We are living in unprecedented times.
The COVID-19 pandemic has killed tens of thousands of people around the world, and hundreds of thousands or potentially millions are still at risk. Economically, many employees, businesses and entire industries also face existential risk, or in the best case, a long pause. Our education institutions are dealing with a transition to online learning short-term while preparing students for a post-virus economy long-term.
At the same time we are all aware that this too shall pass. Certain industries are uniquely positioned to provide safe entertainment, comfort, and social connection in this moment, “filling the void” left by traditional sports, concerts, and live events all going dark.
One industry proving to be particularly resilient and necessarily right now is esports. With most of the world’s population now homebound, the number of people playing online games is at a record high. The number of people watching others play games is at a record high. Virtual racing is broadcast on television in place of live motor sports. NBA players compete from their homes in NBA 2K. And the World Health Organization encourages playing video games and adopts the #PlayApartTogether campaign. This global phenomenon is being highlighted this week by the New York Times, The Washington Post, Time Magazine and others recognizing that it is in fact esports that is filling the void.
And yet, we can do more than entertain short-term. We can also act now to prepare our students and workforce for a post-virus economy and new jobs within the gaming industry.
Toward this goal, Skillshot is pleased to announce an initiative we have been working on for many months. In collaboration with partners, we’ve developed a series of in-person and online courses focused on workforce development for the thriving game development and esports industries. These are industries with combined global revenue of $140 billion, making gaming not only more resilient but also much bigger economically than the film and music industries combined.
The first of these courses will roll out in our home state of Georgia this fall, delivered in partnership with the Georgia Film Academy and Georgia State University’s Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII). Students will earn hours in the class, which will credit to CMII’s programs in Game Design and Media Entrepreneurship. Many other courses will follow.
In the meantime, as the internet says, “Stay Home, Play Games”.
And once this passes, we hope to be part of the workforce development engine that keeps the world playing hard, AND working hard.
During Super Bowl LIV weekend, the Skillshot team went down to Miami to open up the latest 8 to 80 Zone in partnership with NFL Hall of Famers Steve Young and Jerry Rice, and the Forever Young Foundation. This esports and STEM center will provide underprivileged kids with access to essential technology to help them grow into the tech leaders of the future.
“Jerry and I believe that parents of youth who are passionate about gaming should take time to understand the learning potential and opportunities that esports brings,” said Steve Young. “Gaming and the competitive esports world provides a stepping stone into coding, publishing, and mass media art. We as parents should embrace this.”
Many thanks to KontrolFreek, Alienware, SteelSeries, and Rocket League for providing gear to support the grand opening. It took a community of partners and organizations working together to make this center a reality. We're excited to see how it will serve the community for years to come.
The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), a nonprofit membership association and the only governing body of collegiate esports in North America, today announced their strategic partnership with Skillshot Media, esports infrastructure provider and agency, to offer collegiate competition, event production, and rights commercialization.
NACE is the association of college varsity esports programs, with over 200 member universities contributing over $16 million annually in esports scholarships. Skillshot Media has produced and licensed esports competition and events in North America for over 5 years, across numerous titles and genres, with over 1 billion video views.
“Skillshot Media powered our initial collegiate competitions for CS:GO, Smite, and other titles. After hearing our member school appetite for more competition, we considered many partners, and Skillshot was the clear choice for a strategic partner based on shared vision and capabilities,” said Michael Brooks, NACE Executive Director. “We are thrilled to offer more game titles and more live events, including collegiate Fortnite this spring and many more games to come in the fall.”
Todd Harris, Skillshot CEO, added, “NACE member schools are the true pioneers and thought leaders in collegiate esports, the schools who are committing scholarship dollars, coaches, and facilities, and are committed to positive and balanced outcomes for their student-athletes. We're excited to partner with NACE to scale esports to colleges nationwide – more schools, more game titles, more events. With our infrastructure, production capability and publisher relationships we aim to provide value to participating schools, the competing teams, and also importantly our partnered game publishers. Beyond competition, together we are also developing governance and internship opportunities for students wishing to enter the esports industry.”
