Tuesday 11 October 2016 13:45, UK
American basketball team Philadelphia 76ers has announced the purchase of two eSports brands.
The deal gives the 76ers group the controlling stakes over Team Dignitas and Apex, covering the former's large array of eSports rosters and the latter's League Of Legends team.
Apex will no longer play under its name, instead it will merge with Team Dignitas and play under that name.
Team Dignitas brand is more significant than Apex's, however the League Of Legends squad has not maintained the performances lately, allowing the merger to allow the new 76ers' Team Dignitas to compete in the LCS.
This is the first example of an American sports organisation moving into eSports, though reputed sports stars have already - as individuals - invested into the eSports scene.
Of particular note are two NBA stars Rick Fox and Shaquille O'Neal, with the latter owning the popular team NRG eSports.
Meanwhile, in Europe many other sports organisations have already invested into eSports, with Manchester City, FC Schalke and West Ham United all having ownership of different eSports teams or individual pro players.
This move from the 76ers will enable the American sports organisation to quickly become a significant part of the eSports scene, automatically giving it rosters for Overwatch, League Of Legends, Counter-Strike Global Offensive and Heroes Of The Storm.
"The attractiveness of this deal is as much about the people as it is the opportunity," said Philadelphia 76ers CEO Scott O'Neil.
With this acquisition the 76ers easily earns access to a much younger demographic, one of the key reasons so many sports teams and organisations are beginning to invest in the burgeoning eSports scene.
