By Ishaan Chadha
Esports is the world of competitive online gaming, where gamers around the world face off against each other in various games such as Madden, Fortnite, or Call of Duty to win huge cash prizes. Just like professional sporting events, esports are televised live and followed by millions of fans globally. Streaming services like Twitch allow people to tune in to their favorite gamer in real-time, and this is where popular gamers build their notoriety. Unlike other gaming companies, Dakdan Worldwide wants to grow the game by appealing to adults. Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) is sending Dakdan a proposal for an Esports and sports betting partnership globally. Tim Leiweke, the former CEO of AEG, who recently bought the Islanders and the Kraken, owns and controls 29 arenas. It wants to venture into a global partnership and have 19 venues in the United States. Even though controlling various venues across the globe is a great stepping stone for growing the company, it’s not enough to stand apart from the competition. However, Dakdan has created a pod that will send the world of Esports gaming to another level. The Esports pod is a self-containing unit with every control a gamer needs, and the entire thing can be branded. Sponsors will pay for this placement in schools, community colleges, and some universities that will allow this sponsorship. The initiative of this will easily allow Dakdan to partner with the MLS, NFL, and the MLB, as they control the professional Esports gaming leagues. As of right now, Dakdan is the first company to introduce the world of Esports through the public school systems. However, funding is a problem. Many public schools lack the money to supply an Esports lounge. However, it can be made possible if sponsors assist in funding it. Through the use of mindshare marketing, if kids gain exposure to it in school, they are more likely to be loyal to the pod forever. Schools will use this lounge as a practice facility. The number one necessity for high schools and colleges is an instructor/coach for an Esports team. The curriculum is already in place for the coaches, but it is still a work in progress for the students.
When it comes to the professional leagues, there is a common problem, which is technological advantages. One gamer in a particular part of the country may have better equipment than another person in a different country. Therefore, they have a competitive advantage. However, to eliminate this, Dakdan has instituted modifications to the mod rate so that everything is presumably fair and equitable across the country. Many telephone companies can also make this possible by serving as a sponsor. If Dakdan has a global tournament with 5,000 to 10,000 people, people can witness the hierarchy of skilled competitors, providing gamers the opportunity to gain sponsorships, potentially being able to earn a living out of their passion. Dakdan can convince more colleges in the U.S. to offer scholarships to high school kids because of the fairness in the system structure. Esports is a huge betting pod. When you’re doing it globally, you’re betting all over the world. Dakdan owns SportsMedia. They can build a fanbase around its betting platform. Since there are a lot of young gamers, it will be illegal to offer them real money. Instead, they can earn in-game currency benefits, where they can bet against each other for coins and credits, in exchange for prizes. As a result, this allows the gamers to create their brand through social media and other marketing platforms. The goal is to develop a comprehensive plan that hits the integrity of Esports through competition, education, and agency. Dakdan’s model is building an experiential venue with all digital Esports/ Esports betting and tournaments all over the country and globe. Unlike the competition, the company prides itself on integrity so it remains entirely skill-based. The data that it can collect will be momentous— no NFL/NBA agent will have the data that Dakdan has collected. Esports allows Dakdan to do something that nobody else is doing on a competitive basis — making gaming fair based on talent in any location, encouraging even more people to consume on a higher scale globally.