NACE and Skillshot announced that the Spring 2020 collegiate competition includes both Fortnite and CS:GO with an invitational finals to take place at MomoCon in Atlanta, May 23rd, a festival that draws over 35,000 unique attendees.
About NACE
The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) is a nonprofit membership association organized by member institutions and is the only governing body of collegiate varsity esports in North America. NACE works on building the structure and providing the tools for students needed to advance at varsity-level in collegiate esports. Areas of focus include areas such as: Eligibility, Path to Graduation, Competition & Scholarships. NACE currently includes over 200 varsity esports programs of its members, accounting for nearly 90% of all varsity programs across North America.
On Thursday, Nov. 14 through Friday, Nov. 15, Esports Summit 2019 will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center. Presented by Skillshot Media, this conference is the premier business-focused esports conference in the southeast running alongside Hi-Rez Expo and DreamHack Atlanta.
With a focus on educating attendees about opportunities in the competitive gaming industry, Esports Summit presents tours of Atlanta facilities supporting the growth of esports, such as Turner Studios, the recreational venue Axis Replay, INAP’s downtown data center and the Hi-Rez Expo at DreamHack Atlanta World Championships.
INAP (NASDAQ: INAP), a leading-edge provider of high-performance data center and cloud solutions, is the official “Powered By” partner of Esports Summit and secured the title sponsorship. Hi-Rez Studios is the Presenting Publisher sponsor of the Summit.
Featured speakers include Kevin Lin, co-founder of Twitch, Sundance DiGiovanni, co-founder of Major League Gaming; and more than 30 other executive speakers representing esports team organizations, Georgia government officials, investors, technology centers, brand agencies, and financial services institutions. Friday’s program includes panels, keynotes, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities.
“Esports is quickly entering the mainstream as a staple of the global entertainment industry, presenting infinite ways for organizations and brands to be a part of the industry’s incredible growth,” said TJ Waldorf, CMO at INAP and featured keynote speaker. “INAP is proud to have powered online gaming and esports communities for more than a decade. We can’t wait to welcome attendees to this first-of-its-kind event for the region.”
In addition to the tours, an evening B2B Mixer at Axis Replay, and a full day of programming and networking opportunities, Esports Summit will conclude with a “Legends of Esports” afterparty at oAK Atlanta.
“When we planned Esports Summit, we were singularly focused on providing everyone in attendance with the ability to become knowledgeable about this rapidly growing market space from the people who are shaping it,” said conference organizer Kathryn De Shields. “The esports environment is expanding every day, and it’s important that non-endemic individuals and companies are aware of present opportunities — whether it’s game publishing, increasing economic growth through tax incentives, or investing in team franchises.”
Other companies supporting Esports Summit include DreamHack, Axis Replay, RIISE Ventures, McKinney Economic Development Corporation, Radar Live, The City of Alpharetta, Select Fulton County, ELEAGUE, KontrolFreek, FANDOM, Blokz by Zenni, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Aprio.
The full speaker list, agenda, and sponsor list for Esports Summit 2019 is available at www.esportssummit.live.
This article was contributed by JBatchelder , a freelance writer. If you’d like to contribute to the Skillshot blog, please DM Skillshot Media on Twitter.
Do you remember what you were doing when you were 16? It wouldn't be far-fetched to assume you were playing video games on your friend's couch. That isn't too different from what 16-year-old Kyle Giersdorf was doing on July 28, 2019 after he won the Fortnite World Cup solo finals in New York . . . except that he got paid $3 million for it.
It's no secret that esports is huge. The International: DOTA 2 Championship alone draws crowds of over 335 million worldwide, all tuning in to watch teams play for a prize pool of $25.5 million — the largest in esports history. With esports set to get even bigger, it's safe to say that more and more people are gunning to be the best in the world. To get a beat on where the next great esports athletes will come from, let's check out the continents that are experiencing the most growth in esports.
