Another major media player is entering the esports news space. Internet giant Yahoo will soon launch a dedicated esports vertical and has already hired a team of editors and writers.
The move comes shortly after traditional sports powerhouse ESPN launched its own section on Jan. 14. It comes as no surprise that big organizations are looking to enter esports. The industry is set for a rapid trajectory of growth over the next few years, with one market research firm predicting industry-wide revenue to reach nearly $2 billion in 2018.
Yahoo draws in millions of users a month for its news content, covering everything from U.S. politics to health and science. It also covers game news under its tech section, but that mainly focuses on game reviews and has only rarely publishing esports-specific stories. The introduction of a dedicated vertical will mean more exposure for both Yahoo and the esports industry.
The company is hiring reporters to cover specific titles, like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and likely League of Legends, though specific coverage areas have yet to be confirmed. Esports is still a niche industry with a dedicated and knowledgeable readership, but the company seems to be taking the right steps to ensure it hits the ground running, hiring writers that are already embedded in their respective games. Many of the writer staff will be on full-time six month contracts, with the possibility to extend if the section does well, sources close to Yahoo tell the Daily Dot.
The site will be doing both written and video content, with a travel budget to attend esports events around the world. Many of those full-time hires started today, so expect to see esports content on Yahoo very soon.
Yahoo declined to comment for this story.
