'League of Legends' is popular, but not profitable as an esport
As one of the most-watched esports in the world, League of Legendsstill isn't making a profit off its professional competitive scene.
Although developer Riot Games has been pouring money into the esports side of Leaguefor years, it still isn't profitable according to Riot's creators Marc Merrill and Brandon Beck, who confirmed the fact to Polygonin an in-depth interview.
SEE ALSO:'League of Legends' surpasses 100 million monthly players"Yes, we’re still investing millions into esports without profit, but our goal with esports has always been to make a great player experience first," Beck told Polygon's Phil Kollar.
Unlike most other esports titles, League's professional competitive scene is run almost entirely in-house. Riot operates its own leagues all over the world, hosting regular seasons and tournaments for dozens of professional, semi-pro and even amateur teams.
"Yes, we’re still investing millions into esports without profit."
These leagues began in 2012, three years after the game release and one year after the League of LegendsSeason One Championship was hosted at DreamHack summer 2011. Beck told Polygonthey had 100,000 concurrent viewers for that tournament. The 2015 World Championships had an average concurrent viewership of 4.2 million.
Although Riot's strategies have worked for gathering eyeballs, gathering enough money to pull its esports division into the black continues to be an issue. Recently, Team SoloMid owner Andy "Reginald" Dinh wrote a public response to Merrill's comments about teams not investing enough into the game, noting that other games with third-party tournaments are a more lucrative option for TSM's pro teams.
"Most [League of LegendsChampionship Series] teams lose money because stipends are stagnant, sponsorships for LCS team operations are shrinking and the cost of player salaries, content production, support staff and housing costs are spiraling up," Dinh said in his statement.
He continues to list problems his team has faced with sponsors: Riot does not allow some sponsors to have visibility at its events and threatened TSM with fines for putting out an HTC commercial on its own YouTube page.
Other games and their respective companies do not impose these kinds of restrictions on teams and often license their games to third-party tournament organizers for a fee.
Of course this doesn't mean that League of Legendsitself is a money hole; through in-game purchases, outside estimates put Riot Games' revenue at over $1 billion.
TopicsEsportsGamingLeague Of Legends
(责任编辑:资讯)
- 热浪来袭 科学应对防中暑
- Moon picks former judge as inaugural chief of anti
- Scotland to stand against racism before Austria qualifier
- People are ditching their boring Christmas trees for pineapples this year
- Arshad Nadeem receives Hilal
- South Korea beefs up drills amid escalating NK provocations
- Korea mulls toughening social distancing rules
- Melania Trump gave her one true holiday wish. And it's everything we hope for.
- Pixel 3 is supposedly available for pre
- Webb scientists haven't found a rocky world with air. But now they have a plan.
- South Korea pushes for groundbreaking ceremony for inter
- Lewandowski will 'stay patient' with Bundesliga record in reach
- Melania Trump gave her one true holiday wish. And it's everything we hope for.
-
味道真系正!怀集食材邂逅顺德厨艺_南方+_南方plus借顺德区举办第46届国际龙家具展览会和第36届亚洲国际家具材料博览会之机,8月19日,怀集县联合顺德区在龙江镇S-Park体育公园举办“怀集味道· ...[详细]
-
South Korea, US plan biweekly 'working group' consultations on North Korea
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, second from left, accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to the Philipp ...[详细] -
6月26日,国际禁毒日。建行雅安分行积极响应市禁毒委办公室和人民银行雅安中心支行号召,与雅安职业技术学院联合开展禁毒宣传活动,围绕“为爱相聚,拥抱未来,无毒无悔”的主题,向在校师生宣传讲解禁毒知识、禁 ...[详细]
-
Overheating and interference reportedly causing Apple AirPower delays
AirPower, we hardly knew ye.Two reports published over the weekend that cite in-the-know sources rev ...[详细] -
Apple finally sends out payments for MacBook's butterfly keyboard settlement
Apple is finally paying out a $50 million settlement over its defective MacBook butterfly keyboards. ...[详细] -
在等待与期盼中,6月20日晚11点,金鸡关收费站路段解除管制,正式开通,前往名山、成都方向的所有车辆,不必绕道了。4月28日,位于国道108线雨城区境内2372公里+750米成雅高速雅安东收费站金鸡关 ...[详细]
-
The Trumps bungle Pearl Harbor Day on Twitter
It's been 76 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor, and on this day of historical remembrance both ...[详细] -
UN panel adopts resolution condemning North Korea's human rights abuses
A United Nations committee on Thursday adopted a resolution calling for accountability for gross hum ...[详细] -
The world's largest single-capacity floating wind platform has set to sea and the builder released i ...[详细]
-
S. Korea's virus cases hit all
People wait in a long line around a large Christmas tree to get tested for COVID-19 at a screening c ...[详细]
- 13 Astronomical Clocks Connecting Time And Space
- S. Korea reports most deaths amid spiking critically ill patients
- 市民有望用上共享汽车!
- Turns out you can sell your lamp on Tinder. You just have to watch out for ghosting.
- DNC 2024 speech: Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have a superpower no other Democrat has.
- North Korean gift Pungsan dogs have six puppies [PHOTOS]
- Overheating and interference reportedly causing Apple AirPower delays