Today, esports is an entire branch of entertainment in the United States. Fornite streamers such as Ninja have drawn in a record-breaking 600,000 concurrent viewers on their gaming streams. To add to this, ESPN debuted their collegiate video game esports championship back in March 2019 — cementing its place in the American mainstream. Here in Georgia, esports' foundations are being strengthened from the ground up as Georgia is one of only five states to recognize esports as a sport on the high school level. The University of Georgia, meanwhile, offers scholarships to esports teams. Three years ago, international gaming festival DreamHack added Atlanta as a city and has experienced record growth since year over year.
Further up north, Canada is set to open the country's first dedicated esports stadium in Richmond, British Columbia. Once open, it will be the hub for major esports events in Canada and will play host to various tournaments. The stadium will reportedly seat around 250 spectators and will allow for 40 gaming set-ups along with a casual gaming area open to all.
Although Asia is known for gaming capitals like South Korea and Japan, China is not too far behind. China listed esports as an official sport in 2003 and declared it a national industry back in 2016. Companies such as the Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings have both set up venues all over China that host esports tournaments, some even on a weekly basis. To cap it off, esports will be an official medal sport at the 2022 Asian Games in China.
The Philippines is also a notable up-and-comer in the esports industry.
"Filipino e-gamers have tremendous talent and potential to conquer the global gaming arena," explains industry supporter and former Philippine senator Senator Bam Aquino.
Since August 2017, esports has been further legitimized by the Gaming and Amusements Board of the Philippines, even going as far as adding five esports games into the 2019 iteration of the Southeast Asian Games. The country also hosted the Manila Major back in 2016 — a sign of good things to come for the Philippine esports industry.
The Dubai X-Stadium is set to be a dedicated video gaming venue for the rapidly growing esports industry in the Middle East, hopefully positioning it as a future capital for hosting esports events.
"We are living in a world where digital culture is reshaping all aspects of life, including sports," says Mona Ghanem Al Marri, director-general of the Dubai Media Office. "This has led us to develop the concept of Dubai X-Stadium, which will consolidate Dubai's status as a key digital economy hub."
The government's adamant support in the growth of the industry only ensures the future of esports in the Middle East.
MBC, or the Middle East Broadcasting Center based in Dubai, recently announced that it would be setting up the Middle East’s first professional esports league in partnership with the Electronic Sports League. The country is also playing host to the world finals of the Girl Gamer Esports Festival in December — an impressive feat and a step towards inclusivity.
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The rise of esports on a global level is indicative of the development of how we perceive sports and entertainment, and how the term athlete no longer only refers to those who play on a pitch, court, or field. And while many people have different opinions about esports, there's no denying its inevitable rise — with Statista predicting that the industry will hit $1.790 billion by 2022.
Kevin Lin, co-founder of Twitch, and Sundance DiGiovanni, co-founder of Major League Gaming, as keynote speakers at Esports Summit 2019 -- the first business-focused esports conference in the southeast. Additionally, INAP, a leading-edge provider of high-performance data center and cloud solutions, is the official “Powered By” partner of Esports Summit and secured the title sponsorship. Hi-Rez Studios is the Presenting Publisher sponsor of the summit.
Presented by Skillshot Media, Esports Summit will gather leaders of the entertainment industry to discuss upcoming trends and projections for the future of esports November 14 - 15, 2019 at the Georgia World Congress Center.
“As the inaugural event in the Southeast, Esports Summit 2019 is an excellent opportunity to shine the light on one of the most robust gaming and esports ecosystems in North America, metro Atlanta,” said Grant Wainscott, head of creative industries economic development with the Metro Atlanta Chamber.
