SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Bay Area’s rich tradition of innovation and advancement rolls on with San Francisco’s newest professional sports team: the San Francisco Shock. The Shock will represent San Francisco in Blizzard Entertainment’s new global professional esports league, the Overwatch League™.
“There is no better market to establish as the epicenter of esports than San Francisco,” said Andy Miller, Founder and CEO of NRG Esports, parent organization of the San Francisco Shock. “We are so excited to bring a hometown esports team to the region that has been central to the growth of gaming in North America.”
The Overwatch League from Blizzard Entertainment is the first major esports league to feature a city-based franchise structure. Twelve franchises from around the world, including the San Francisco Shock, will make up the teams for the inaugural season. Built from the ground-up for online and team competition, Overwatch® is Blizzard’s fastest game to reach 35 million players.
The SF Shock chose its name and logo to represent the seismic energy and activity of the region. The seismograph logo is presented in gold, honoring San Francisco's historic gold rush heritage. The seismograph waveform presents itself as a silhouette of the Bay Bridge, an iconic structure connecting the City to the East Bay.
“We took great care to choose a logo and identity that would both represent the attributes and traditions of San Francisco, yet at the same time speak to the future of sports and the Shock’s ambitions to take its place as a fixture next to the Bay Area’s championship sports teams,” said Miller.
Esports are rapidly growing in popularity throughout the U.S. and globally, with the category expected to grow to a $1.5 billion industry in the next three years, according to market intelligence firm Newzoo1.
SF Shock parent organization NRG Esports has competed at the highest level of Overwatch competition since the game’s inception. “As one of NRG’s most popular teams, Overwatch has captured our fans’ imagination and attention from day one,” said Brett Lautenbach, President of NRG Esports. “We are excited to build the definitive esports experience for our hometown fans in San Francisco with live matches, amateur events, and gaming lifestyle experiences.”
The Overwatch League begins preseason play on December 6, with a series of exhibition matches featuring all 12 teams. The regular season will begin on January 10 and run into June, with playoffs and finals in July 2018. For more information on the Overwatch League, visit overwatchleague.com.
For more information on the San Francisco Shock, follow the team on Twitter @SFShock.
[1] Based on data from Newzoo, 2017 Global Esports Market Report
About San Francisco Shock
San Francisco Shock, one of the 12 esports franchises competing in the Overwatch League’s inaugural season, is owned by NRG Esports, a San Francisco-based esports organization competing in eight professional video game leagues known for its deeply engaged fan base. NRG was founded in 2015 by Andy Miller and Mark Mastrov, co-owners of the Sacramento Kings. NRG investors include Shaquille O’Neal, Alex Rodriguez, and Jennifer Lopez, alongside Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.
OVERWATCH, OVERWATCH LEAGUE, BLIZZARD, and BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT are trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
