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.
Skillshot Media, the esports entity formerly owned by Alpharetta-based game publisher Hi-Rez Studios, announced today the completion of a management buy-out by two former Hi-Rez executives. Skillshot will operate as an independent, publisher-agnostic esports solution provider and agency, and Hi-Rez Studios no longer has an ownership interest in the company.
Hi-Rez Studios Co-founder Todd Harris and former Vice President Nabil Ismail will exit Hi-Rez and serve as CEO and COO of Skillshot Media, and in strategic partnership with INAP will develop an esports operations center and production studio in downtown Atlanta. This new Esports Media Center, operated by Skillshot, will be located at 250 Williams Street NW in Atlanta, co-located within INAP’s flagship Atlanta data center facility.
“With 15 years in game development and marketing, we have seen first-hand how a community-driven esports approach delivers results for both the game publisher and brand partners,'' said Todd Harris, CEO of Skillshot Media. “Players who watch esports are more engaged and spend more money with the game publisher. Those players also have higher spending and goodwill toward partners who authentically support esports events. We believe brands that want to reach the next generation of consumers will discover esports to be the most effective and efficient way to connect with that massive audience, and Skillshot wants to help them do exactly that.”
INAP’s flagship Atlanta data center features low latency network performance enabled by patented route optimization technology and an onsight network operations center to keep game server and broadcasting infrastructure operational and at peak efficiency.
“Gaming and esports is not only the largest entertainment industry but one of the most demanding in terms of performance,” said TJ Waldorf, CMO at INAP. “INAP is proud to have powered esports communities for over a decade, and this strategic partnership with Skillshot allows us to even better serve the fast growing gaming and esports industry.”
Continues Harris, “Esports demands an IT infrastructure built for speed, reliability, and global scalability. Players are competing for millions of dollars and INAP delivers the performance required for that competitive environment. This Esports Media Center is walking distance to the Georgia World Congress Center, State Farm Arena, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and public transportation to the world’s busiest airport, allowing us to easily integrate with other Atlanta venues and hospitality partners for esports events.”
About INAP
Internap Corporation (NASDAQ: INAP) is a leading-edge provider of high-performance data center and cloud solutions with 100 network Points of Presence worldwide. INAP’s full-spectrum portfolio of high-density colocation managed cloud hosting and network solutions supports evolving IT infrastructure requirements for customers ranging from the Fortune 500 to emerging startups. INAP operates in 21 metropolitan markets, primarily in North America, with 14 INAP Data Center Flagships connected by a low-latency, high-capacity network.For more information, visit www.INAP.com.
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.
COO of Hi-Rez Studios and President of Skillshot Media will serve on the 2019 board.
Make-A-Wish Georgia appoints Todd Harris, COO of Hi-Rez Studios and President of Skillshot Media to the 2019 board of directors.
This appointment is an extension of Hi-Rez Studios and Skillshot Media’s dedication to Make-A-Wish Georgia as a community partner and supporter. Each year, Make-A-Wish Georgia benefits from Spring Fling -- an annual, online event that encourages the SMITE and Paladins gaming community to raise funds for local wishes. Over the past two years, the event successfully raised more than $170,000 for the organization.
“I am thrilled to serve on the board of Make-A-Wish Georgia and further our commitment to this life-changing mission,” said Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios COO and Skillshot Media President. “As a board member, I look forward to lending my talents and expertise to serving children with critical illnesses and fulfilling wishes across the state of Georgia.”
Harris is a co-founder of Hi-Rez Studios, one of the largest video game studios in the Southeast, and President of Skillshot Media, the largest dedicated esports production company on the east coast. Between Hi-Rez Studios and Skillshot Harris works to advance competitive gaming and help partner brands authentically reach our esports fans.
“We are very fortunate to have Todd by our side as we continue to strengthen Georgia communities by creating life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses,” said Tim Earley, Make-A-Wish Georgia CEO. “Todd embodies the spirit of community and has already made an impact on our mission. The leadership, talent, expertise and energy he brings to the table will help propel our work of granting the wish of every eligible throughout our state.”
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. Learn more at www.skillshot.com.
About Make-A-Wish Georgia
Since 1995, Make-A-Wish Georgia has been granting the wishes of local children facing critical illnesses. More than 20 years later, nearly 8,000 lives have experienced the impact of a life-changing wish. Make-A-Wish Georgia is a movement, powered by you, to renew families and communities disrupted by serious childhood illness. We all have the power to make wishes comes true. To learn how you can make wishes come true, visit www.georgia.wish.org.
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).
