Activision Blizzard has "begun the sales process for creating a franchised, city-based Call of Duty esports league, setting the franchise price" at $25M per team, according to sources cited by Jacob Wolf of ESPN.com. Sources said that Activision Blizzard esports exec staff in the past week have "held meetings with prospective buyers for the league, including existing Call of Duty professional teams and ownership groups of the Overwatch League." Sources said that Activision Blizzard has "asked potential buyers for a non-binding indication of interest within the next 14 days." If interested, OWL team owners "have the first right of negotiation for their respective home market." The new "geolocated franchise league is expected to start" in '20. In the current system, the Call of Duty World League Pro League takes place at MLG Arena in Columbus, Ohio, with 16 teams hailing from "various different nationalities from North America and Europe." Relegation is part of the current league, but that "would be removed with the franchise restructuring" (ESPN.com, 3/13).
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