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Beasley Expands esports Platform With Buy of Houston Outlaws
RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, November 14, 2019 |
Beasley Broadcast Group has acquired the Overwatch League's Houston Outlaws esports team from an affiliate of Immortals LLC (dba Immortals Gaming Club). The league is the first major global pro esports league with city-based teams across Asia, Europe and North America. Overwatch was created by Blizzard Entertainment (a unit of Activision Blizzard), whose franchises have helped lay the foundations for pro esports over the last 15 years.
Overwatch, built for online competition, begins its third season in February of 2020, with each of the league's teams hosting matches in their home markets. The Outlaws will remain officially based in Houston, TX and will continue to represent the Houston, Austin and San Antonio markets.
The deal expands Beasley's role in the esports space and reflects the company's focus on premium esports programming and content. Beasley also owns Team Renegades, an esports organization consisting of five teams based in Detroit, Michigan. Additionally, Beasley owns CheckpointXP, a weekly syndicated esports lifestyle show whose programming is currently featured on 70 stations on the Sun Broadcast Network, on daily podcasts on Amazon's video game streaming platform, Twitch and on "CheckpointXP On Campus," the first collegiate-based esports show in the U.S.
CEO Caroline Beasley said, "The acquisition of the Houston Outlaws significantly expands our growing esports platform. The Houston Outlaws represent a rare investment opportunity, as there are only 20 Overwatch League teams in the world, and the transaction partners Beasley with Blizzard Entertainment and its parent company, Activision Blizzard, a leading global developer and publisher of interactive entertainment content and services.
"Beasley is very excited to expand its operations to Houston, which is home to one of the largest esports fan bases in the US. Our growing esports infrastructure and management combined with our experience with team Renegades, success in hosting and promoting large events and our national esports content hub-BeasleyXP-are key factors in our expectations for long-term returns from this investment. We look forward to initial contributions from this exciting development when the league's third season begins in February.
"The acquisition of the Houston Outlaws furthers our revenue and cash flow diversification strategies. We believe the power of our media footprint, including 65 highly-rated radio stations in large- and mid-sized markets, combined with our 24/7 coverage of esports news, will allow us to build the value of the Outlaws franchise through a range of revenue sources, including ticket sales, advertising, sponsorship, licensing, e-commerce, and other partnerships."
"The Houston Outlaws have a fantastic new ownership team and we're excited to welcome the Beasley Media Group to the Overwatch League," said Activision Blizzard Esports President/CEO and Overwatch League commissioner Pete Vlastelica. "We look forward to working with them and ensuring a smooth transition for the team, the players, and the fans. Outlaws fans are incredibly passionate and 2020 is going to be an exciting year for the entire league."
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