Bilibili eSports joins forces with Overwatch League

Bilibili eSports has become the Chinese production partner for Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League.

China.- Bilibili Esports will replace Banana Culture as the new Chinese production partner for Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League, furthering its investment into the eSports market.

It has also been announced as co-host for the 2020 Overwatch Contenders competition, which will feature a $2.5million prize pool. 

Bilibili has played a bigger role in China’s eSports market in recent years, noted for their heavy involvement in League of Legends and Overwatch.

It is widely recognised for its video platform which targets young people and fans in China.

Its involvement within the eSports market, specifically with Overwatch, has become more dominant in recent years.

In September 2018, it secured a franchise slot in the second season of the Overwatch League (OWL), which features city-based teams spread across North America, Europe and Asia.

The company named its Overwatch team the Hangzhou Spark which reportedly cost somewhere in the region of $30-$60 million for its slot in the league. 

According to Pandaily, Bilibili is one of the few companies in the world that currently operate as a multi-eSports team owner, tournament operator and eSports content provider although whether this will be allowed to continue in the eSports market remains to be seen.