The latest esports team acquisition but not a celebrity in sight…
Dire Wolves have been purchased, in part, by Guinevere Capital, an Australian sports business group led by Managing Director David Harris who has experience in professional sports organisations in both Australia and the UK, including the Premier League.
The group has acquired a controlling interest in the Oceanic Pro League League of Legends team.
Harris said of the acquisition and their plan: “Guinevere Capital are committed to Dire Wolves’ long term vision in building a serious sporting franchise that fans can passionately support and will last for many years to come.
“We want to raise the bar of professionalism in esports locally and help an Oceania team break-through to Worlds to play for an audience bigger than the population of Australia.”
This purchase marks a milestone for the Oceanic Pro League in that it’s its first major acquisition. Dire Wolves already have a major sponsor on board in the form of LG.
Daniel Ringland, Head of Esports at Riot Games Oceania stated: “The OPL is becoming increasingly popular for investors and sponsors as the league and esports continues to grow in Oceania. Investors help establish a support network for the players, which in turn sees the quality of performance increase in the team and the league, so it’s great to have Guinevere Capital on board with Dire Wolves.”
Nathan Mott, Founder and CEO of Dire Wolves commented: “I’m thrilled to have Guinevere Capital on board and look forward to working very closely with them to further legitimise and push Oceanic esports forward. Not only resources, but also the sporting and business expertise that David and his team bring will provide significant value to our players, fans, existing and future sponsorships.”
Esports Insider says: This is a big moment for the OPL and Australian esports more generally. The LoL scene in Australia has grown extensively over the past couple of years and this is some vindication of the hard work being put in by all stakeholders.
