The Miami Heat has made the NBA playoffs in 20 of the last 23 years by building a winning culture. The team's chief marketing officer Michael McCullough said the Heat plans to bring that same championship mentality to eSports.
The NBA is making a bet on eSports, a multiplayer video-game tournament in which players are sponsored by actual teams, in the hope the league can recruit new fans.
Earlier this month, the NBA 2K league held its first-ever draft at Madison Square Garden. Seventeen NBA teams, including the Miami Heat, selected the top video-game ballers to compete in a basketball video-game championship.
McCullough said the Heat acquired a stake in the eSports organization Misfits to "bridge the gap between the 2K fan and the traditional Heat fan."
The NBA 2K league tips off May 1, in the middle of the actual NBA playoffs.
The Heat is tied 1-1 in an Eastern Conference first-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers. McCullough said the key to winning championships is believing in the idea that 15 players win championships, not 1 or 2.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/when-esports-and-real-sports-collide).
YouTube VP Tara Walpert Levy told Cheddar that the Big Game is still a place to capture a national audience.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Monday, February 3, 2020.
What if I told you that you could score a Super Bowl ticket if you gave up one thing? What would it be? A kidney? Sex? Well, some fans said just that, according to a survey from Ticketmaster.
When the San Francisco 49ers face off against the Kansas City Chiefs this Super Bowl Sunday, the team's brand will be in the best position that it's been in for decades. But it's how the franchise thrives through good and bad times that defines success, 49ers CMO Alex Chang told Cheddar.
With Roku set to possibly lose Fox channel by the end of Friday, Cheddar looks into alternate ways owners can still watch the Super Bowl on Sunday.
This Sunday, the hip hop legend will appear in a Super Bowl ad spot for Cheetos that plays on the snack food’s famous messiness.
Easy Aerial CEO and co-founder Ido Gur talked to Cheddar about giving police a "bird's eye view" of the Hard Rock Stadium parking lot this Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers square off.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Friday, January 31, 2020.
The NFL has teamed up with Goldman Global Arts to infuse the championship game with works from local artists, which can be seen both inside the arena and throughout the city.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Thursday, January 30, 2020.