As industry veterans who helped shape the esports and streaming scene, Lin and DiGiovanni will share their insight and expertise as the co-founders of Twitch and Major League Gaming respectively. In addition to keynotes, a full-day of panels featuring esports industry professionals and endemic companies will also run on Friday, November 15.
“These first two industry titans, with a combined experience of 30 years between them, sets the bar for the level and depth of esports expertise we will provide this year at Esports Summit,” said conference organizer Kathryn De Shields. “This conference will provide content and access to the very top professionals across the esports ecosystem - representing team orgs, publishers, investors, brands, platforms, educators, and more.”
Support from the Esports Summit title sponsor, INAP, will enable comprehensive speaker content, networking opportunities, and behind-the-scenes tours of a production studio (Skillshot Media) and the World Championship live event at Hi-Rez Expo.
“We are proud to support Skillshot Media and this important, first-of-its-kind event for the region,” said TJ Waldorf, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Customer Success at INAP. “Esports is on its way to becoming a billion-dollar industry this year, making this world-class showcase a must-attend for all parties looking to operate in this exciting and fast-growing ecosystem.”
The full speaker list and agenda for Esports Summit 2019 will be released in early Fall 2019. Tickets are currently available at an early bird discount. For tickets and additional information, visit www.esportssummit.live.
For information about sponsoring or speaking, please contact kdeshields@skillshot.com.
Today, Skillshot Media announced Esports Summit 2019, a business-focused esports conference that will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center November 14 - 15, in the days leading up to the international gaming festival DreamHack Atlanta 2019.
Esports Summit will provide comprehensive education opportunities across the entire esports ecosystem, including presentations from game publishers, brand sponsors, team organizations, professional players, tournament organizers, investors, and educators.
In addition to panels and presentations form industry leaders, the event also includes a tour of a 16,000 square foot esports production studio, and a behind-the-scenes tour of live event esports production and competition during the World Championships of Hi-Rez Expo at DreamHack Atlanta.
Early sponsors of Esports Summit include Axis Replay and RIISE Ventures who will be providing educational content for local companies leading up to the event.
The full speaker list and agenda for Esports Summit 2019 will be released in early Fall 2019. For more information about attending or sponsoring Esports Summit 2019, visit www.esportssummit.live.
In partnership with the Northside Hospital Sports Medicine Network in Atlanta, Skillshot Media launches the first Esports Medicine Program to benefit professional SMITE and Paladins esports players and to further medical research in the esports industry.
As esports continues to grow with more organizations, teams, and players entering the scene and playing video games at a highly-competitive level, Skillshot Media, a turnkey esports provider, and Northside Hospital have come together to form a comprehensive esports medical program for SMITE and Paladins esports athletes. Northside will apply existing knowledge of sports science and sports medicine to maximize performance and minimize injury with esports players.
“In discussions with the Northside Hospital Sports Medicine Network, it became clear that they are not only taking early notice of the rising trend of esports injuries, but also aspire to serve our pro players just like athletes in traditional sports — benefiting from nutrition, exercise, rest, and best practices for optimizing performance and prolonging careers,” said Todd Harris, President of Skillshot Media.
“We are thrilled to partner with Northside to provide complementary injury-prevention services for our players and also share ongoing research with the broader esports community”
Skillshot will serve as an esports consultant to help educate Northside about the esports industry, support Northside’s research studies, and run original esports medicine programming.
“As the convergence of technology expands our definitions of ‘athletes and competition,’ Northside Sports Medicine is proud to step into this unique role,” said Dr Vonda Wright MD, Orthopedic Surgeon and Chief of the Northside Hospital Sports Medicine Network. “The growth of esports is a worldwide phenomenon, and Northside is ready to provide elite sports medicine and performance therapy to the professionals of Skillshot Media. Through preventive care and innovative research, we hope to maximize performance while minimizing injury for these pro players, while setting a standard of care for esports athletes at every level.”
