The rumors were true! Sort of. Monday, Activision Blizzard announced it acquired the business assets of Major League Gaming (MLG). The reported price? $46 million (USD).
Activision Blizzard stated the purchase furthers the company’s vision for the competitive gaming scene. At the end of 2015, Activision formed its own eSports division. MLG’s co-founder Mike Sepso and former ESPN CEO Steve Bornstein will lead the new department.
Meanwhile, MLG founder Sundance DiGiovanni and the rest of the current MLG eSports team are slated to join the new Activision Blizzard eSports division as well.
In a statement, DiGiovanni said, “This acquisition and Activision Blizzard’s commitment to competitive gaming will expand the opportunities for gamers to be recognized and celebrated for their competitive excellence.”
Activision Blizzard CEO Robert Kotick noted he believes the buyout will help Activision Blizzard create the “ESPN of esports.”
MLG will continue to run MLG.tv, the streaming platform. It will also run the MLG Pro Circuit and Gamebattles- so little seems to have changed in the short-term day to day running of MLG or the experience for fans and players. In the future, Activision Blizzard says it will highlight games from its partners and other publishers at future tournaments, possibly bringing new fans and players to the smaller eSports scenes.
Follow @esports_source on Twitter!
