Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal and The Esports Observer have today announced a strategic partnership that sees SportsBusiness Journal make a substantial investment in The Esports Observer.
The Esports Observer was launched as part of the BITKRAFT Esports Ventures network in 2015. As well as providing news around the esports industry, the site is working on analytics around Twitch viewing figures amongst other things. It is also working on a central information hub.
Whitney Shaw, CEO of American City Business Journals, the parent company of SportsBusiness Journal, said, “It’s clear to all of us at SportsBusiness Journal and to our readers who work and invest in traditional sports that esports is an exciting and significant development. This partnership allows SBJ to extend its authority and credibility into esports.”
““We are happy that through our collaboration with SportsBusiness Journal we found a partner who shares our long-term vision for business intelligence in the esports industry. This partnership will strengthen our ability to provide coverage in the US and organize conferences in tandem with SBJ and its sister company in London, Leaders. Together, we can provide critical industry research, including real-time esports intelligence, ultimately increasing transparency and fostering growth,” commented Christopher Hana, CEO of The Esports Observer.
“We are incredibly proud to have one of our early portfolio companies enter into a strategic partnership with SBJ. SBJ’s coverage, which shaped traditional sports over the last decade, complements the vision and strategy of The Esports Observer,” said BITKRAFT Esports Ventures Founding Partner, Jens Hilgers. “BITKRAFT’s investment thesis was to help create more transparency in the esports industry and enable industry professionals and companies entering esports to make better informed business decisions. With Chris Hana at the helm, this partnerships enables The Esports Observer to continue fulfilling this mission.”
The stratgic partnership encompasses an investment by ACBJ into The Esports Observer, as well as editorial, commercial and events collaboration. ACBJ has the right to make additional future investments into The Esports Observer.
Esports Insider says: Congratulations to our friends over at TEO. We look forward to seeing the output of the new partnership in the future.