The NBA Kings on Thursday unveiled plans for an esports training facility and production studio to be built inside Golden 1 Center. The 2,100-square-foot facility, to be built on the arena’s event level, includes a training and broadcast center and a gamer lounge to be used for the team’s upcoming NBA 2K League team and future Kings gaming teams. The new space will have gaming tech and broadcast capabilities to produce livestreams and content. The cost of the facility was not disclosed. The facility also will accommodate small theater-style audiences and will be wired into Golden 1 Center’s premium clubs, along with a direct feed into the arena’s bowl through its scoreboard. The space is planned to open in mid-January ahead of the NBA 2K League launch in May (John Lombardo, Staff Writer). In S.F., Benny Evangelista notes Kings management "wants to be the first" to create a permanent esports training area inside a pro sports arena. The esports room beneath the stands "will give the Kings’ five-member video game team access to everything available" to the NBA players, including the weight room, health care facilities, dining area and oxygen bar. It will also have a 360-degree camera to "give fans a look inside the room" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 12/8).
