Activision Blizzard Teams Up with UMG Media for Overwatch Collegiate Series

Torque Esports’ UMG Media has signed a deal with Activision Blizzard to host a new Overwatch Collegiate Series.

UMG Media will host the collegiate tournament for the game company’s popular first-person shooter that will feature teams from 64 different schools competing for scholarship prize money.

As pointed out in the press release announcing the new college-level tournament for the game, hundreds of colleges around the U.S. now have Overwatch teams. The tournament participants are set to compete for $40,000 in prize money that will be used to build esports programmes at their respective schools and matches will be streamed on UMG Media’s official Twitch channel.

Activision Blizzard’s professional Overwatch League has gotten off to a solid start and is generating revenue through the sale of team license rights and broadcasting deals with entertainment players including Disney and YouTube. College-level esports could aid the company’s bid to increase interest in gaming as spectator entertainment content.

Esports leagues present a wide range of revenue opportunities for games companies, including the sale of professional team rights, ad space, and merchandise. They can also help generate and maintain interest in the underlying games that the competitors in the leagues are playing.