The Beckhams also enter esports with a million dollar investment
Until recently, when a famous athlete decided to approach the esports sector, it became an event without parallel in the sector. But the truth is that, in the last two years, the list of popular characters who have decided to invest in competitive video games is almost endless.
The last big name to fatten this list is that of the former English soccer player David Beckham , who has decided to approach the sector through an investment of 25 million pounds (approximately 27 million euros). And he has done so to found his own esports club , Guild eSports , from which he will become co-owner and outstanding shareholder.
The new English club will operate from London, and will focus on FIFA, Fortnite and Rocket League video games . Titles in which he will have academy or quarry teams, with the aim of finding the next competitive talents in esports and publicizing the organization.
David Beckham's investment has been managed by his investment fund DB Ventures, one of the companies of Beckham Brand Holdings , a company recently acquired entirely by the couple formed by the former soccer player and his wife, former singer and businesswoman Victoria Beckham . The couple invested 50 million in May to take complete control of their brand, acquiring the remaining 33 percent of the shares from Simon Fuller , a veteran partner of Beckham and manager of the Spice Girls group.
In search of new sponsorships
David Beckham's entry into esports responds to an investment strategy that seeks to attract new sponsors in a new business. Guild eSports aims to achieve a market value of £ 100m (approximately € 110m). To do this, it will try to attract new sponsors and open new revenue streams for the Beckham brand using the figure of the popular athlete.
Carleton Curtis has been announced as the club's executive president. A figure known in the industry for his career in positions of responsibility in the industry, as Vice President of Activision Blizzard or Director of Red Bull eSports . Curtis made the leap into the world of esports after serving as director of digital strategy at Fox Sports.
Beckham Brand Holdings also owns Inter Miami FC , a soccer club in the United States' Major League Soccer (MLS). It also has its own clothing or whiskey line. With the movement of total control of the brand, Beckham increases his presence as an entrepreneur through the exploitation of his own image and the work with companies like Adidas, an aspiration known to the footballer since his retirement.
Guild Esports is currently in an initial process of seeking funding and sponsors. The club has announced that its teams will debut in the fall and will seek to delve into other games to enter the professional competition. Although David Beckham wanted to make clear the club's main objective in sports: "Throughout my career I have been fortunate to work alongside some of the best players, and I have been able to see the passion and dedication it requires to render to that I know that determination is present in esports athletes , and at Guild we have a vision to create a new standard by supporting those players in the future . " And he concludes: "We are committed topromote and nurture young talent through academy systems, and I look forward to contributing to the growth of Guild Esports. "
Soccer players who are fully involved in eSports
It is known to all that the dream of many people, from a very young age, is to become professional soccer players.
In most cases, boys and girls sign up, from a very young age, to teams in their neighborhood, entities which keep charging a certain amount (in most cases only to cover expenses, that is, not for profit ) for each player who signs up. Those teams, each in their leagues, strive to move up to bigger competitions, where scouts "stalk" for talent to nurture the quarries of great teams.
In addition to fulfilling the dream of being a footballer, boys and girls (if they are lucky enough to be signed by a "big" club), go from "paying" to play soccer, to receiving small amounts of money for exercising their favorite sport . This small group of privileged people have managed to turn their passion into their profession.
If they manage to maintain the level for a series of years, and the club considers their renewals and upgrades to be opportune, the salary and benefits that the players receive begins to increase exponentially.
The world of soccer, by all is known, that moves huge amounts of money at the salary level. Why can "exorbitant" wages be allowed in the king of sports? For the large audiences and fan phenomenon that soccer generates.
Attendance to stadiums, acquisition of merchandising, acquisition of soccer television "packages", consumption in public places (which in turn pay for the services of being able to broadcast soccer live), etc. If the salaries that the players receive seem high to you, imagine the amount of money that they "generate" around them so that the clubs can afford it.
How do players move all that money?
Several footballers have gone through a famous pay-TV program in recent months and have come to confirm, out loud, what the general public knows. Soccer players earn amounts of money that the majority of the population does not imagine themselves possessing in all the development of their lives.
Unfortunately, there are great professionals who have ruined their lives "because of" excess money. But in most cases, that money is generally not held still, and at best is invested in such a way that it generates even more profitability.
Some players decide to bet on "traditional" businesses such as real estate investment, investment in hospitality and catering businesses, soccer schools, etc. In general, when the most media footballers make an investment out of the "normal", they appear in all the media and the news runs like wildfire.
The booming business that is eSports has already made an appearance among professional soccer players, who have seen business and a good source of income, in certain investments in electronic sports.
Who has already invested in the sector?
Sergio Reguilón : The left-back recently arrived at Sevilla (formerly of Real Madrid) made his investment in eSports by becoming a shareholder partner in Team Heretics. In May of this year, Team Heretics announced that Sergio Reguilón would be a new shareholder in the club. The Grefg and Goorgo (founders of the club) welcomed the young footballer.
Ronaldo Nazario : for many the best 9 in history. "O Fenomeno" decided to invest in the most important Brazilian club in his country: CNB e-Sports. The club, which currently has League of Legends and Fortnite teams, was a gateway for Ronaldo to the sector. Acquired 50% of the equipment.
André Gomes : The Portuguese footballer who currently plays for Everton (former player of FC Barcelona and Valencia) saw a golden opportunity and invested part of his fortune in G2 eSports, the Spanish club Ocelote.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic : The Swedish footballer did not "marry" any team, his bet is for a platform that generates eSports tournaments and makes a system of championships accessible to all the public that wants to join the competitive gaming of the most successful video games. Challengermode is the name and some of the titles in which tournaments can be organized with this platform are Player Unknowns Battlegrounds, League of Legends, CS: GO and Dota 2.
David Villa : The "Guaje" Villa currently shares a team with Andrés Iniesta, both enjoying their last years as professional footballers, and they play for the Japanese Vissel Kobe. Villa decided to include an eSports team in the FIFA VFO and opted for the creation of DV7 E-Soccer
.
In addition to those already mentioned, it is known to all that Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona central) is probably the one who has made the greatest commitment to electronic sports and the competitive world. Especially from the hand of KONAMI. It seems that, hand in hand with the Japanese company, they are trying to create a unified or global league of Pro Evolution Soccer, which returns to the top of virtual soccer simulators the Japanese title.
