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Activision Blizzard Launching Developmental "Overwatch" Esports Series

Activision Blizzard today said it will launch a developmental series for "Overwatch" players in June, addressing complaints that the game's competitive scene is floundering while the publisher builds the big-money Overwatch League. Dubbed Overwatch Contenders, the new competition will be open to any registered team in North America and Europe. It will start with separate open-entry, $50,000-purse online tournaments on each continent. The news may help mollify concerns from players and teams that Activision Blizzard is not doing enough to build a community of fans and players of the game, which was released last May. At least six teams have disbanded in May due to lack of playing opportunities.
 
There are still no confirmed buyers of franchise spots in the Overwatch League, which Activision had promised would launch in Q3, though numerous major pro sports organizations have had conversations with the publisher. Sources have said that Blizzard is hoping to sell franchise spots for $20M, more than 10 times the known high water mark for a single esports team in any game.

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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