This past weekend, Mark Cuban took on the CEO of Intel Brian Krzanich in a charity game of popular eSport “League of Legends.”
The two businessmen handpicked a team of four other players, who were all professionals, and Cuban’s team eventually won the match. The event was organized by the Electronic Sports League (ESL) in San Jose, California as part of the Intel Extreme Masters gaming tour. All proceeds from the event went to the Cybersmile Foundation, a group that advocates against cyberbullying.
In an interview prior to the match, Cuban backed legitimacy of eSports as a sport, and did not deny the fact that he could possibly be investing in the quickly growing world of eSports.
First, when asked whether he would be buying or investing into a team, Cuban responded with a sly “you’re just going to have to stay tuned.”
Later in the interview, he challenged FOX Sports personality Colin Cowherd, who is an avid dissenter of eSports being included in the realm of sports.
“It’s one of the smartest games I’ve ever played,” Cuban said. “You’ve got to have dexterity, you’ve got to be quick. This is a real sport, and people are going to figure that out really really quick.”
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Cuban’s newfound interest in the sport brings with it a conversation of whether eSports are finally at a turning point in their marketability.
A recent Nielsen report showed how brand advertisements are beginning to reach the millennial audience, proving that advertising is a viable source of revenue for companies looking into eSports.
This type of corporate interest, in making eSports a viable business model, could be the last step in bringing eSports to the forefront of the sports world.