Tonight in Unpacks: The F1 series continues to make inroads with U.S. sports fans.
- SBJ Spotlight: Charles Altchek previews MLS Next Pro
- Sponsors stay away from Overwatch League amid Activision turmoil
- White Sox overhaul Wintrust Scout Lounge
- NBC Sports Chicago lines up BetCast presentation for Bulls games
- Head of Bayern Munich's U.S. office leaving club
- Op-ed: Three ways teams are diving into the metaverse
- Fanduel, Game Taco partner on new iOS games
Miss this morning's Buzzcast? SBJ's David Albright on N.Y. lifting its vaccine mandate for athletes and more.
As sports business returns to in-person events, remember to share your photos of parties, conferences, product launches and openings with SBJ for consideration and inclusion in Faces & Places. Submit photos for review at photo@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
Sponsors stay away from Overwatch League amid Activision turmoil
Overwatch League appears to be heading into its fifth season with no dedicated sponsorships -- and the league and its teams are staying conspicuously silent ahead of a May 6 start, writes SBJ’s Kevin Hitt.
Last year, the league lost all its major brands when the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, alleging discrimination and sexual harassment toward female employees. Sponsors dropped or paused deals, and Activision removed those company names from the league’s web site. One of OWL’s major sponsors, Coca-Cola (embattled Activision CEO Bobby Kotick is on its board), paused its sponsorship of the league. Coca-Cola is not back yet, and Kotick will not remain on Coke's board.
This apparent lack of sponsorships poses a risk to teams, as OWL has a revenue sharing model with league sponsors. With OWL turning to a third-party production group this season, and many staffers leaving or being released, the league appears to be putting the onus of profitability squarely on the shoulders of the 20 teams, even though OWL has an active sales staff.
Read the latest SBJ Esports newsletter for the full story.
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Op-ed: Three ways teams are diving into the metaverse
Tonight's op-ed is from Lars Rensing, CEO of blockchain solutions provider Protokol. He writes under the header, "Three ways sports teams are diving into the metaverse."
Rensing: "The metaverse presents an exciting opportunity for sports teams and sports fans alike, but organizations need to know how to harness it effectively. By creating exclusive NFTs, events and rewards for fans, teams can not only harness the power of the metaverse, but also the power of new fans, as well as creating future-proofed revenues and a future-proofed fan base."