New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon are two of six team owners to buy-in to Blizzard’s Overwatch League, according to an ESPN report.
Esports organizations Immortals and NRG Esports will also secure slots in the Overwatch League. Immortals will take Los Angeles, while NRG Esports will occupy San Francisco, ESPN says. Kraft Sports Group, which is the Patriots parent company, will have Boston, while Wilpon will field the New York-based team. Shanghai and Seoul, South Korea will round out the six cities already secured.
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Immortals and NRG Esports will both pay $20 million per Overwatch League slot, according to ESPN. That amount, however, will be paid over time—not upfront. Prices for both Kraft and Wilpon’s agreements, as well as the international slots, are unclear.
Blizzard is not looking to stop at six. The developer will continue to peddle Overwatch League slots before the launch, which was one set for Q3—July through September—2017.
Overwatch League was initially announced in November of last year. Hopes are high for the developer-run league, with a Morgan Stanley report suggesting Overwatch League could garner more than $100 million annually—which would certainly make the league’s high buy-in price worthwhile.
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Blizzard has been tight-lipped about the Overwatch League, though information is beginning to trickle out. In late June, the developer revealed it’s working on a scouting report to help Overwatch League buyers build out competitive teams.
