Guild Esports (Guild), a new global esports business headquartered in London and co-owned by David Beckham, today announced its global launch amid a booming global esports market which is seeing unprecedented growth in popularity and cultural relevance as a leading form of competitive sport and entertainment.
The global esports market, which has enjoyed tremendous support in Asia and is now fast establishing itself as a mainstream entertainment globally, is currently valued at US$1.1bn and is projected to grow by 42% to US$1.56bn by 2023. The number of esports fans is estimated to be around 495m and is largely comprised of millennials – this number is projected to hit 646m by 2023.
Guild is developing a talent pipeline in the UK based on the traditional academy model, which will see the ablest players coached and nurtured by industry leaders in order to attain the skill set required to compete professionally. A roster of scouts will continually find and sign the best young talent.
Guild is well placed to enter this market having established a management team of esports veterans with experience as professional players, coaches and in the esports media. Guild Executive Chairman, Carleton Curtis, is an industry heavyweight and architect of the Overwatch League and Call Of Duty Leagues. Prior to joining Guild he held senior esports roles at Activision Blizzard and Red Bull. His expertise dovetails with David Beckham’s leading position in the world of mainstream sports to create a unique esports proposition.
Guild will scale into various esports disciplines over the course of the 2020/21 season, its inaugural team will make its debut in autumn this year and its professional athletes can expect to compete in the most popular titles including Rocket League, EA Sports FIFA, and Fortnite. The Guild Esports brand will celebrate and harness the diverse and tribal loyalty of esports enthusiasts on a global scale. The Company’s ambition is to build a culture of excellence around its brand and digital presence.
David Beckham’s move into esports is a natural progression given his experience developing sports businesses, most recently through his co-ownership of Inter Miami CF in the MLS; and his passion for guiding youth talent to achieve excellence. His involvement in the launch of Guild offers a powerful opportunity to introduce his level of professional sports acumen to the world of esports and further strengthen this evolving sport.
Guild has secured the talent of London-based artist Fergus Purcell, creator of the iconic identity for skate wear label Palace, to design its brand and develop a unique lifestyle apparel line with an aesthetic that is authentic to the esports community and infused with his streetwear-inspired design philosophy.
Fergus has a recognizable and distinctive design style influenced by pop culture, streetwear and skate culture and collaborated with a diverse roster of fashion designers and music artists from Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith and Alexander McQueen to 2manydjs.
