M80 has expanded its ownership group with the world No. 3-ranked international tennis star Daniil Medvedev joining the team.
In a statement shared with Dot Esports, Medvedev said “I’m looking forward to contributing to the growth of the company and giving fans more ways to engage with M80.”
In addition to playing tennis, the Russian superstar, who has won 20 ATP singles titles and the 2021 U.S. Open, is a Rainbow Six: Siege player at heart. He was named an official ambassador for the game by Ubisoft on Aug. 29, 2023.
M80 is part of Siege’s R6 Share program and holds a license to compete in the North American league alongside its teams in CS2, VALORANT, Street Fighter, and Rocket League, making M80 and Medvedev a match made in heaven.
In addition to joining the ownership group, M80 said Medvedev will help “incorporate traditional sports psychology” across its teams. M80 is less than a year old and was officially founded in December 2022 after CEO and co-founder Marco Mereu exited XSET—a team he also co-founded.
Medvedev is far from the only sports star to enter the world of esports. Just this week, soccer legend Lionel Messi became the co-owner of KRÜ Esports alongside former teammate Sergio Aguero. The fingerprints of global sports stars dot the esports landscape, from investments in esports teams and orgs to casual streaming, although several investors have become wary and tired of the unstable industry.
Investing in or owning an esports team at the current point in time is a gamble, arguably bigger than in other similar industries. Games and competitive scenes rise and fall like the tide, what’s popular today won’t always be popular next year, or even next week.
The key to staying alive in the shark-infested esports ocean is to be nimble enough to keep your head above water. So far, through its short history, M80 seems to have been able to do so, and with Medvedev joining the group, will be pushing for new heights.
