Developers are Creating New Homes for Surging Esports
Date Posted: May 31, 2019
Posted In: Projects,
From St. Louis Business Journal: The rise of esports is no surprise to anyone who has followed the video game industry. They are expected to bring in more than $1 billion in global revenue this year, as millions of fans watch hundreds of events from all over.
But those fans typically view the matches from home on streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube. Only $104 million, less than 10% of the total revenue in 2019, is expected to come from merchandise and ticket sales, according to Newzoo, an esports analytics firm. For fans to spend more money, they need an environment that provides a richer experience.
To accommodate that need, developers had focused on adapting smaller spaces, including nightclubs and even a 1950s office complex. Now, enormous arenas are being built with esports in mind.
The $10 million Esports Stadium Arlington in Texas, which opened in November in the city’s convention center, is the largest esports center in North America, with flexible seating, a state-of-the-art broadcast studio and an 85-foot-long LED wall. And in Philadelphia, developers are planning to build Fusion Arena, the first new construction to be dedicated to professional gaming, offering 3,500 seats and a training facility.
One of the more popular destinations is Blizzard Arena, a small esports facility tucked inside a midcentury office building in Burbank, California. A former TV studio for shows like “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and “Access Hollywood,” the 15,000-square-foot space is operated by Blizzard Entertainment for its Overwatch League.
Jeff Worthe, president of Worthe Real Estate Group, which owns the building with Stockbridge Real Estate, said soundstages were ideal locations for esports events because of their infrastructure.