Adelaide Crows Football Club bought Legacy eSports
Adelaide have made Australian sporting history by becoming the first mainstream sports organisation in the nation to buy a professional eSports team. The Crows have bought Legacy eSports based in Sydney – one of Australia’s eight top-tier teams that competes in the Oceanic Pro League.
The deal was driven by Crows’ premiership player and present chief operating officer Nigel Smart, who was keen to make the Crows the first AFL team to be in eSports. Crows chief executive Andrew Fagan said Adelaide would offer Legacy’s eSports professionals the chance to sharpen their skill in a top-notch, high-performance environment.
“In many ways, eSports represents the intersection of technology, media and entertainment, which are all an integral part of our strategic focus.” Fagan said.
ESports is the worldwide phenomenon of professional gaming players competing in teams for lucrative prize money. Competitions take place online as well as in arenas. Millions all over the world watch them.
Legacy eSports along with other top eSports teams regularly travel overseas to compete against international as well as teams based in Australia. League of Legends – Legacy’s primary game – is the hottest eSports game in the world.
According to Newzoo 2017 Global ESports Market Report, eSports revenues will reach $696 million this year and grow to $1.5 billion by 2020 as brand investment doubles.