Spanish agency Mediapro has moved into the esports sector by acquiring a majority stake in Fandroid, the organising body of the domestic Liga de Videojuegos Profesional.
Mediapro said its investment in Fandroid is intended to professionalise, expand and promote the LVP competition, consolidating its leadership in Spain in the esports sector and making it an “international benchmark”.
The agency said in a statement: “In the Spanish market, LVP currently occupies the leading position, with audience forecasts for 2016 well above the 10 million mark for accumulated unique viewers for live broadcasts, plus 20 million users accumulated for deferred broadcasts, with a growth of 30 per cent over the figure for 2015. The numbers speak for themselves and also consolidate its position as the best European league.
“The merger with Mediapro will enable the LVP to avail of greater resources, especially technical, to plan its content strategy and to energise its sponsorship and marketing division. Mediapro brings to the table its expertise in the field of sports rights, audiovisual production and overall management of traditional competitions.”
In addition to its digital and traditional television formats, LVP manages Gamergy, the biggest esports event in Spain. Fandroid also owns the broadcasting rights in Spain and for the Spanish-speaking market to the League of Legends competitions.
Mediapro noted that with 15 million gamers, Spain ranks fourth in the European market, behind the UK, Germany and France.