One Championship has launched One eSports, an e-sports championship series that will feature major titles popular among gamers, in a joint venture with Japanese media agency Dentsu.
The mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion is targeting a US$50 million (S$70 million) investment in the gaming championship that will piggyback on its 30 martial arts events scheduled next year.
American MMA fighter Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson is One eSports' chief brand ambassador. The 32-year-old, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight champion who joined One Championship last month, will lead its efforts which include live event broadcasts, reality shows and weekly magazine shows.
One Championship chairman and chief executive Chatri Sityodtong said: "We see a natural crossover between martial arts and gaming fans in Asia and an opportunity to bring them together under Asia's home of millennial live sports.
"Our mission is to celebrate Asia's e-sports heroes on the global stage."
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$70m
One Championship's investment into One eSports.
One eSports will also leverage the expertise of lifestyle gaming brand, Razer.
The company headquartered in Singapore and San Francisco will provide the technical know-how for the development, management and organisation of e-sports events and tournaments.
And the Singapore connection goes even deeper, with One Championship also exploring the possibility of expanding its existing partnership with Singtel.
"With the success of our PVP eSports Championship in October, we look to further engage with the gaming community through this partnership and increase our involvement in e-sports," said Arthur Lang, Singtel's chief executive, international.
The optimism is shared by Razer's co-founder and chief executive Tan Min-Liang.
He said: "Like Razer, One Championship is at the forefront of a new digital entertainment revolution that delivers the sporting content millennials hunger for, whether online or offline.
"This partnership will see us combining our respective areas of expertise and deliver unmatched cross-boundary experiences to our fans."
