eSports News UK editor Dom Sacco shares his views on Team Dignitas being acquired by US basketball club The Philadelphia 76ers.
This is a fantastic deal for Team Dignitas in terms of the financial backing and support of a US sporting powerhouse.
Just one month ago ODEE called for UK eSports tax breaks in light of tough competition from VC companies, but didn’t touch on the subject in our recent UK eSports discussion video. This deal may explain why. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
We had heard rumblings a month ago that Dignitas may have been up for sale, but couldn’t clarify the news and validate the sources of the rumour, and ODEE remained professional and wouldn’t mention anything when pressed on the future of Dignitas in League of Legends and as a whole.
It goes without saying that it’s brilliant to see a UK organisation head back into the world of League of Legends at such a high level.
In a way, it is sad to see a UK-based eSports team work its way up from the grassroots to become part of the US at the click of a finger. Don’t get me wrong, I am super happy for Dignitas and the future of the org, I just worry – there was no mention of the UK facilities in the press release. Where will Dignitas be based in the future?
Currently ranked No. 1 in the NBA in new season ticket sales, the Sixers (Dignitas’ new owners) recently opened the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex, which, according to them is the “largest and most technologically advanced training complex in professional sports”, measuring 125,000 square feet. Could we see a new location for Dignitas? A new quality training facility?
(UPDATE: ODEE has confirmed to eSports News UK that Dignitas will still be based in Surrey going forwards)
This sounds great, but the reason I still worry, is that as with most big deals and major investors, the Sixers are owned by a private investment group.
This group, Apollo, is led by managing general partner Josh Harris, who is a co-owner at Crystal Palace. There’s a great article here by The Mirror looking at Josh Harris’ background and what he’s doing in sports.
Harris has been described by one NHL journalist as someone “who seems to have the money and stays in the background”. Which seems okay.
But make no mistake – he’s made this investment in eSports to make even more money. Harris and Apollo will expect a return on investment.
“Harris has been described as someone ‘who seems to have the money and stays in the background’. Which seems okay. But make no mistake – he’s made this investment in eSports to make even more money.”
This article on Forbes also states that the Sixers will be selling sponsorship deals for Dignitas going forwards. In theory this is great. I just hope it doesn’t influence Dignitas’ eSports decisions too much, or detract from what has made them so successful over the years.
Looking at Dignitas’ new chairman, Greg Richardson, I also question his experience in eSports. He is an investor, advisor and entrepreneur in the digital media space and founded game developer and publisher Rumble Entertainment.
Prior to this, he was a partner at Elevation Partners, a $1.8 billion private equity fund focused on digital media. He served in a variety of senior executive roles at BioWare/Pandemic, EA, Eidos Interactive and the 3DO Company.
So he’s had games industry experience, but he’s not really been in eSports, and I hope that won’t cause problems as he works alongside ODEE.
On the other hand, he’s with a good team, a strong brand, and with an experienced veteran like ODEE on his side, Team Dignitas should be even more a force going forwards.
I look forwards to seeing how they develop in the future as they embark on their all-new American adventure.
Further reading
- Team Dignitas acquired by Crystal Palace co-founder, returns to League of Legends via Apex
- ODEE says it’s a landmark day in eSports, but why did the 76ers buy Dignitas? Here’s what the new owners had to say
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
