This Unknown Sport Could Soon be More Popular Than NFL and Formula 1

Loading...
Loading...

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Esports have officially gone mainstream. With 243 million dedicated viewers, major arenas across the globe selling out, and a market expected to grow to $3 billion by 2022, Wall Street is starting to take note.  Mentioned in today's commentary includes:  Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. TTWO, Nintendo Co., Ltd. NTDOY, HUYA Inc. HUYA, Tencent Holding Ltd. TCEHY, NVIDIA Corp. NVDA.

In fact, some of the top companies in this burgeoning sector have seen unprecedented growth in just a few short years. Like EA which has shot up 147%, Nintendo which has soared by 276%, and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc which exploded by 411%. As surprising as it sounds, the industry has the potential to go head-to-head with the NFL, NBA and even the English Premier League, according to Goldman Sachs.

The top ten teams in the business are already pulling in over $160 million every year, while the stars of the industry are earning as much as some of the biggest names in traditional sports. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. The real potential lies in the web of revenue streams hiding just outside of the spotlight.

Millennial Esports (GAME, MLLLF) is a company that knows this all too well…

With its hands in nearly every sector of the gaming industry, Millennial has become a Jack-of-all-trades in an industry where most companies are hyper-fixated on a single venture.

"As the esports industry continues to explode, new opportunities to generate profit are arising every day and being able to identify trends before the markets is one of our biggest strengths," notes Millennial CEO Darren Cox.  And it's true. From streaming deals and digital ads to game development, there is a lot of money on the line. The best part? The industry is still in its early days, which means savvy investors stand to make some serious cash. 

Here are three trends to watch as the esports revolution kicks into high gear:

#1 – The Secret Weapon In The Streaming Wars

Just last year, viewers spent over 6.6 billion hours watching their favorite players online. That's why Amazon paid nearly $1 billion to acquire streaming giant Twitch. And why Microsoft-owned Mixer paid a rumored $100 million to get superstar Tyler "Ninja" Blevins on its platform.

Amazon's Twitch.tv, as the de facto leader in the space, with over 15 million unique visitors per day, has become so engrained in the industry that new video game consoles even have the platform's streaming functionality built in. It's so dominant, in fact, that it accounts for 1.8 percent of peak internet traffic.

Looking to follow in Twitch's footsteps, however, Chinese streaming giant Huya HUYA is looking to carve out its place in the esports industry.  As a part of its ambitious and aggressive plan to dive into Western markets, Huya is looking to partner with some of the top teams in the business, and it's got a significant war chest to help its cause.

While Twitch and Huya face off, however, another company is operating in the shadows of the streaming boom and positioning itself to fill a key role in the industry.

Millennial E-Sports (GAME, MLLLF) has already made a name for itself in the esports world with its involvement in events, development and hardware production, but thanks to its acquisition of Stream Hatchet, it's now taking the lead in analytics. A necessity to any business looking to take advantage of the streaming trend.

With Stream Hatchet under Millennial's brand, the company is now with some of the biggest names in the business, including Activision Blizzard and Xbox Game Studios. Gathering viewer data from platforms like Twitch, Huya, YouTube and more, Millennial is able to create in-depth reports that help companies improve engagement, and in turn, profits.

The best way to make serious cash in this burgeoning new industry is to know exactly what viewers are doing and why they are doing it, and no one knows how to take advantage of this information better than Millennial (GAME, MLLLF).

And the best part is that not only are companies paying Millennial to harvest their data, they're actually buying it back, giving Millennial double the upside.  It is seeking to corner the market in what might just be the most lucrative niche in the esports industry. But it's clear to see why companies are willing to dish out the big bucks for these insights. It helps them create better games, sell more products, and keep players on board for longer.   

#2 – Video Games Are Bigger Than Hollywood

In 2019, the video game industry is expected to generate $151 billion in revenue. By comparison, the film industry is expected to pull in only $43 billion. That means that video games are already bigger than Hollywood.

