A report from SportsBusiness Journal has placed the cost of purchasing a franchise in Blizzard's city-based Overwatch League between $2 million and $5 million for smaller markets, while a spot in Los Angeles could cost three times as much.

The report, which cites multiple unnamed sources, claims that Blizzard anticipated several interested parties in key cities. The report also features a comment from Nate Nanzer, the global director of Overwatch esports, about a "road show," where potential buyers will receive information about purchasing opportunities for the league.

Nanzer did not disclose the process for deciding on bids or what the cost for acquiring a spot in the league would be. He did, however, tell SBJ that the league's launch was "totally on schedule."

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Announced at BlizzCon, the Overwatch League aims to bring a city-based team structure to the game's esports scene, forming a league with franchises that own permanent spots.

Teams would then have the ability to generate revenue locally and — perhaps even more intriguingly — foster a loyal fanbase that might stick with the organization even after their favorite player has departed.

Josh "Gauntlet" Bury is a news editor for theScore esports. You can find him on Twitter.