Jordi Roig realizes the strong potential of esports on a global scale.
Roig and fellow RFRSH Entertainment executives come from traditional entertainment options, such as European soccer, handball, rock festivals and operas. In 2016, they started the Blast Pro Series, a Counterstrike esports tournament focused on the fan experience. Now, it’s coming to the U.S. with an event this weekend in Miami.
“We could see esports was definitely a strong, new and upcoming entertainment format,” said Roig, Blast Pro Series executive producer. “Our goal was to do the same thing with esports as we’ve been doing with entertainment.”
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Rogi said previous esports competitions have largely catered to core esports audiences, those who know the games being played, so Blast Pro Series set out to build an experience meant to attract general fans. The producers looked at a variety of how other sports build a fan experience. He said it was important to also cut the time of traditional Counterstrike competitions, which can run up to 25 hours.
“The original drama, of course, lies in the game, but you need to package a fan experience to make sure the fans are having a good time,” Rogi said. “I’ve traveled to a lot of esports competitions and there’s not a lot of entertainment and fun if you don’t already have a love for the game or are very savvy to what’s going on. We tried to build a format that is entertainment first and foremost and then it’s esports.”
The Blast Pro Series fan experience includes a large A-shaped stage with multiple large screens and surround sound, fan cams, t-shirt guns. Prior to the games, explainer videos are played so casual fans can learn basics of the game. Among the casual fans, Rogi said the series hopes to capture are parents bringing their fanatical children to the tournament.
“If you’re a parent, you might not have the passion the kid has,” he said. “If we present a platform where families can have fun together around what the kid’s passion is, that’s our target group, the families.”
Blast Pro Series announced its international expansion last fall, as the series finished its 2018 season in Lisbon, Portugal and this season has dates in Miami; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Madrid, Spain. Prior to the expansion, Blast Pro Series tournaments had only been held in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Istanbul, Turkey. The full series is seven regular-season tournaments and a global final.
Roig said Blast Pro Series will also make another stop in the U.S. in Los Angeles in July. Burger King, a new partner of the series, will run an online competition for tickets to the LA competition. In the future, Rogi said Blast Pro Series would like to make two or three North American stops at regular locations, which could include Miami and LA or other cities like Austin, Texas, or San Diego.
“We want a strong foothold like cities in Formula One where we come back every year,” Rogi said. “We’re having a lot of conversations with cities that are very keen want to capture the esports capital of the U.S.”
The U.S. has the largest base of CS:GO players, with more than 5 million players, so there’s plenty of market to capture, Rogi said. He also said while the U.S. has plenty of momentum with esports, there’s plenty of runway to catch up to the world leader’s in esports popularity and production.
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Competition at the first Blast Pro Series event in the U.S. will include teams like Team Liquid and Cloud9 competing for a $250,000 prize pool.
Russel “Twistzz” VanDulken, a member of Team Liquid, has played other tournaments in the U.S. but is excited to make his way over for this weekend’s Blast Pro Series event in Miami, a location he has yet to play. There is an opportunity in U.S. markets for esports that VanDulken said is ripe for success if done correctly. He regularly frequents Europe and Asia in international tournaments, so he’d be excited to come to North America more often.
“Blast kind of puts the spotlight on us more and it should give us a special feeling,” VanDulken said. “North America has a lot to offer in terms of events, fans and locations but the area isn’t utilized properly. Blast is taking a step in the right direction by having an event in Miami.”
