Sports and eSports have long been at differing ends of the spectrum. While many sports enthusiasts have declared eSports to not be a sport, many competitive video game players have voiced otherwise. The melding of the two started when ESPN began airing tournaments. Another step towards bringing the two closer together is the purchasing of Team Liquid by Magic Johnson, Ted Leonsis, and Steve Case.
Magic Johnson, Basketball Hall of Famer, Ted Leonsis (who owns a variety of Washington sports teams), venture capitalist Steve Case, and Washington Nationals owners Lerner Enterprises have partnered as aXiomatic to buy Team Liquid. Ted Leonsis, who already owns Monumental Sports and Entertainment, thinks that eSports is primed to be the next big thing. So he wants to take already established sports management techniques, such as training and retaining players, and apply them to eSports.
aXiomatic is not the only group to make a move into eSports, with the Philadelphia 76ers purchasing and combining Dignitas and Apex. Planning to help grow and guide the budding eSports industry in the United States, Ted Leonsis looks forward to kickstarting the market.
