MLBPA enters eSports segment

In an interesting development, the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) has signed deal with the Illinois-based gaming specialists UMG Media to launch the first ever baseball-based esports series that will feature the league’s leading stars.

The series will bring both active and retired Major League Baseball (MLB) players face to face. The competition will be streamed on Amazon-owned streaming platform Twitch. The inaugural series will culminate with a live championship finals in Las Vegas in December, with UMG also partnering with Caesars Entertainment and The Wall Gaming Lounge esports venue to host the event. The finals will feature 16 teams of MLB players competing for the MLBPA Challenge Series title and cash prizes.

Various MLB players have already been confirmed for the Fortnite Challenge, including Lance McCullers Jr., Trevor May, and Trea Turner.

 “We’ve all watched major league players compete against each other on the field, now we’ll have the opportunity to test their video game skills against each other, as well,” said Evan Kaplan, the MLBPA’s director of licensing and business development. “We’re excited to team with UMG JMG Series Corp for this new series.”

“Being part of the first esports initiative of the MLBPA is very exciting, and initial response of the players has been tremendous, I can’t wait to see them compete,” added Emil Bodenstein of UMG JMG. “Partnering with the MLBPA and Caesars for such a unique series is great for both the players and their fans.”

Source: SportsProMedia