Major League Baseball is branching into eSports, though it might not be the way you'd expect. The organization's streaming division, BAMTech, has signed a deal with Riot Games for exclusive streaming rights for League of Legends events.
BAMTech paid at least $300 million for the rights through 2023. Under the deal, BAMTech will be able to earn money via ad revenue and managing sponsorship deals. According to Dow Jones Business News, Riot isn't planning to charge League viewers with subscription fees, but a premium-content model isn't off the table at some point in the future.
[Source: Dow Jones Business News via PVP Live]
Our Take
And the money continues to pour into eSports, as more companies realize how lucrative these events have become. Now it's only a question of how tolerant the loyal fans will be of ever-encroaching ads.