The Warriors venture into eSports world already paying off

Monday, 19 August 2019

The Warriors have had some big crowds this season, but nothing compared to the number of eyeballs their two new gamers drew in.

For any sports organisation looking to build their brand, the Los Angeles Lakers are a pretty good model to draw inspiration from.

The team is worth an estimated US3.7 billion, so when the world's biggest basketball brand announce they're stepping into the world of eSports, there's probably something to it.

Chris Hunt and Sam Pearson are part of the Warriors eSports team.

In essence eSports are multiplayer video games played competitively for spectators, typically by professional gamers.

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The New Zealand Warriors quickly took notice of clubs like the Lakers, Miami Heat and Adelaide Crows, and this year partnered with Blank Esports to launch their own gaming squad.

Two of the side's foundation players Chris Hunt, 18, and Sam Pearson, 23, recently competed in the inaugural Fortnite world cup which saw 100 players from all over the world battle on giant computer screens in a packed New York stadium.

The Warriors NRL side had a record 2018 in terms of crowd attendance, but nothing compared to the numbers Hunt and Pearson were a part of.

Decked out in their Warriors apparel, the event was viewed by more than 2.3m people worldwide and that's just fans watching across YouTube and Twitch (a streaming service for gamers).

Fortnite world cup winner Kyle Bugha Giersdorf pocketed more than NZ$4m.

There were also some 20,000 in attendance at Arthur Ashe Stadium, in New York, watching on as the Kiwi duo did battle in the online arena.

They finished in a disappointing last spot - still walking away with NZ$76,000 each.

Warrior David Fusitu'a is one of the some 250 million Fortnite players worldwide.

But regardless of the result, for a brand like the Warriors just to have a presence in such a growing industry is where the real value lies, chief executive Cameron George said.

'It's all about driving people back to us, and also it's a chance to engage a different audience by having a presence in a completely different space,' George said.

Travis Corrie is the vice president of global sales for Shift72, a company that specialise in building online video platforms for various companies.

He believed the future of sports was in live streaming, and that was a major reason for the spike in eSports popularity - having originated in the world of online community.

Originally from Canada but now based in Hamilton, Corrie said he was surprised to see the Warriors venture into the eSports realm, but even more surprised still that other New Zealand organisations weren't doing the same.

'It's a bit of a no-brainer when you think about it, and there's a reason some of the biggest sports organisations in the world are stepping into the field,' he said.

'For them it's all about eye balls on the brand and eSports are growing so rapidly companies are starting to catch on. For the Lakers for example, it is driving people towards basketball which is what they really want, so it makes sense for the Warriors too.'