Toronto Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman is launching his own esports company called Eleven Gaming. He is currently assembling a team of nine professional Fortnite players to compete in TwitchCon, a tournament offering $1.8 million in prize money that takes place Oct. 26-28 in San Jose, Calif.
Hyman, 26, told NHL.com that his company’s goal is to invest in gamers who are likely to win prize money at tournaments and also earn sponsorship money. Eleven Gaming, also called E11, anticipates to grow through its players’ followings on social media, and through live streaming team events on Twitch. E11’s Twitter account unveiled the team’s official gaming jerseys in a video promo on Monday.
“People watch other people play on Twitch,” Hyman said, according to NHL.com. “We can capitalize on that stuff and help our players build their brands and facilitate growth. In turn, it helps grow our brand as well.”
Hyman is a Toronto native and signed a four-year, nine-million dollar contract with the Maple Leafs in 2017. He attended the University of Michigan for four years before making his NHL debut with Toronto during the 2015-16 season. Hyman has paid close attention to the booming esports industry over the past few years, according to NHL.com, and also enjoys playing Fortnite himself.
“[Esports] is a growing and developing industry,” Hyman told NHL.com. “I met with a couple of different esports companies to gauge interest in investing in something I like and thought was going to grow I didn’t really find one that suited me, so I decided to go out and start my own thing.”
Hyman has hired his childhood friend Oliver Silverstein to become Chief Operating Officer of Eleven Gaming. Silverstein spent three years at Toronto-based esports organizer WorldGaming and 11 months as the president of 3six5 Influence, an esports marketing agency. E11’s Fortnite roster already includes four players. The remaining five are expected to be announced before the team’s official site launches on Oct. 26.
SportTechie Takeaway
The connection between the worlds of esports and traditional sports has grown incredibly fast. Professional leagues, teams, and players have all invested in the esports industry. Hyman is just the latest professional athlete to become financially involved within esports. Other notable examples include former NBA All-Star Chris Bosh, who recently took an advisory role with global esports organization Gen.G, and Steph Curry and Andre Iguodala, who were part of a $37 million investment round toward a League of Legends team last July.