New Esports Arena Sitting Up To 10,000 Planned For Toronto

OverActive Media plans to build an esports arena at Exhibition Place in Toronto that will seat up to 10,000 fans and “will be adjacent to BMO Field and Hotel X Toronto,” according to Jacob Wolf of ESPN.com. The arena will serve as the home to two OverActive teams: the Toronto Defiant (Overwatch League) and Toronto Ultra (Call of Duty League). OverActive Media has hired former MLSE VP Bob Hunter “to coordinate with government officials on the venue.” Hunter was involved in the “development and expansion of several other Canadian sports venues,” including B.C. Place Stadium, Rogers Centre, Scotiabank Arena and BMO Field. The new arena deal was negotiated between OverActive majority owners the Kimel family and Library Hotel Collection owner Henry Kallan, who owns Hotel X Toronto (ESPN.com, 7/14).