Mark Cuban: 'I haven't and won't invest in [e-sports] teams'
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A year ago, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban joined a group of investors in a $7 million Series A round of funding with Unikrn, a gaming startup that that allows users to watch and bet on games.
Yet that type of investment may not stretch to e-sports franchises any time soon.
“I haven’t and won’t invest in teams,” Cuban recently told Fusion.net. “Right now, it’s a gold rush to buy and sell and build teams. That’s creating a confused market. But more importantly, I’m worried about how quickly players burn out. It’s a grind to keep up and to become great. Particularly at [League of Legends]. I know teams are trying to do more, but the number of hours involved is a real concern for me. I’m not closing the door, but it’s not something I would pursue right now.”
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For example, Korean League of Legends player contracts have specific language stating that gamers must devote 12–13 hours of practice per day, according to Mashable.
Despite Cuban’s cautious approach, a handful of NBA franchises and owners investing in e-sports teams. Last month, the Philadelphia 76ers became the first U.S. professional sports team to purchase e-sports franchises while a group of sports team owners acquired a controlling interest in Team Liquid shortly thereafter.
Just a day following the Team Liquid announcement, Memphis Grizzlies co-owner and co-executive chairman Steve Kaplan also reportedly increased his stake in gaming team Immortals, becoming a major shareholder.
Even current NBA players such as Brooklyn Nets point guard Jeremy Lin and Boston Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko are making headlines in e-sports.
With all of the excitement, the one constant question right now is, who will be the next NBA figure to align with an e-sports team?
