Turner is staging a second edition of the ELEAGUE Street Fighter V Invitational Celebrity Showdown at the end of June. The event will be headlined again by NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal. All prize money will go to charity.
O’Neal, who lost in last year’s finals to recording artist Lupe Fiasco, returns along with former pro wrestler Natalie Eva Marie and two new entrants: retired Philadelphia Phillies star Jimmy Rollins (the National League MVP in 2007) and former NBA All-Star Baron Davis.
The program will air on TBS on Friday, June 29 at 11 p.m. ET/PT. O’Neal will play for the Odessa Chambliss Quality of Life Fund, Rollins for The Jimmy Rollins Family Foundation, Davis for The Drew League and Marie for A21.
Fiasco won $25,000 last year for M.U.R.A.L. (Magnifying Urban Realities & Affecting Lives). Former NFL running back Reggie Bush also competed in that event.
Turner’s ELEAGUE Street Fighter V Invitational for 2018 is currently ongoing with broadcasts on Twitch and TBS. Turner partnered with WME/IMG on the endeavor back in 2015.
SportTechie Takeaway
Using celebrity athletes to draw attention to a production is hardly a new formula, but Turner benefits from using a quartet of particularly engaging personalities—most of whom also work for Turner. O’Neal is, of course, one of the popular NBA analysts on TNT; Rollins is an MLB studio analyst for TBS; and Davis appears during Turner’s NBA Players Only franchise.
This tournament also will benefit one of four good causes, without taking itself too seriously. After all, last year O’Neal defeated Marie through some shenanigans as his coach, Steve “Tasty Steve” Scott, took the controls at a decisive moment.