Esports Arena Pipeline

OverActive Media is planning an esports arena in Toronto that would have up to 10,000 seats. The arena would be built at Exhibition Place, near BMO Field, and be home to OverActive’s Toronto-based Overwatch and Call of Duty teams.

Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Overwatch League and Call of Duty League had plans to have teams play in their home markets – the first esports properties to move to a localized model akin to other professional sports.

Esports arena developments are sprouting up across the U.S., including the $50 million Fusion Arena in Philadelphia and an esports facility inside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. There’s also the $10 million Esports Stadium Arlington in Texas and a renovation of San Diego’s Pechanga Arena, which will include an esports configuration.

Allied Esports, which has had success with its HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas and broader network of mobile arenas, is now looking to bring esports to malls thanks to a deal with real estate firm Simon Properties. A variety of colleges have built or are building dedicated esports facilities, including Ohio State University, North Texas University, and Full Sail University.

Esports is now a billion-dollar industry, but less than 10% of that – a projected $104 million in 2019 – came from merchandise and ticket sales.