatch and esports in general has created
a diverse fanbase that we in Atlanta are excited to engage,” said
Paul Hamilton, president and CEO of Atlanta Esports Ventures, a
partnership between Cox Enterprises and Province, Inc. “With the
creativity of Blizzard Entertainment and the determination of
Atlanta Esports Ventures, we are poised to create the preeminent
esports team in the heart of the Southeast.”
“We are so excited to bring an Overwatch League team to
Guangzhou,” said Zhong Naixiong, chairman of the Nenking
Group. “The Nenking Group and the Long Lions have deep roots
in this region, and we can’t wait to represent our city on the
world stage and make our fans proud.”
Further details about official names, marks, and rosters for
Atlanta and Guangzhou will be announced soon by each team in
conjunction with the Overwatch League. Information about other new
Overwatch League teams and the 2019 season schedule will be
released at a later date.
The 2017–2018 Overwatch League season concludes with the
All-Star Weekend on August 25–26 at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles in
Burbank, California. On Saturday, teams from the Atlantic and
Pacific Divisions will compete in a series of custom skill matches,
and on Sunday, the All-Star squads will go head-to-head in the
official All-Star Game Powered by Intel®.
About the Overwatch League™
The Overwatch League™ is the first major global professional
esports league with city-based teams across Asia, Europe, and North
America. Overwatch® was created by globally acclaimed publisher
Blizzard Entertainment (a division of Activision Blizzard—Nasdaq:
ATVI), whose iconic franchises have helped lay the foundations and
push the boundaries of professional esports over the last 15 years.
The latest addition to Blizzard’s stable of twenty-one #1 games,[1]
Overwatch was built from the ground up for online competition, with
memorable characters and fast-paced action designed for the most
engaging gameplay and spectator experiences. To learn more about
the Overwatch League, visit www.overwatchleague.com.
About Nenking Group
Nenking (Holdings) Group Co., Ltd. is a conglomerate with
diversified businesses across property development and management,
financial services, pharmaceuticals, and sports &
entertainment, including the Guangzhou Long Lions of the Chinese
Basketball Association. Nenking businesses are largely based in the
Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong in Southern China with
significant presence in the greater metropolitan area of Guangzhou
and Foshan.
About Cox Enterprises
Cox Enterprises is a leading communications, media, and
automotive services company. With revenues over $20 billion and
approximately 60,000 employees, the company's major operating
subsidiaries include Cox Communications (cable-television
distribution, high-speed internet access, telephone, home security
and automation, commercial telecommunications, and advertising
solutions); Cox Automotive (automotive-related auctions, financial
services, media and software solutions); and Cox Media Group
(television and radio stations, digital media, newspapers, and
advertising sales rep firms). The company's major national brands
include Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, and Manheim. Through Cox
Automotive, the company's international operations stretch across
Asia, Australia, Europe, and Latin America. To learn more about
Cox's commitment to people, sustainability, and our communities,
please visit www.coxcsrreport.com.
About Province, Inc.
Province, Inc. is a national financial advisory firm focusing on
growth opportunities, restructuring, and fiduciary-related
services. The firm is regularly hired to provide solutions in many
of the largest and most complex cases in the country.
© 2018 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. OVERWATCH, OVERWATCH LEAGUE,
BLIZZARD, and BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT are trademarks of Blizzard
Entertainment, Inc., in the United States and/or other
countries.
[1] Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records
and reports from key distribution partners.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking
Statements: Information in this press release that involves
Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or
strategies regarding the future, including statements about the
2019 Overwatch League season and the dates and features of the
All-Star Weekend, are forward-looking statements that are not facts
and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could
cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results to differ
materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements
set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and
other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision
Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any
subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking
statements in this release are based upon information available to
Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of
this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision
Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when
made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not
guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or
Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and
other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause
actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180802005839/en/
Overwatch LeagueMark Van Lommel949-955-1380
x61147MVanLommel@overwatchleague.com
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