Ticket sales for Call of Duty and Overwatch League have just begun. And the response is surprising, despite the coronavirus outbreak. The Activision Blizzard has reported a positive profit outcome of their Leagues. The sales are estimated to accelerate further due to the homestand edge.
According to Adam Stern, a sports business journalist, the Leagues have a “largely positive” rate of ticket sales. Keeping the early sales in mind, the Leagues may grant even larger returns in the future.
How the Sales are Boosting the Morale of Team Members
The sales are also visibly responsible for pushing the teams to work better. Team members’ performances are improving at the same pace as the rate of sales. This is prominent in many groups that have Esports veterans as their coach.
One such example is Adam Apicella. He is the CEO of Esports Engine. The production company is linked to OpTic Gaming. They will perform in March at the homestand. The mixture of these two businesses creates a platform where profit for self is not the only motivation. You also get to help others.
The experience of event production and the relation to charity for veterans ensures optimum motivation. All these factors result in team members that perform well as they want more ticket sales. And, ultimately, more contribution to raising money for charitable services.
Corona Virus’s Impact on Overwatch League Sales in China
Corona Virus has disturbed the success of Overwatch League ticket sales to some extent. The organizers canceled many homestands due to this new deadly disease. And also postponed some without further notice. These include Shanghai and Hangzhou Spark. They were scheduled for February. But were postponed as a safety and security measure.
China is on full lockdown. Thus, they canceled the Overwatch Homestands as well. The organizers refunded the tickets to fans who had already bought them. It is all for the sake of safety. They are taking every measure to prevent the virus from spreading.
To sum up, the overall response is good. However, there is a slight decrease in sales due to the coronavirus outbreak. Especially in China and other Asian countries that are the hub of Esport events.
Call of Duty League
The reception of the newly-formed Call of Duty League has also been very satisfying. One of the main reasons for this is Youtube buying the streaming rights for the League from Activision Blizzard in January. This has attracted many followers to the League.
The stream at Minnesota had over 120,000 viewers for the homestand held there. CWL Anaheim in 2019 also attracted over 122,000 viewers, according to Esport Charts. While this is an expected outcome for a Call of Duty event, it has gotten more attention due to the ease of access. You can view it online without any issues.
Chicago Huntsman turned out to have the most surprising outcome. They were quite popular during the events and performed the best. They had the most viewers in comparison to the other teams. The match between Chicago Huntsman and OpTic gaming is the most-watched game of the season as of now.
Bottom Line
Other games are also due in February. And their outcome is still unknown and anticipated at the same time. The Call of Duty League will resume the homestand with the London Royal Ravens on 8th and 9th Feb. Whereas, the OWL will start as well on the same dates. The opening match of OWL will consist of Toronto Defiant and Paris Eternal.
