The spectacular cove of internment and enjoyment in Auckland, i.e. SkyCity Auckland now houses an e-sports arena. The decision was made to go with the world’s trend. The SkyCity brand has joined hands with Let’s Play Live Media in this joint venture.
SkyCity has secured a 40% stake in the LLPM or Let’s Play Live Media. The LLPM is responsible for curating the county’s first e-sports broadcasting studio. The venue of the studio is the second level of the high-end Sky Tower. The Level 2 of the landmark was formerly called the XO Bar.
Chief Executive of SkyCity entertainment, Graeme Stephens, told shareholders in their annual general meeting about how the arena will operate. E-sports games are events where players of video games compete against rivals in beating them in the game. It will be broadcasted to people on the casino premises.
Sonya Crosby is SkyCity’s chief innovation officer. The CFO believes that e-sports has been storming the world and its market and demand are increasing at an unprecedented speed. E-sports have an audience coming from all generations whether old or young and male or female. The entertainment giant has been exploring all the possibilities. The company finds the new venture as an exciting opportunity.
The broadcasting studio will provide live streaming of events in 4K and high definition. The venture has obligated LLPM to film the live esports going in the SkyCity esports arena and the New Zealand International Convention Centre Theatre in Auckland. The company will install exclusive console booths to host esports events and companions. The games will be live-streamed to a large LED screen in the SkyCity Plaza. It is situated at the ground level of the Sky Tower.
The partnership between SkyCity and LLPM will ensure that all the events to be hosted in the esports arena and SkyCity plaza are family-friendly. The partnership will also extend its operations to include sites in Australia and New Zealand.
The CFO also revealed that LLPM lead E Blacks will be responsible for promoting and sponsoring New Zealand’s best esports players to help them come to the centre of the world’s esports stage. It will see that talent coming from the grassroots is polished to cater to the pressure of professional gaming. Local tournaments and competitions would be held to identify the talent pool.
It is estimated that around 400 million people watch esports annually in the world. The announcement of the joint venture was like a silver lining in the cloud. The casino witnessed some problems due to traffic face-offs near its premises in Auckland.
Financially, the high roller business did not do well and weakening trading conditions also affected the overall mood. The net profit of the company was down by 69% to just 44 million. The revenue also dipped by 7% to close at USD 1 billion. The completion of the ICC or International Conference Centre in Auckland also got delayed adding further to their distress.