The Houston Rockets are crossing over into esports, becoming the latest NBA organization to join the North American League of Legends Championship Series.
It is being reported that the Rockets are among the organizations that are buying into the North American League of Legends Championship Series. The upcoming circuit has already secured strong ties to NBA teams, as the Cleveland Cavaliers and affiliated venture partners, along with Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob, have reportedly been accepted into the league.
An official announcement revealing the full slate of teams is not expected to take place until next month, but the Rockets appear to be the latest organization to invest in the circuit. More from ESPN:
The Rockets join two other NBA team affiliates to buy into the league. The Cleveland Cavaliers and affiliated venture partners and Golden State Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob both reportedly bought into the league. The other new team to the league is OpTic Gaming, a longtime esports brand that recently received investment from Texas Rangers co-owner Neil Leibman.
“Out of respect for teams still in the application process and mutual NDAs [nondisclosure agreements], we’re not able to comment on any individual applications for the NA LCS,” a league spokesperson told ESPN in a statement. “We’ll be announcing the full lineup in mid-November once the process has concluded and look forward to sharing more details then.”
All of the new franchises will pay $13 million in fees with $8 million due upfront. Five million dollars will go toward league operations and $3 million to a compensation pool to pay North American League Championship Series and Challenger Series teams that did not make it back in. That pool will total $12 million as a result of four new teams.
The Rockets’ entry would represent the culmination of an effort that, according to ESPN, has seen the team consider several options for esports investment. Sebastian Park, a former Archon CEO, was hired by the Rockets last December to serve as the director of esports.
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