Esports franchise Team Liquid sold to Magic Johnson, NBA co-owners group
'Everything will be the same but better,' Team Liquid co-founder assures fans
Esports franchise Team Liquid said Tuesday it has sold its controlling interest to a group of investors including NBA Hall-of-Famer Magic Johnson and co-owners of the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards.
The newly formed ownership group, called Axiomatic Esports, is headed by Peter Guber and Ted Leonsis, and includes other names such as AOL co-founder Steve Case.
Guber and Leonsis will serve as co-executive chairmen of Team Liquid.
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Guber, CEO of the Mandalay Entertainment Group and co-owner of the NBA's Golden State Warriors and MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers. Leonsis is majority owner of Monumental Sports and Entertainment, which owns the NBA's Washington Wizards and the NHL's Washington Capitals.
Team Liquid's current co-CEOs Victor Goossens and Steve Archanet will continue in their roles and serve as "directors," according to a team statement.
Goossens, also known by his online handle Nazgul, wrote that "everything will be the same but better" as a result of the partnership.
Founded in 2001 and based in the Netherlands, Team Liquid is one of the oldest esports franchises. It currently has over 50 professional players from different countries and regions signed across several competitive games, including League of Legends, Starcraft 2 and Street Fighter 5.
Most of its current roster is made up of American and European players, but its Overwatch team includes two Canadians, Keven "AZK" Lariviere and Andrew "id_" Trulli.
"I've now put almost half of my life into Team Liquid, and I'm ready to begin a new chapter in the ongoing story of our presence in esports," he wrote.
Pro sports investing in esports
It's the second major esports acquisition this week. On Monday, the Philadelphia 76ers announced they had acquired Team Dignitas and Team Apex, merging them into a single franchise with the Dignitas name. The teams have players in multiple games including League of Legends, Counter-Strike: GO and Overwatch.
Team NRG, which has League and Counter-Strike players on its roster, includes Alex Rodriguez and Shaquille O'Neal among its big-name investors.
And some soccer clubs, including VFL Wolfsburg, Manchester United and West Ham United have signed FIFA video game players.
Competitive gaming, already a force in Asia, has been slowly but steadily growing in presence and visibility in North America and European markets.
This summer, the Street Fighter 5 finals of the Evolution Championship Series was broadcast on ESPN 2.
And in August, thousands of fans filled the Air Canada Centre in Toronto for the League of Legends North American summer finals.