When the Overwatch League announced its inaugural season in 2018, it looked to set a precedent for esports going forward. It would be a city-based franchised league, something the esports industry hadn't seen. The move was risky, but it was something that presented the opportunity to build a mainstay in the esports world and offered a look ahead to what the future of the scene could be.

The Overwatch League is a localized esports league. It emphasizes cities and teams based around the world. The league started with 12 teams before expanding to 20 during the 2019 season. Teams represent cities around the world including Los Angeles, Seoul, Paris, London, Shanghai, New York, Atlanta, Vancouver and more. City-based franchised teams are a new concept in the esports industry. It's a format that's proven successful for the league so far.

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The link to a city gives fans in those areas an easy team to root for. These local teams represent the fans and can become a part of their identity. There's a reason traditional sports leagues find such astounding success. One major factor is the fact that fans can attach themselves to a certain team because of where they live or the city it represents.

This is a solid way to get people invested in not only the team but the league in general. Casual fans follow the Overwatch League because they notice their city has a team, which builds interest. Hardcore fans can become even more invested in the league as they find their favorite teams to root for.

LA Homestand

Because of the added Overwatch League interest from both casual and hardcore fans, the result is greater potential for increased viewership and participation with the Overwatch League as a whole. The more the league grows, the easier it will become to reach bigger sponsors and a wider audience. This will allow the league to thrive for years to come.

The Overwatch League will venture away from Los Angeles for most of the 2020 season as teams will be hosting the weekends in their own citiesThis is the major turning point for the league. It stands to prove how powerful the localized, city-based format really is. Fans that weren't able to travel to LA to see their favorite teams now have the chance to watch live in their own cities.

The local model is a good way to market the league as well. Tying a team to a city and then branding it with a team name strengthens its identity. It sounds more exciting to root for the Vancouver Titans or the Shanghai Dragons than it is Cloud9 or G2. It becomes fun to decide who has the best team name or color schemes, both massive parts of a team's identity.

Dallas Homestand

Esports has been exploding in popularity over the past few years. CS:GO and League of Legends have been staples of the industry for a long time. The Overwatch League (and upcoming Call of Duty League) hope to rewrite the book on how to run a league to reach its highest potential. The franchisees behind both leagues believe that a local market, city-based approach is the way to grow esports. It's an undoubtedly strong approach.

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