A major development occurred in the esports sector this week, as the ESL Pro League added three new member teams to its roster.
The three teams – BIG, Heroic and Furia – each applied individually for a spot in the ‘Louvre Agreement’ with their total combined bids reaching almost $20 million.
Breaking down the news on the ESI Digest, Tom Daniels, Sub-Editor of Esports Insider, described the occurrence as ‘huge’ for the CS:GO scene.
Daniels explained: “When 100 Thieves first actually left the agreement as a membership team, I was expecting only one to be replacing them, but to actually have three go in and three distinctive brands does make sense, especially Furia looking into going into that Latin American market, keeping that momentum which is currently happening in LatAm.
He added: “Also I think leaving heroic to the end to let them conclude everything that has kind of happened with the ESIC investigations is also very wise, especially given that everything needs to get sorted between them as well. And then BIG is a massive name, which should have been going into the ESL Pro League anyway, so it makes sense for all involved.”
Meanwhile, in esports broadcasting, German television broadcaster SPORT1 extended its Rocket League coverage partnership with video game developer Psyonix, with the deal brokered by sports management firm IMG.
This will see the 2021-22 Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) shown live on eSPORTS1 and eSportsONE in select European countries. The year-long extension includes some European RLCS matches being shown on free-to-air television from 8PM CEST every Sunday.
Daniels commented: “The extension of this partnership really signifies Rocket League’s growth over the past 12 months. We’ve seen a variety of deals come through, both commercially for Rocket League itself but also for the Championship Series and the organization’s involved as well.
“Seeing this momentum of Rocket League continue I think it was a no-brainer for ESPORts1 to extend this partnership for another year to see how the increase in viewership will change or whether there is an increase in viewership.”
Source – Esports Insider YouTube Channel
