While the official channels continue to maintain radio silence, sources close to the matter have revealed startling updates for the Overwatch League.
ESPN has learned that both Immortals and NRG Esports have agreed to pay $20 million each to occupy Los Angeles and San Francisco respectively. The astonishing amount is said to be deliverable over time and will not be an upfront payment.
In addition, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon are two more hefty names that are buying into the Overwatch League. The former will be taking Boston while the latter will have the Big Apple. It has not been revealed as to how much both parties have paid for their respective slots.
If the report is legitimate, the Overwatch League has already secured six cities. This includes Shanghai and Seoul, and South Korea. Blizzard is likely to push to sell more slots in the months leading to the yet-to-be-dated inauguration. If the developer is still on schedule, then we should see the Overwatch League commence sometime before September.
Following its initial announcement in November last year, multiple esports organizations have dropped their Overwatch rosters in light of the high cost of entry. This includes Fnatic, Team Dignitas, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Luminosity, CompLexity Gaming, Splyce, and more recently, Evil Geniuses and Team LDLC.
In March, leading global financial firm Morgan Stanley estimated that the upcoming Overwatch League could generate an annual revenue of as much as $100 million. However, circulating rumors have claimed that there will be no revenue sharing with teams until 2021. In addition, there will be a 25 percent fee paid to Blizzard if a team is sold later on.
