Adelaide FC to be First Australian Club in eSports
May 18, 2017
Adelaide Football Club has entered into an agreement to acquire a professional eSports team, making it the first Australian team to enter the new mainstream sport.
Sydney-based Legacy eSports is one of eight top-tier League of Legends professional teams competing in the Oceanic Pro League (OPL).
eSports has an international audience of close to 250 million people, the majority of whom are aged 14-34 years, and in Australia, the professional competition is complemented by hundreds of semi-professional and amateur outfits.
The Crows move follows overseas sporting leagues, teams and individuals investing in eSports in the past 18 months.
Those include the NBA, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, former NBA players Magic Johnston and Shaquille O’Neal, baseballers Alex Rodriguez and Jimmy Rollins, and NFL legend Joe Montana, along with soccer powerhouses Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, FC Schalke and AS Roma.
Crows Chief Executive Andrew Fagan said:
“In many ways, eSports represents the intersection of technology, media and entertainment, which are all a key part of our strategic focus.
“Across the globe there are sporting clubs, billionaire investors and athletes becoming involved in eSports with a view to growing their brand and reach, driving commercial outcomes and engaging with new fans.”
