Andrew McNeill: How to run an esports franchise

Sports Content Strategy with MrRichardClarke: Exploring sports content, journalism, digital and social media

TOPICS

Andrew’s background - the SXSW conference (sports and gaming)

His role as GM and Sporting Director

The financials of the 2k League and the player contracts

The great validity of 2K in esports as every on-court player is controlled by a human.

Sponsorship - is it easier to be attached to a traditional sport because of the existing franchise infrastructure and the familiarity of the sport?

The relationship between the traditional sports franchises and the esports ones

Sharing resources with a traditional sports team - psychologists, analytics teams

The environment created for esports players to excel - nutrition and physical training

The rule preventing cross-over and collaboration

The importance of storytelling around esports players

The journalistic challenge of getting engaging narratives from young people

The ESPN deal taking the 2K League on linear TV for the first time

Leveraging traditional Wizards fans into their club’s 2K franchise

Michael Jordan’s ownership of the new 2K franchise in Charlotte

The new Shanghai franchise and the opportunities it creates

The importance of having a geographical home and tournaments

The venue question. Will esports regularly fill up stadiums?

Barriers of entry for a generation that ‘won’t pay for content” - or will they?

The hockey franchise - the response to launching their own tournament

Do they make money?

The importance of the Gretzky v Ovechkin charity esports game

How the draft works

The allocation of positions in the esports draft

The mechanics of trading a player in esports