The Business of Esports: Investing in Team Liquid - No Playing Field

What started as fun and games has turned into big business. Esports is one of the fastest growing trends in the world, and investors have taken notice.
Investment group ‘aXiomatic’ have done more than take notice. In 2016, the group purchased one of the largest teams in esports: Team Liquid. Investors include Steve Case, Magic Johnson, Tony Robbins, and a long list of executives and owners from the traditional sports industry.
'No Playing Field' is a series by Mashable following the behind-the-scenes of the ever-growing world of esports. From huge investment opportunities, to secret team tactics, to obsessed fans, the series gives deep insights on how esports came to be, its current challenges and where it's heading next.
Produced by Matt Kline
Special thanks to 1UP Studios and Team Liquid for providing footage:
1upstudios.gg
@1UPGG
teamliquidpro.com
@TeamLiquid
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[@TeamLiquidCS]

The real reason they invested in us is because our KZbin channel is 🔥🔥🔥

[@DamianEstrada]

They are not wrong... :P

[@ryanpetroschka6038]

Team Liquid i just love your team

[@XxPortiixX]

Team Liquid your content is trash FaZe has better videos

[@broblazing5079]

Team Liquid we want more overwatch videos

[@happylittletree1727]

Team Liquid paid by Steve

[@Happy-Mint]

The opportunities that iBuyPower has missed for a bunch of skins. If only they knew.

[@Kevin-um1nq]

xMintx are you my x-ey brother

[@Happy-Mint]

Finally, it's been years searching for you. I don't remember you being black though. but its ok, I don't judge.

[@puveldudel5147]

Can I know the story behind that? I'm not in CS:GO competitive scene right now

[@Hax915]

Puvel Dudel basically ibuypower lost a game on purpose for some money in return

[@Kevin-um1nq]

xMintx didn't know you were meme illiterate Granted it's not a meme but still

[@rougecrown]

I'm a simple man. I see Kuroky's name I up vote.

[@ggioia86]

Can you guys do a video on how to get a job in esports besides being a pro gamer. I would like to switch careers ASAP but I don’t know where to begin.

[@TheDobleQ]

YEEEEAHUUUUZ.

[@raphaelp204]

I really like the idea of esports getting more into investing etc. But on the other hand i always see what money does or did to traditional sports like football. I'm a little scared that these big companies, that are only after profit start to invest in a sport which was driven by passionate players over the last years :/

[@nerdowlesa]

So true

[@mikekilpatrick1474]

should be a constitutional agreement stating no fortune 500 companies no cooperate soul takers, just bring in smaller companies to grow with the leagues, small companies that cant afford to fail and risk their success with us.. I think it would be great to grow with each other instead of letting players and all those on the fore front take the risk and let those sit on the sidelines until they feel safe

[@kr06142627]

No 1

[@StretchReality]

Yea.... because the only thing that's keeping esports down is not having a million ads everywhere.....

[@totallynothitler5333]

Wow this is new. This video I mean.

[@Sinaeb]

And here I'm still waiting to get money out of my two #1 ranks.

[@StretchReality]

Sinaeb sorry bro but I don't think there's any money in getting rank 1 in club penguin.

[@anupamshah7694]

eSports generation is here.

[@TimDeadmenVP]

"We laugh together we cry together" Mostly cry

[@ShivSilverhawk]

I suck at Overwatch!

[@dontquoteme8992]

Shiv Silverhawk easy

[@StretchReality]

DontQuoteMe yes, it is easy to be bad. But I'm sure your well aware of that.

[@AhmedKMoustafa2]

how to make balance between Esports and Engineering ? :P

[@Jdmimportz2]

depends on which esport ur doing if its team based then either have ur team have a backup for you otherwise u cant

[@karimbockemuehl9492]

MATUMBAMAN NOT BUYING BKB AGAINST FNATIC AT TI6 😭😭😭

[@TylerNovakYT]

?

[@raymondhorn1052]

Karim Bockemuehl I cri ever tim 322

[@karimbockemuehl9492]

Raymond Horn same. so 322, and then as if that wasnt bad enough, slacks roasted them...

