SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Trevor Keane, Co-Founder of Celtic eSports, has revealed plans to launch a new league in the Autumn of 2016. The format of the new Celtic eSports League will give local eSports players the chance to represent football clubs from the top leagues in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Isle of Man.
Celtic eSports will aim to establish this professionally organise league within what is still a young and fragmented market. Trevor Keane is confident that the launch will be a success, and that the league will prove to be attractive for both clubs and sponsors.
“The Celtic eSports league will be one of the first professionally organised leagues where local players will represent football clubs from the top league in each country. The format will not only give the players a platform to showcase their skills on a league and tournament basis, but also give the clubs an entry into this exciting and growing market and the chance to engage with a younger and techno savvy generation.”
“A number of major clubs in the top tier of each league have already signed up with more to follow in the coming weeks, and conversations are at an advanced stage with a number of eSports technology partners. Plans have progressed so much that a number of sponsors have already been in touch and are interested in being involved. The league will incorporate many of the most played eSports titles, although the launch will initially focus on football. The plan is to launch the league in the autumn of 2016.”
The growing popularity of the sport has been highlighted recently with Manchester City, VfL Wolfsburg and West Ham United all signing agreements with eSports players. In fact, analysts are predicting that the global eSports market will be worth between $460- $500 million by 2016.
