Activision Blizzard confirmed it will turn over operations of the Overwatch League to a third party, according to the Sports Business Journal.
The OWL is scheduled to begin its fifth season in 2022. Activision Blizzard this year turned over the broadcast and production operations of the Call of Duty League, which began in 2020, to Esports Engine.
The move to a third-party operator for the OWL comes in the wake of Microsoft agreeing last month to acquire Activision Blizzard. Microsoft is already using Esports Engine to run its Halo Championship Series.
Last week, Saudi-backed Savvy Gaming Group agreed to purchase ESL Gaming and FACEIT in a $1.05 billion deal. Savvy is merging the two into the ESL FACEIT Group.
Bids are already being taken by third-party operators interested in taking over production of the OWL. No winner has been officially announced, and the SBJ reported rumors that Esports Engine have already been selected are not accurate.
To the contrary, the report said indicated that taking on operation of the OWL in addition to the CDL and Halo may be too much for Esports Engine at this time.
–Field Level Media
