UK esports organisation LDN UTD has announced that celebrity and musician Connor Ball has joined the team as a co-owner.
25-year-old Connor Ball is an avid gamer, plays bass in the pop rock group The Vamps and is a current contestant on TV show Dancing on Ice.
Connor’s role will include launching a metaverse project, leading events related to social issues and creating content with LDN UTD talent.
Connor Ball said on Twitter: “I’m extremely proud to announce that I am now a co-owner of esports organisation LDN UTD. For the longest time I’ve had a passion in the esports world and having worked with the LDN UTD team across multiple events, the stars aligned and I couldn’t say no to the opportunity.”
He added: “As someone who has faced their own battles with mental health, I’ve suffered with generalised anxiety, panic attacks and depression and know the struggles my generation face. Esports has a massive opportunity to engage the younger generation and tackle social issues that impact us today and in the future.
“I’ve known the LDN UTD team for a while, love what they do, and it is rare to be able to have an opportunity to bring my passion of gaming together with doing good. That’s what LDN UTD does, that’s why I’m getting involved.”
LDN UTD made the announcement on Twitter this evening:
Connor Ball joins other owners of LDN UTD. Companies House currently lists founder and CEO Oliver Weingarten and Edge CEO Adam Whyte as directors.
Oliver Weingarten commented: “Connor is not just an ardent gamer, he is passionate about the issues we address, and to bring him into the LDN UTD family as a co-owner is testament to his vision of what we can achieve. I’m really looking forward to having Connor input into the strategic direction of the business as we raise funds, develop our metaverse strategy, and continue to host engaging events for our community.”
When LDN UTD launched in late 2019, it allowed fans to invest in the org via crowdfunding site Seedrs, and in 2020 LDN UTD announced iSportconnect CEO Sree Varma as a minority investor in the esports organisation.
Late last year, LDN UTD partnered with the Mayor of London and Cudos for an All Access Gaming event at Samsung KX, featuring Chelcee Grimes, Connor Ball and other influencers to promote health and wellbeing.
LDN UTD operates in several games, including the likes of Valorant (where it just reached the VCT 2022 EMEA Stage 1 Challengers after beating Excel in closed qualifier lower bracket final) and League of Legends. The org is currently taking part in Division 2 of the NLC European Regional League for the UK, Ireland and Nordics. It also signed UK LoL streamer Miss Baffy last year.
We’ve reached out to Olly for clarification on the ownership of LDN UTD and will update this article with any info we receive.
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.
