How PRG and Super League Are Bringing New Experiences to Esports

Esports have become a huge draw for gaming fans all over the world, with tournaments like the League of Legends World Championship garnering millions of views each year. As organizations all across the events industry double down on fan experience, event production company PRG has recently announced a new partnership with esports entertainment and experience company Super League, which will allow them to provide “a full spectrum of event support to the esports community.”

Super League has been a company that I have followed and respected for a long time, from the youth esports leagues that they operated in movie theaters to the impressive and innovative production company that they are today,” explains John Davidson, Director of Business Development, Esports for PRG.

Davidson notes that the pandemic promoted “an increased spirit of partnership across the industry,” which lay the foundation for the deal. “Each production company that survived the pandemic pivoted in different ways,” he says. “Companies that may have been competitive in 2019 now have collaborative offerings in 2021. These dynamics working together increased the willingness to partner and provided the opportunity to combine our strengths to provide a greater offering to the esports industry together than apart.”

PRG already supports major esports events such as Fortnite World Cup, Fortnite PRO AM, and League of Legends, and its xR capabilities have powered engaging in-game events, including Fortnite’s Spotlight Series.

Davidson explains that the esports industry was uniquely poised to respond to the circumstances brought about by the pandemic. “Because esports entertainment grew globally online,” he says, “the response to the pandemic was not panic, but rather going back to the industry’s roots. In fact, 2020 was planned to be the year where local, regular, live productions would be tested and proved through Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League and Call of Duty League. These plans stopped short in mid-March.”

Companies like Super League were very successful following the demand for live-streamed tournaments, but Davidson notes that this was not PRG’s core competency at the time. PRG’s production pivot in the esports and gaming space was prompted by the growing need for music artists to reach fans while live events were paused.

“Perfectly coinciding with the newfound popularity of in-game concerts, we worked with Far Right Productions and Epic Games to produce the Fortnite Concert Series with PRG’s industry-leading xR Stage,” he shares. “We also leaned in with broader gaming festivals and showcases, Summer Games Fest and GamesCom ONL, to attract audiences virtually and share games in ways never before experienced.”

PRG’s new partnership with Super League will help both companies take their expertise even further by combining PRG’s innovative event technology with Super League’s experience producing streams and its understanding of the audience. The venture will enable them “to not just produce events, but to revolutionize the fan experience,” says Davidson. “The digital nature of esports means fewer limitations than traditional physical sports. We are excited to bring together the most innovative minds from PRG and SLG to evolve the current event model into the future of entertainment.”

Optimizing fan engagement will naturally benefit esports sponsors and teams as well, especially, as Davidson notes, since the esports audience is often skeptical of sponsors. “Our capabilities can help sponsors build unique, engaging activations to increase awareness, positive sentiment and loyalty with this valuable audience,” he says, which will help ensure the financial sustainability of the industry.

The pandemic has increasingly linked the gaming and music industries and opened the door for more diverse entertainment options for fans than ever before. Like most event industry players, Davidson and PRG are bullish on the future of digital activations and experiences.

“As video games like Fortnite evolve into social media platforms and digital communities, we see demand for entertainment inside of digital worlds growing, and interest from performers to enter those worlds increasing as well,” he says. “As the metaverse continues to develop, expect to see more virtual and digital entertainment that PRG is poised to support. We are combing the future of entertainment, in gaming and esports, with innovative, proprietary technology to create unforgettable moments for fans.”