The rapid development of North Texas as the leading esports market outside L.A. got another boost yesterday when the city of Arlington and MLB Rangers co-Owner Neil Leibman’s Infinite Esports & Entertainment holding company announced they will develop a dedicated esports venue in the city’s entertainment district. City officials will partner with Esports Venues LLC, an arm of Infinite, on a $10M renovation of the Arlington Convention Center to build what they call the “largest and most flexible esports stadium in the country.” Architectural firm Populous designed the space, which will include a major competition event area with seating for 1,000 spectators, as well as a casual gaming space, VIP amenities, a content studio and team training areas. NGAGE Esports, another subsidiary of Infinite, will manage day-to-day operations. Esports Venues LLC will control the building under a 10-year lease from the city, with a 10-year renewal option (Ben Fischer, Staff Writer).
SPACE INVADERS: In Ft. Worth, Bill Hanna in a front-page piece writes with competitive gaming growing as an "emerging sport, there aren't enough places to hold tournaments." Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau President & CEO Ron Price said, "What is in high demand are facilities to hold these events, and there's currently [a] lack of facilities." Price said that during the first year of the dedicated esports venue in Arlington, the city "could host 30 esports events and build up from there." Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams said that the "plan to become an esports hub came together quickly." The CVB hired NYU to "put together a white paper, and it came back with the recommendation to invest in esports." Price: "Our partnership with NYU was eye-opening." The paper "recommended Arlington become an esports attraction and suggested that large-scale events could even utilize the future Globe Life Field and AT&T Stadium" (Ft. Worth STAR-TELEGRAM, 3/15).
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