Activision considering a mandate forcing OWL and CDL franchises to unify
A massive change is coming.
Activision is looking into the possibility of makingCall of Duty LeagueandOverwatch Leaguefranchises come together as singular brands, according to areport by Dexerto.
Currently, all teams, even if owned by the same parent company, are separate in terms of their branding and sometimes even their locations.
Overwatch League and Call of Duty league franchises could be combining
The idea is being “floated,” according to the report, as Activision Blizzard looks for a way to improve the model for their esports titles.
This would see CDL and OWL teams use the same brands in both leagues rather than separate as they currently do. The Toronto Ultra and Toronto Defiant are an example of two brands run by OverActive Media across the leagues.
Roughly five years into the OWL and three into the CDL, things are still needing significant growth and momentum. This move would attempt to bring the fan bases together, making it more cohesive and potentially cross-pollinating fans.
Below you can find teams that would be potentially affected by the unification mandate should it happen.
It’s unknown whether teams would take one of the brands already established in the pairing or come up with a completely new one.
Adam Apicella, founder of MLG, Esports Engine, and former VP of league event operations at Activision Blizzard, shared his thoughts on the report, stating that “unification of brands in CDL and OWL makes sense to me, but it is not the root of the issue.”
Unification of brands in CDL and OWL makes sense to me but it is not the root of the issue.The issue is that revenue in the esports space is not ‘there’ yet, while there is still rampant spending to sate unreasonable fan desires. What should be done is to look at co located…
This is only being discussed as of now, according to the report, but is something we could see taking place ahead of the 2024 season.
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