The Baltimore Ravens are making an ambitious push into the world of esports.
The NFL team announced Monday the creation of the Ravens Gaming League, featuring public tournaments and activities, as well as a multi-year affiliation with Esports Entertainment Group (EEG).
The Ravens Gaming League will start with a Fortnite event set to run June 25-27. A Madden NFL 22 event will follow later in the summer, with the dates yet to be revealed.
Ravens senior vice president of marketing Brad Downs said in a statement, “We are excited to launch this new initiative and explore the benefits for our fans. The gaming and esports industry offer unique opportunities to engage with our fan base, in addition to Ravens players who have shown interest in gaming and esports.”
The Ravens Gaming League will use EEG’s Esports Gaming League (EGL) platform.
EGL chief executive officer Grant Johnson added in a statement, “Our esports tournament platform continues to gain strong traction among top-tier professional sports franchises. We are delighted to add the Ravens as our first NFL partner to go live on our platform.”
Ravens fullback/defensive lineman Patrick Ricard said in a video posted on the team’s Twitter feed, “You’ll have the chance to win cash prizes, autographed merch and the opportunity to test your skills against me.”
Registration is open for the Fortnite competition, for which the champion will receive $500 plus a Ravens “VIP home game experience” featuring a hotel stay, transportation to the game, team merchandise and the chance to compete against a Ravens player.
Details can be found at BaltimoreRavens.com/gaming.
–Field Level Media