Interactive entertainment giant Activision wants brands to know that eSports participants are an attractive, young audience that bears little resemblance to what people who don’t play video games think about gamers. Activision Blizzard’s Major League Gaming is on a crusade to bring this message to marketers worldwide.
“The characteristics of the audience is the reason why it’s hitting this tipping point. They’re young, they’re educated, they’re affluent,” says Josh Cella, Activision’s Head of Partnerships & Sales.
In this interview with Beet.TV at the Digital Content NewFronts, Cella describes the gaming audience as “completely the opposite of all the stereotypes that people have always associated with games.”
He cites global audience figures ranging from 250 million to 300 million and anywhere from 40 million to 60 million in the United States.
Activision used its spotlight at the NewFronts to explain how Major League Gaming will become a division of the company dedicated specifically to operating the eSports program for games such as Overwatch along with managing programs for other gaming leagues like the one for Activision’s Call of Duty, as ADWEEK reports.
“There’s so much untapped content that we are planning on tapping across the entire spectrum that we just can’t do it fast enough,” says Cella.
Activision offers both media and sponsorship opportunities, the latter of which includes “all the same extensions you would get if you were on NFL sponsor.”
Initial brand campaigns have created “a tremendous amount of value,” especially when social content has been an integral component because of the amount of time players and fans spend on social platforms.
Of eSports in general, Cella says, “Brands are getting very enthusiastic about it quickly because there’s so much untapped real estate there. It’s not a cluttered environment.”
This video is part of Beet.TV’s coverage of the IAB’s Digital Content NewFronts 2017. The series is sponsored by the IAB. For more videos from the #NewFronts, please visit this page.
