There is expected to be 55 hours of original
programming per week, including gamer
streams, talk shows, documentaries and live
esport events. It already has deals in place to
broadcast on Twitch and YouTube and expects
to be available on mediums like Roku or Sling.
Esports revenues are expected to top $1 billion
this year, and global viewership numbers are
rivaling those of traditional sports — nearly 100
million viewers watched last year’s League of
Legends world championship, roughly on par
with TV viewership for the Super Bowl.
Yet the industry remains disjointed. Just like
not all football fans also watch hockey, Fortnite
players aren’t necessarily keeping tabs on League
of Legends or Overwatch. Creating a common
space for all those gamers has proven difficult.
Perhaps the closest thing is the online streaming
platform Twitch, but gamers there tend to find
streams specific to their interest, creating little
overlap with other gaming domains.
VENN hopes to solve that with content built
around the culture of gaming.
“I think we’re more of a hybridized ESPN
and what MTV TRL (Total Request Live) was
when it launched decades ago,” Kusin said.
“That crossover that it brought music in that
generation in the culture.”
It’s a lofty pitch, but one that’s proven credible
to many of gaming’s most influential names.
The group’s initial investors include Riot Games
co-founder Marc Merrill, Blizzard Entertainment
co-founder Mike Morhaime, Twitch co-founder
Kevin Lin and aXiomatic Gaming, an investment
group behind Team Liquid and Epic Games.