Internet Pioneer Yahoo.com Enters eSports With Yahoo eSports
Despite a widely publicized company restructuring due to failing performances across the board, internet pioneer Yahoo has announced that it is entering the emerging industry of eSports through a dedicated media vertical called Yahoo eSports.
READ: Yahoo board to discuss sale of core business – report
Early Wednesday morning Philippine Standard Time Yahoo unveiled esports.yahoo.com, a website dedicated to full-time coverage of the world’s top eSports and gaming titles which include Dota 2, League of Legends, Counterstrike: Global Offensive, Heroes of the Storm, Street Fighter V, Hearthstone and Smash Bros.
The site will focus on providing a full range of media coverage with an emphasis on video content in its report of various tournaments and events surrounding eSports.
Yahoo’s entry into eSports is another in a growing number of traditional media companies entering the lucrative world of eSports. Last year, ESPN announced ESPN eSports, its own eSports-focused vertical. Bleacher Report has also put up want ads calling for applications of dedicated eSports content creators.
It seems that Yahoo eSports falls squarely into embattled Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s view for Yahoo’s future. After announcing job cuts and a refocusing of efforts in early February, Mayer said that the company will be focusing on four major offerings: Sports, Finance, News and Lifestyle.
Esports meteoric rise as a spectator sport industry, bolstered by online streaming platforms such as Twitch.tv, has cultivated a very valuable target audience with high engagement numbers. So valuable, that even a flailing entity such as Yahoo just couldn’t resist the allure.
Photo from esports.yahoo.com
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