Gen.G CEO Chris Park Wants His Organization To Be the 'Gold Standard' for Esports
*By Brandon Brathwaite*
Chris Park, the new CEO of esports organization Gen.G, knows that in the grand scheme of gaming, the field of esports is still quite young.
"We're figuring this all out together," he told Cheddar Sports.
For Park, figuring it out will involve creating a "gold standard" for the industry and pushing for more legitimacy across leagues. And he would know ー Park has previously worked for both Major League Baseball and Facebook ($FB).
"Fundamentally, it starts with being a consummately professional world class organization in everything that we do," he said.
Gen.G has been that and more. In 18 months, the organization has won five world championships, expanded to five different games, and belongs to prestigious leagues like the League of Legends Champions Korea and the Overwatch League.
In Park's view, being a "gold standard" esports organization is not simply a matter of size or credentials ー it starts with the fans.
"We want to be the most fan-responsive community we can be," he said.
"There's so many things that we can lean into as a company. We're going to have to pick the right focus and that's the part where I have to come in and make sure we stay on the straight-and-narrow."
Rachel Bachman, senior sports reporter at the Wall Street Journal, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where she explains how U.S. athletes have been inserted into the middle of a political debate after the country declared a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing.
The future of gambling in Florida recently suffered a major setback after a federal appeals court rejected a request from the state and the Seminole Tribe to allow online sports betting in the state. Now, the tribe has been forced to stop taking bets on its Hard Rock sportsbook app. ESPN gaming writer David Purdum joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss what this could mean for the future of sports betting in Florida.
The potential growth for the sports betting industry is almost unfathomable. what will the future of sports betting look like, and how did we get here? John Atkinson, director of business development at 888 Holdings, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
What began as a one-on-one fantasy baseball competition back in 2012 is now one of the biggest American daily fantasy sports contests and sports betting operators in the world. JD sat down with Jason Robins, CEO of DraftKings, to talk about the company's milestones and future endeavors.
Former Denver Broncos wide receiver and five-time Pro Bowler Demaryius Thomas was found dead at the age of 33. Thomas officially retired from the NFL in June, ending his playing career with the New York Jets in 2019.
Carlo and Baker wrap up the week talking about the Biden economic boom that no one seems to notice, a verdict in the Jussie Smollett case, the first Starbucks union in America and the pleasures of the "dude nod."
Olivia Harlan Dekker dissects the Week 14 NFL slate and makes her picks for the week's top games, while Frank Schwab discusses the impact of bad weather on betting lines. Meanwhile, Alex Christenson dishes out his insights when it comes to betting on the NBA.
Sponsored by BetMGM
Russ Davis, Crypto Consultant and Educator at consulting firm In Russ We Trust Crypto, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he explains why now is a time to buy low on cryptocurrencies as investors are still reacting to the latest testimonies.
Frank Schwab, NFL and Betting Writer, Yahoo Sports, joins Cheddar Bets to break down what bettors should be wary of and opportunistic about when betting on football games featuring winter weather.
Sponsored by BetMGM
Alex Christenson, host of Brown Bag Bets, joins Cheddar Bets to break down how bettors should think about betting NBA over/unders and player props on a nightly basis.
Sponsored by BetMGM
