MLB commissioner Rob Manfred hinted strongly that his league is on the verge of a major entry into esports this year.
While speaking at SportTechie’s State of the Industry conference, Manfred admitted that the area of esports “has kind of been a weak spot for us,” before adding MLB’s commitment to the space.
“It is a real priority for us going forward,” Manfred said. “It’s tough to say more than this, but I’m pretty confident, in 2019, we’re going to have a really nice announcement in that space.”
MLB received some early traction from its Home Run Derby VR game. The league released the game in April and then organized tournaments at the All-Star Game and at the Little League World Series.
But MLB has not gone as far as the NBA, MLS, or the NFL in organizing leagues and/or major tournaments based on video games simulating their respective sports. Manfred particularly noted the example of EA Sports’ FIFA soccer series. That game has particularly helped raise the awareness and education of soccer fans in the United States.
“The FIFA game is so popular that it actually affected the way fandom developed in MLS as opposed to European soccer—really an interesting dynamic and one that you have to pay a lot of attention to,” Manfred said.
He added that the esports that successfully sell out arenas are generally not the ones that mimic traditional sports, so that shouldn’t be MLB’s aim. Instead, Manfred said, “engagement of a younger audience is the principle objective for us.”
The HR Derby VR edition certainly attracted that younger demographic—at least among its most successful players. The four semifinalists at the All-Star Fan Fest event were all under the age of 12.
“The virtual Home Run Derby, we see as having real upside for us,” Manfred said. “It’s obviously a newer technology. It is close to the actual participation in the game, but it’s really portable and can be used a lot of places traditional play may not be possible.”
Manfred said he can attest to its realism, judging by his own performance. “I was a lousy Little Leaguer, and I am a lousy virtual Home Run Derby player,” he said. He then added that two senior employees who performed well got so engaged that they had a heated discussion about who was better, resulting in them being separated.
“That’s a good thing,” Manfred said with a laugh. “I take that as a very positive thing.”