[@Rin-sj8ii]

Liquiiiiiiiddddddssss

[@gonzesse1437]

Wait... How am I subscribed to this channel?

[@brianb2308]

Gonzesse James Veitch scamalot

[@juju543soccer]

NRG esports got relegated

[@darkkiss7247]

Never heard of Esports before...

[@TylerNovakYT]

E Sports. Trust me you've heard of it, search it up.

[@TheLambily]

DARKKISS im pretty certain he knows... you just got baited.

[@rougecrown]

JEBAITED

[@bae_onetta]

Dotaaaa

[@NeonsStyleHD]

Shame you can't get Australia interested in E-Sports. Here it's just too traditional, and television just has no interest in it which is sad.

[@danielpattersontube]

+NeonsStyle Esports has no interest in television. The generation that watches Esports has free access to the games they want to see with no commercials and replays whenever you want through the magic of the internet.

[@NeonsStyleHD]

Not so, I am old. Don't believe in stereotypes. You need to remember, gamers have been around since the invention of PC's around 1983. You take someone in their twenties then, and you've got an old gamer today. I know I am one.

[@danielpattersontube]

Sorry I accidentally deleted my comments. I've seen a few news pieces on how big Esports are getting but it's not really breaking news as it's been growing this big over several years now. In Korea they have games on tv, I'm pretty sure a whole channel for it.

[@lesbles007]

Esports is not bigger than traditional sports and you are not there yet, not by a long shot.

[@DidamDFP]

lesbles007 Bigger than the NBA? Yes. Bigger than the NFL? Yes, sure it is bigger. But bigger than soccer or the whole traditional sports? No, you're right with that.

[@Londronable]

A few hundred thousand or million people interested in a sport in a limited amount of countries. Say, snowboarding, and you have a sport. E-sports has more people in it but they are spread out around the globe. The problem with e-sports is that it's simply not concentrated on the globe except for South-Korea. So there is no big presence anywhere, there is a small presence everywhere. Is it there yet? In terms of "numbers of people who watch it". Yes. Has been for a long time when we talk numbers. Is it there in terms of influence? Outside of South-Korea, not yet.

[@lesbles007]

1. Esports does not have the financial capital that traditional sports has. NBA, NFL, Soccer, et al. 2. E-sport doesn't have the vast non-endemic sponsors that traditional sports take for granted. 3. Esports cannot fill out a packed stadium with more than 20,000 people Week in-Week out, like traditional sports do. Traditional sports boasts that for even smaller teams. 4. Esports does not have any meaningful presence on TV except for Korea. 5. Esports teams/player value is significantly dwarfed by traditional sports. 6. Esports is free to watch and lan event ticket prices are cheap. Premium Traditional sports is not free to watch(either ppv or through a subscription company). Stadium tickets range from affordable to a princely fee. 7. Esports is young, about 20 years. Traditional sports is over 100 years and the fanbase support their clubs even if players leave. The culture of traditional sports it deeply rooted and endured through the generations and people identify themselves with their clubs. Esports is still a long way from being even mentioned in the same breath as traditional sports. It will get there im sure but lets not suck each others dicks just yet. Esports is still small chips, compared to what it might look like 20 or 30 years from now.

[@MoonLight-gg3ve]

Hmhm na teams

[@TylerNovakYT]

One day, we will be able to go into the world of E Sports. *LITERALLY.*

[@memesonwheels8721]

First

[@StretchReality]

Lol Team Liquid, the team that got reversed sweeped by a brand new team

[@JechoXV]

paid by steve

[@ryanm5883]

Lol Team Liquid "winning records"

[@xyxxyyxx]

Ryan M I don't think they meant whichever game you mean but in every game team liquid has players in they are pretty successful

[@sovex9331]

Kinda won the biggest prize in esports history this year... so yeah.

[@danielobeid9128]

Ryan M delete yr comment bro

[@MICZgfx]

The international...

[@devildog414fg]

OpTic > Liquid

[@de_stroyed6669]

Freddy apex #GreenWall