Common injuries that frequent esports athletes include carpal tunnel, issues with the lumbar spine, brain fatigue, and ocular strain. As part of this partnership, Northside will provide pre-performance injury screenings for each SMITE and Paladins team, hold weekly endurance training twice a week, and provide a team/league doctor as needed for tournament play. Access to Northside Hospital’s Sports Medicine experts for physical and mental health management, group sports nutrition training, and an injury training room will also be provided to esports athletes.
Though this partnership directly benefits the 90 SMITE and Paladins esports athletes traveling or relocating to Atlanta for the 2019 season, research gained from this partnership will shape new insights and best practices in the emerging athletic field of esports. Topics like injury prevention, documenting injury epidemiology, and measuring mental stamina will be explored in the research and innovation phase of this partnership.
About Skillshot
Based in Alpharetta, GA, Skillshot provides a turnkey esports solution for leading competitive titles, including online and offline tournament organization, industry-leading esports production and active community management. Skillshot has more than five years of esports experience in hosting thousands of global competitors, paying out millions in tournament prizing and serving more than one billion esports views to date.
About Northside Hospital Sports Medicine Network
The Northside Hospital Sports Medicine Network includes a team of clinical experts — orthopedic sports surgeons, non-operative sports medicine doctors, sports performance and concussion experts — who provide high-tech, high-touch evidence-based musculoskeletal care and offer a full complement of surgical and medical consultants, a comprehensive sports concussion program, sports nutrition, physical therapy and a sports performance and innovative research initiative. Locations in Georgia include Atlanta, Alpharetta, Buckhead, Buford, Cumming, East Cobb, Holly Springs, Midtown, Roswell and Woodstock. For more information about the Northside Hospital Sports Medicine Network, call 1–855-NH-SPORT (647–7678).
As part of a multi-organization collaboration, Skillshot Media, Johnson STEM Activity Center, The Forever Young Foundation, and Atlanta Public Schools established an esports arena as an extension of the Johnson STEM Activity Center’s operations. The esports arena will be a free resource to students who want to compete in the inaugural season of varsity esports programs in the state of Georgia.
“Skillshot seeks to foster community via esports,” said Todd Harris, President of Skillshot Media.
“Esports cultivates discipline, teamwork and good sportsmanship as well as STEM skill development. This new venue and partnership will greatly expand access to the local community.”
8 to 80 zones are a collaboration between NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback and Founder of the Forever Young Foundation Steve Young and former NFL player Jerry Rice. This service provides youth in underserved communities the skills they need to pursue careers in technology and media.
“Jerry and I continually seek to reach the youth we serve ‘where they are’,” said Steve Young. “We want to stimulate their minds and creativity by utilizing platforms they are already passionate about.”
Skillshot Media provided technological and infrastructural direction in constructing the 3,500 square-feet addition to the Johnson Stem Activity Center. The esports arena is a state-of-the-art facility that allows students to hone their skills as they compete in season one of the Georgia High School varsity esports program. Teams from around the metro area will be transported from their school to the arena at no charge.
“Not every school has the financial resources to support an esports team,” said Dr. Lonnie Johnson, Atlanta inventor and Founder of the Johnson STEM Activity Center. “Our arena will level the playing field and allow anyone with the desire to compete to play for a state championship.”
In addition, the space is a classroom that provides students with hands-on training in broadcast production, online streaming, audio engineering, video editing, and game development.
About Skillshot
Based in Alpharetta, GA, Skillshot Media provides a turnkey esports solution for leading competitive titles, including online and offline tournament organization, industry-leading esports production and active community management. Skillshot has more than five years of esports experience in hosting thousands of global competitors, paying out millions in tournament prizing and serving more than one billion esports views to date.
About Johnson STEM Activity Center
Since 2007, the Johnson STEM Activity Center has been providing free STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) resources to Georgia’s most underrepresented communities. With over 2,000 students annually, JSAC is a major reason Georgia leads the nation in African American students involved in robotics.
