Fenwick litigation partner Eric Ball talked to Law360 about the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) new deal with video game maker Take-Two Interactive to launch an eSports league with teams operated by NBA franchises.
Ball discussed how the emerging industry might need to address legal issues over gamer publicity, licensing and labor rights as it becomes more mainstream. He also talked about how the deal has potential to promote the NBA brand with eSports fans and, at the same time, introduce eSports to many NBA fans.
“I think it can bring more of the eSports crowd to the NBA and more of the general public crowd to the eSports world. Adam Silver has been trying to be at the forefront of some of the new issues and ways to expand the league. eSports is growing and the youth base for NBA 2K is strong, so this is a new way to strengthen their brand,” Ball said.
The full article is available through the Law360 website (subscription required).