And thanks to the growth of mobile gaming, esports, and new gaming technology, the industry is expected to become a $300 billion industry by 2025.  Gaming giants know this well and utilize every weapon in their arsenal to stay ahead.  

That's exactly the niche Millennial (GAME, MLLLF) is hoping to capitalize on. Millennial's innovative edge has helped it become a veritable one stop shop for branding, advertising, media rights and sponsorship in the video game industry. And its tools are helping fuel the development trend bigger companies are building on.

That's because today's gamers are smart, flighty and demanding. Keeping them on board has never been more difficult.

Understanding how players interact with the games helps developers create hits like Take-Two's TTWO  Grand Theft Auto V, which clocks as the third highest selling video game of all time, generating over $6 billion in revenue.

Thanks to the data they've collected, they have been able to create entire universes for their player bases, packed with compelling stories and interfaces that truly transport gamers into the worlds they've created.

While Take-Two has generated a number of hits, no other company stands above Nintendo NTDOY.  With two of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time, Mario and Pokémon, under its belt, Nintendo has been a leader of the gaming revolution since its inception.

From hardware to game development, Nintendo has taken an innovative approach to keep its fans on board. And it's not letting the esports revolution pass it by, either. Super Smash Brothers, a multi-player fighting game, has become a staple in the competitive gaming world.

While video game producers take up much of the spotlight in the gaming boom, they wouldn't have much to work with without hardware producers and chipmakers like NVIDIA NVDA. As one of the leaders in the industry, NVIDIA has been an unsung hero in the gaming revolution. With its chimps, it has been able to help gamers dive into lush new worlds with mind-blowing graphics and a seamless player experience.  It's clear that video games aren't going anywhere anytime soon, but the industry is still in its infancy and smart companies are already diving in head first.

#3 – Deals And Deals And Deals

With the video game industry set to continue its explosive growth for years to come, strategic investments, partnerships and acquisitions have become a key part of the business. And no one is doing that better than Tencent Holdings TCEHY. The Chinese tech giant responsible for WeChat and QQ has not ignored the video game boom.

Loading...
Loading...

Not only is its subsidiary Riot Games responsible for one of the world's most played esports, League of Legends, boasting over 89 million players, it has also taken significant stakes in other game developers. Tencent's portfolio includes shares in Activision, Ubisoft, and even a 40 percent stake in Epic Games, producer of Fortnite.

Though Tencent might be the leader in the field, smaller companies like Millennial Esports (GAME, MLLLF) are making major moves, as well.

Millennial, for its part, has made headlines with its acquisitions of Eden Games, a developer whose hit mobile game Gear Club has over 6 million downloads to date, and Allinsports, a motorsport simulator manufacturer founded by ex-Formula 1 engineer Anton Stipinovich.

Millennial's focus on the motorsports niche in esports allowed it to create one of the sector's most popular  racing events: The World's Fastest Gamer. In just the first season of the competitive racing league, with a prize pool of $1million, World's Fastest Gamer became a global hit.

It was broadcast in 48 countries through 86 global broadcasters, including ESPN, CNBC and Fox Sports. The show, sponsored by McLaren F1, reached an estimated 400 million households. And it's wheeling and dealing doesn't end there. It's also secured major agreements with Nintendo and Porsche.

By. Andy Everett

IMPORTANT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER

PAID ADVERTISEMENT. This communication is a paid advertisement. Safehaven.com, Leacap Ltd, and their owners, managers, employees, and assigns (collectively "the Publisher") is often paid by one or more of the profiled companies or a third party to disseminate these types of communications. In this case, the Publisher has been compensated by Millennial Esport Corp.  to raise public awareness of the company and to advertise and market the company's products and services. Millennial Esport paid the Publisher fifty thousand US dollars to produce and disseminate this and other similar articles and certain banner ads. This compensation should be viewed as a major conflict with our ability to be unbiased. 

