Only one sports executive was named onto this year’s Fortune 40 Under 40 list. And that exec oversees an esports league.
Nate Nanzer, 39, is the commissioner of the Overwatch League, an esports league based on Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch game that kicked off its inaugural season in January.
The league has set itself apart from other esports leagues because of its close involvement with traditional sports owners and executives. The OWL seeks to mimic traditional sports leagues with the development of city-based franchises, which the league hopes will increase its appeal by building regional fan bases.
In its first-ever season, the Overwatch League sold more than 20,000 tickets for its Grand Finals, completely selling out Barclays Center. Those finals will take place on Jul. 27 and 28, with the winner taking home $1 million.
“Under Nanzer’s supervision, Overwatch League began its inaugural season in January, and already the multiplayer, first-person shooter game is game company Activision Blizzard’s fastest-growing franchise, with revenues of over $1 billion,” Fortune wrote. “By integrating existing e-sports organizations with traditional sports owners, Nanzer has helped the league secure 12 permanent franchises around the world—and hopes to take it to continental Europe and the Middle East next season.”
The esports league has attracted interest from major media companies as well. Twitch paid a reported $90 million for the rights to stream the first two seasons of the Overwatch League and has been happy with the viewership results. Activision Blizzard also recently agreed to a multi-year broadcast rights deal with Disney to televise the league across ESPN, ESPN 2, Disney XD, ABC, and related streaming services.
SportTechie Takeaway
Nanzer’s spot on the Fortune list comes as esports continues to steamroll over traditional sport norms. In addition to the launch of the Overwatch League this year, the NBA launched its own esports league called the NBA 2K, which involves 17 teams with NBA pro basketball affiliations. The Overwatch League’s major broadcast deals, stadium sellouts and Fortune 40 Under 40 debut display esports’ lasting influence on mainstream society.