From Lazy Summer to Major League Gaming: Mike Sepso on Founding the Esports Giant
*By Zane Bhansali*
Mike Sepso is a gilded name in esports.
His latest win? The senior VP of Activision Blizzard was recently appointed a strategic partner of Overwatch team league New York Excelsior.
And he also happens to be the leader of Major League Gaming, which he founded with partner Sundance DiGiovanni in 2002. But before he assumed his throne, Sepso conceived MLG during a single lazy summer when he and his partner were basking in the glory of their previous company, Gotham Broadband.
"What we wound up doing a lot of was playing 'Halo' competitively against each other and other people and going to Yankees games," he told Cheddar of that period.
"And somehow, over the course of lots of games of 'Halo' and winning some money from the guys that lived down the hall from Sundance, lots of Yankees games, and sort of thinking about it, the idea for MLG came together."
Sepso may sit above most in the esports stadium, but he's still able to spot all the changes from his perch.
"I think you have the new world of the gaming industry ー it's different," he said. "The old genres don't really matter anymore."
He distinguished the most popular titles by their goals, and said "Overwatch" was "built for esports" and Epic Games' phenomenon "Fortnite" was "made for broadcast and streaming."
Of superstar streamer Ninja and his game of choice, he said, "I think it's sort of a symbiotic relationship. I don't think Ninja would be playing 'Fortnite' if there weren't a lot of people interested in watching."
And of course, it's all about the fans.
"I think part of it is he just got really, really good at streaming and developed a really good rapport with this fanbase. And then this game came out, and it was sort of perfectly attuned to him."
But, Sepso said, it's also a matter of skill and expertise. Ninja, among other things, has mastered his craft.
"It's rewarding if you're a really skilled player, and certainly he's got a long history of being a very skilled player and very practiced."
For the first time in the history of the storied men's college basketball rivalry between Duke University and the University of North Carolina, the two teams will be meeting directly in the NCAA tournament — and in the Final Four! Sean Green, the co-founder of the Sports Gambling Podcast Network, joined Cheddar to give his take on the possible final game of legendary Duke coach, Mike Krzyzewski. "Now, if you recall, UNC actually beat Duke in Coach K's final home regular-season game, so revenge is going to be on the mind of Duke in this Final Four game, and I think they have the best of UNC. I like them laying four points," Green said. He also picked Villanova with an upset win over Kansas.
This June marks the 25th anniversary of the infamous 1997 "Bite Fight”, the iconic boxing rematch between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield when Tyson shockingly bit a piece of his opponent’s ear off. As a macabre tribute to the incident, the boxing legend’s line of cannabis products, Tyson 2.0, has released “Mike Bites", edibles in the shape of an ear complete with a bite mark. Tyson, the chief brand officer and co-founder, along with CEO Adam Wilks joined Cheddar News to talk about the unique gummies. "I just think this is just me owning what I did. I'm owning my responsibility. I've done that. That was pretty bad at the time, but I turned it over to make it pretty good," the former heavyweight champion said.
U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Famer and former Olympian Nancy Kerrigan spoke to Cheddar News about joining Ice Dreams, a national skating tour that connects legends of the sport with its next generation. Kerrigan spoke of the lessons she learned from the sport and how grateful she is for the opportunity to give something back. “I mean skating has taught me some of the greatest things in in my life," she said. "You know, you fall down, things get hard, but you get back up and you keep on trying. And if you're performing and doing something you love, I think you would actually do even better.”
Stephen Smith, Founder and CEO of Kitman Labs, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he explains how his company's intelligence platform is engineering change in how athletes and sports teams prepare for games.
Sportswear giant Adidas is giving student-athletes the opportunity to become partners as affiliate brand ambassadors to help grow their networks as professional athletes. Attorney Darren Heitner, the founder of Heitner Legal, joined Cheddar News to talk about the legalities of the process. "It is absolutely a game-changer because we see a major brand make a big splash, nine months into name image and likeness rights for college athletes," he said. "While it is a paid brand affiliate type of partnership, it will open the door for 50,000-plus athletes across the country to start making some money, even if it's just through other people clicking their links and making purchases."
State and county taxpayers will be asked to commit a record $850 million in public funds toward construction of the Buffalo Bills’ new stadium as part of a 30-year lease agreement.
Saint Peter's University - a small school in New Jersey school - has skyrocketed to the center of the sports world in a 'Cinderella' story for the record books. The ultimate underdog of the men's March Madness tournament is just the third 15-seed to reach the Sweet 16, after beating Murray State and college basketball powerhouse Kentucky. Throughout the university's historic run, Saint Pete's has reportedly been earning what amounts to millions of dollars in publicity. Amanda Christovich, reporter for Front Office Sports, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
ESPN College Gameday LaPhonso Ellis joins Cheddar Bets to break down the NCAA Tournament so far, and who will make noise all the way down to New Orleans.
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