As the eSports industry continues to grow, more sponsors begin to flock to sponsor teams. Next on the docket: The capitol of the United States.

The City of Washington D.C. has sponsored upstart eSports team NRG, who fields players in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Super Smash Bros., For Honor, and more. The team is owned by Sacramento Kings ownders Andy Miller and Mark Mastrov, and has big-name investors like Shaquille O'Neal and Alex Rodriguez.

The move is part of the City's new campaign to re-center itself as a hub for a more current, college-aged generation, and sees eSports as a great way to capitalize on it. "This is just another prong in our strategic approach to continue to make D.C. a great place to live and work and play," Chairman of Events D.C. Max Brown said. The sponsorship is only part of its efforts; it also plans to build a new arena for both sports and eSports events, which the city plans to open in late 2018 or early 2019.

[Source: Mashable]

Our Take

With the 76ers picking up an eSports and Team Liquid signing to traditional sports owners, this move is part of a larger trend of old money getting into eSports. I wonder what the local, politics-heavy populace thinks of D.C. becoming an eSports hub, though...