If your child is a fan of video games, they have likely played or are aware of multiplayer games. These types of games allow friends and strangers from anywhere in the world (as long as they can get an internet connection) to play together in a single game — with countless other games happening at the same time. If your child is a fan of multiplayer online games, and you’re wondering how to keep them safe without stinting their fun, here’s what you need to know.
Start and continue the Tech Talk. Private information about your child should remain, well, private. Their gamer tag should not reveal their name, age, or gender. They should never reveal where they live or what school they go to. Email addresses, phone numbers, photos of their face, and gaming account passwords are also off-limits. Be sure that your child understands you are always available to step in if someone makes them feel uncomfortable while playing a game.
Stranger danger is still something you need to teach your kids but in a new way. Your child should understand that they should never accept an invitation to communicate with another gamer they do not know on a non-gaming platform or app. Remind your child that a stranger is ALWAYS a stranger, even when online interactions may make them seem familiar. In the online world, you never truly know who is behind the screen. Most importantly, your child should never, EVER agree to meet up with a stranger offline.
Even as the intensity builds in a game, always remind your child to communicate with respect and empathy towards fellow players.
Set and share family time limits for gaming. Help your child proactively plan how they game. Watch your child’s gaming habits not from the number of hours played but by behavioral characteristics like withdrawal, compulsion, lying and a shift of values.
Understand the content of each game, before your child starts playing, and decide if it is appropriate for your child. Due diligence should include reading game reviews that may alert you to potential risks of each game or gaming platform. Depending on the age of your gamer, you may want to consider enabling some parental control options. Review what parental controls are available, especially the ones that further your child’s privacy while playing, are available in-game and on the gaming console your child uses.
Know that there is no pause button in live, online gaming! Asking your child to end an online game before a match is completed is akin to walking off the field in the middle of a Friday night football game.
Understand all the ways that strangers could interact with your child as they game. Many online games are designed with built-in voice/video/chat functions. As a parent, have conversations with your child about what he or she may hear, see, or experience in the gaming world. Also, let them know when they need to alert you for help. If your child encounters an incident that needs to be reported, make sure you know how to report inappropriate behavior that occurs on platforms and in games. This can include harassment, hate speech, and toxic language.
Make sure you know who your child is playing with and regularly review the nature of the communications.
The best way to learn more about online gaming is to play a game or two with your kids. Plus, you can show them their gaming world is not an alternative to real life, it’s just one fun aspect of it! In playing games with your child, you can also better explain your concerns to your gamer and in turn, they may develop a deeper understanding and respect for the limits you establish. Before you know it, you may find yourself understanding your child’s love of gaming and establishing quality time to level up together.
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This article was contributed by Savvy Cyber Kids — a nonprofit organization providing free resources to help parents, grandparents, teachers, and students navigate today’s digital world with cyber safety and cyber ethics in mind. By day, Ben Halpert is the VP of Risk and Corporate Security at Ionic Security, Inc. By night, he champions cyber safety and cyber ethics education throughout society. Learn more about Savvy Cyber Kids on their website, and be sure to sign up for free material about internet and digital safety.
This year, we had the honor of being presenting sponsor for The Lionheart School's 19th Annual "Party With Heart" event. It was a wonderful evening full of heart in support of an organization working tirelessly to give kids the skills they need to succeed.
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.
We recently released a list of the competitive esports organizations that will compete in Paladins Premier League and SMITE Pro League in 2019.
As part of a multiyear franchise, eight organizations will compete in the Paladins Premier League (PPL). Signed teams consist of new and returning organizations to PPL, including Natus Vincere, Pittsburgh Knights, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Spacestation Gaming, Renegades, Virtus Pro, Kanga Esports, and Team Envy. Team roster reveals will occur at a later date.
Announced last week, ten organizations will compete in the SMITE Pro League (SPL) in 2019. Signed organizations include Splyce, eUnited, Spacestation, SK Gaming, Trifecta, Pittsburgh Knights, Renegades, Team Rival, Dignitas, and Luminosity.
Team rosters are available here: https://esports.smitegame.com/news/smite-pro-league-2019-season-6-rosters
In 2019, all PPL and SPL regular season games will be held on-site at the Skillshot Media Studio in Alpharetta, GA. As such, at least 90 pro esports players will be moving to the metro-Atlanta area or traveling to compete. This relocation is intended to help Skillshot provide players with a better competitive environment, provide fans with an upgraded production experience on broadcast, and supply additional esports shoulder content throughout the season.
For more information about PPL, visit: https://esports.paladins.com/ For more information about SPL, visit: https://esports.smitegame.com
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.