Readers should beware that third parties, insiders, and/or their affiliates may liquidate shares of the profiled companies at any time, including at or near the time you receive this communication, which has the potential to hurt share prices. Frequently companies profiled in our articles experience a large increase in volume and share price during the course of public awareness marketing, which often ends as soon as the awareness marketing ceases. The public awareness marketing may be as brief as one day, after which a large decrease in volume and share price may likely occur.

This communication is not, and should not be construed to be, an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Neither this communication nor the Publisher purport to provide a complete analysis of any company or its financial position. The Publisher is not, and does not purport to be, a broker-dealer or registered investment adviser. This communication is not, and should not be construed to be, personalized investment advice directed to or appropriate for any particular person. Any investment should be made only after consulting a professional investment advisor and only after reviewing the financial statements and other pertinent corporate information about the company. Further, readers are advised to read and carefully consider the Risk Factors identified and discussed in the advertised company's SEC, SEDAR and/or other government filings. Investing in securities, particularly microcap securities, is speculative and carries a high degree of risk. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This communication is based on information generally available to the public and on an interview conducted with the company's CEO, and does not contain any material, non-public information. The information on which it is based is believed to be reliable. Nevertheless, the Publisher cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information.

SHARE OWNERSHIP. The owner of Safehaven.com owns shares and/or stock options of the featured companies and therefore has an additional incentive to see the featured companies' stock perform well. The owner of Safehaven.com has no present intention to sell any of the issuer's securities in the near future but does not undertake any obligation to notify the market when it decides to buy or sell shares of the issuer in the market. The owner of Safehaven.com will be buying and selling shares of the featured company for its own profit. This is why we stress that you conduct extensive due diligence as well as seek the advice of your financial advisor or a registered broker-dealer before investing in any securities.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS. This publication contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding expected continual growth of the featured companies and/or industry. The Publisher notes that statements contained herein that look forward in time, which include everything other than historical information, involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the companies' actual results of operations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, changing governmental laws and policies impacting the company's business, the size and growth of the market for the companies' products and services, the companies' ability to fund its capital requirements in the near term and long term, pricing pressures, etc. 

INDEMNIFICATION/RELEASE OF LIABILITY. By reading this communication, you acknowledge that you have read and understand this disclaimer, and further that to the greatest extent permitted under law, you release the Publisher, its affiliates, assigns and successors from any and all liability, damages, and injury from this communication. You further warrant that you are solely responsible for any financial outcome that may come from your investment decisions.

TERMS OF USE. By reading this communication you agree that you have reviewed and fully agree to the Terms of Use found here http:// Safehaven.com/terms-and-conditions If you do not agree to the Terms of Use http:// Safehaven.com/terms-and-conditions, please contact Safehaven.com to discontinue receiving future communications.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. Safehaven.com is the Publisher's trademark. All other trademarks used in this communication are the property of their respective trademark holders.  The Publisher is not affiliated, connected, or associated with, and is not sponsored, approved, or originated by, the trademark holders unless otherwise stated. No claim is made by the Publisher to any rights in any third-party trademarks.

DISCLAIMER:  Safehaven.com is Source of all content listed above.  FN Media Group, LLC (FNM), is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with Safehaven.com or any company mentioned herein.  The commentary, views and opinions expressed in this release by Safehaven.com are solely those of Safehaven.com and are not shared by and do not reflect in any manner the views or opinions of FNM.  FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers.  FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination and financial marketing solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security.  FNM was not compensated by any public company mentioned herein to disseminate this press release.

FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

Media Contact
FN Media Group LLC
e-mail:  editor@financialnewsmedia.com
U.S. Phone: +1(954)345-0611

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/this-unknown-sport-could-soon-be-more-popular-than-nfl-and-formula-1-300923797.html

SOURCE Safehaven.com

Loading...
Loading...
Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
Posted In: Small CapOpinionPress ReleasesentertainmentMultimedia/Online/Internet
Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!

Loading...