With the gaming industry having a rise in its popularity, many opportunities have opened up in media landscape to tap into and expand in this budding market. And as such two veterans from the esports and video games industry will be launching VENN ( Video Game Entertainment and News Network) which will be a round-the-clock post-cable network dedicated at content creation around gaming and esports entertainment aspect.
The duo of Ben Kusin, (son of Gamestop co-founder Gary Kusin) and Ariel Horn (former LCS executive producer) serving as co-CEOs of the VENN, will launch the service sometime in 2020 with live studios based in Los Angeles and New York.
VENN was able to secure an investment of $17 million which includes names of many major backers such as Twitch, Riot Games, Blizzard Entertainment, and Vivendi. VENN will be broadcasting its content on streaming platforms including Twitch and YouTube, as well as on social media platforms. VENN will also partner with Pluto TV, YouTube TV and Sling to stream its content over.
To fill the weekly programming, VENN will be running streams of esports events, talk shows and documentaries which all will be coupled with their in-house content.
With the expertise of 4 time Grammy winner and pioneer of televised esports, Ariel Horn and marketing expertise of Ben Kusin, VENN will prove to be a pivotal point for gaming and gaming entertainment.
In a press release, the company said:
VENN was created as a singular media brand to unite a fragmented media marketplace. Its content will span multiple categories of entertainment, with original programming produced both in-house and with some of the biggest names and creators in gaming, entertainment, streaming, and esports.
Kusin in the release said:
Video games continue to define the culture of today’s youth. Streamers, casters, content creators, esports athletes – these are our new celebrities. VENN is giving this generation an overdue home and a heartbeat, with bi-coastal broadcast studios incorporating live audiences, premium production values, a 24/7 linear offering, and engaging and innovative formats that elevate and promote a culture traditionally overlooked by broadcast media.
Horn also said:
We’ve been polishing our craft on global stages for years while dreaming up new ways to create memorable esports broadcast experiences. VENN will bring together the best and brightest talent to apply the same creativity and big-picture thinking to greater gaming and entertainment content, building a bridge from our industry into the world that surrounds it.
Both the veterans have received a sizeable vote of confidence from the industry and with that moment many of them have also openly invested in the idea of VENN. With a backing so strong we hope for the success of such ambiguous idea, which in future will pave way for more entertainment-filled content in the gaming industry.
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