The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Take Two Interactive Software Inc (NASDAQ:TTWO) mid this week announced plans to launch the NBA 2K eLeague. This will be a professional competitive gaming league platform that will bring together the best NBA 2K video game players in the world.
The video game league will mark the biggest tie-up yet between traditional and digital sports and be the first official eSport league that will be operated by a U.S. professional sports league. This has come as an expansion to the highly successful relationship of NBA and Take-Two.
NBA 2K eLeague players and game definition
The videogame league will consist of teams operated by actual NBA franchises. The announcement of the founding teams which will be composed of five professional eSports players is expected to go forth in the coming months.
This will be a chance to reach gamers more broadly. Player salaries and team prizes sre still to be determined. The factor of where and how the fans will be able to watch the game is still a part of the many other considerations.
Some of the match events will be live, with games also streaming online and possibly on television channels. The NBA’s vice president of global partnership, Matt Holt, reported that they have a lot of fans who don’t play the 2K game and also some 2K players who are not fans of the NBA hence, the eLeague will be a chance to engage them all.
Holt added that the league has in advance spoken to all 30 NBA teams and expects roughly half of the teams to participate in the first season. To them, the popularity of NBA 2K with the young and growing eSports community provides a unique opportunity for development of something truly special for their fans and the gaming community.
Various NBA franchises have taken the plunge in eSports. This video game league which is set to debut in 2018 will not be an exception. The eLeague will still follow the known professional sports league format that is, competing head-to-head throughout a regular season, participating in a bracketed playoff system and concluding with a championship matchup.
