COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Talent
discovery platform eFuse announced today the acquisition of both
College CoD (CCL) and the College Carball Association (CCA). While
financial terms were not disclosed, the acquisition will welcome
the CCL's three-member executive team, as well as CCA's three
executive board members, as new full-time employees who will report
to eFuse Chief Strategy Officer, Patrick
Klein. Both organizations will continue to operate
independently and will remain true to their mission of serving
their collegiate community of dedicated gamers.
Respected as the preeminent collegiate organization in their
respective franchises, the CCL will onboard an estimated 1,500
competitive Call of Duty® players across 250 teams from 180
colleges and universities, while the CCA will welcome 3,000+
students across 625 teams from 300 unique higher-education
institutions. Combined, 4,500+ players from 875 teams are expected
to play 4,800+ games during their upcoming seasons. That direct
access to dedicated, well-structured league play immediately
asserts eFuse as the authoritative collegiate home for two of
esports' most competitive titles and provides brands a unique
opportunity to engage an active, vocal, and loyal audience.
"The CCL and CCA not only defines the collegiate Call of Duty®
and Rocket League® experience, but serves as a masterclass in
audience development, triple-A event production and full-throttle
expansion," said Matthew Benson, CEO
of eFuse. "At eFuse, we're dedicated to helping gamers get
discovered, and we can't wait to bring industry-leading
opportunities to the 4,200 players that make up the CCA and CCL
community. What they have built is special, and this upcoming year
together will be big."
Both organizations have, and continue to grow dramatically. The
CCL will realize 38% YOY growth from 180 teams during the 2021
season, with 250 teams projected to participate during the 2022
campaign. The CCA has expanded from 424 teams in fall 2019 to a
mind-bending 625 teams in fall 2021 for a 32% growth in two years.
The logistical, structural, and financial demands of operating
leagues this size are considerable. eFuse is helping transition
both orgs from volunteer-run operations, to entities with
structured teams that boast dedicated employees, resources, and
capital.
"For the last four years, the CCL has produced the best COD
events, league, and experience for the collegiate player, period,'
said Jaden Shaw, league director of
the CCL. "As we continued to grow, it became obvious our big
ambitions could be even bigger with some help. At eFuse, we'll have
the team, leadership, and resources required to not only meet the
existing demand, but accelerate our growth and scale the College
CoD experience nationwide."
Consistent with eFuse's mission to help gamers get discovered,
eFuse will work with both orgs to carefully transition all 4,800+
CCL and CCA matches onto the eFuse event production platform,
eRena, over time. eRena has hosted dozens of events, awarding
$462,000+ in total prize money and partnered with major brands
including Xbox, Atlantic Records, and top gaming-peripheral company
Turtle Beach.
"The CCA is not done growing," said Benjamin Rumney, executive director of the
College Carball Association. "We've grown exponentially in not only
the events we host for the CCA, but also for new partners who
recognize our commitment to an elite experience for the collegiate
Rocket League® community. We're only taking that commitment further
with eFuse, and I'm certain CCA players, coaches, and admins will
be excited to hear of what we have planned."
With $7.4M in seed funding, eFuse
hosts 600,000 active gamers who leverage their profile to
proactively apply to events, showcase recent in-game performance,
or explore professional and career opportunities. Those profiles
then power the eFuse "Pipeline," gaming's first definitive ranking
of the top 100 college-eligible players across major titles and
qualifies them for eRena events and invitationals. College coaches,
pro scouts, and brands can then search those profiles, rankings,
and event performances to recruit or hire players. Ultimately,
eFuse is building a comprehensive ecosystem dedicated to solving
gaming's talent development problem in order to fuel the future of
esports.
For more information on eFuse, reach the media contact above or
visit: http://www.efuse.gg
About eFuse:
As the 'LinkedIn for Gamers,' eFuse is solving esports' talent
development problem by helping gamers get discovered. Be it
connecting top talent with elite collegiate programs or finding a
path to pro, eFuse has provided the platform rising stars need to
compete at the next level. More than 600,000users actively count on
eFuse to showcase recent performance, compete in big-dollar,
high-production tournaments, and engage with career-making
organizations. Powered by a proprietary technology stack dedicated
to identifying, spotlighting, and connecting rising stars, eFuse
has launched dozens of competitions off its purpose-built eRena
event production service, published the industry's most objective
ranking of top college-eligible players via its new 'Pipeline'
product, and will soon launch a premium tool set to help creators
produce the unique content they need to grow and monetize their
following. eFuse hosts 45 employees from its Columbus, Ohio, headquarters, has secured
$7.4M in total funding from Ohio
Innovation Fund, Odell Beckham, Jr.
(Cleveland Browns), and Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys), among others.
The company was founded in 2018 by Austin
May and Forbes' 30 under 30 alum, Matthew Benson.
Media Contact
Gabriel del Rio, GdR PR, +1 (310)
500-8972, gabriel@gdr.pr
SOURCE eFuse