Super League Gaming, a leading esports company for amateurs, has today announced a $15 million funding round led by kids’ media company Nickelodeon, China-based DMG Entertainment, Softbank‘s ISAT fund, Toba Capital, and several traditional sports team owners, including Jeffrey Vinik, who owns the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lighting.
The Series C means that Super League, which was founded in 2014, has now raised a total of $28 million. Previous investors include movie theater chain Cinemark USA, ET Capital, and Quadrant Management.
Super League launched by offering Minecraft events in movie theaters for kids, and has since hosted more than 30,000 kid-friendly local competitions across six seasons of play. In November, Super League partnered with Riot Games to launch a competitive events series for League Of Legends — the second season of which premieres on July 12.
Subscribe to get the latest creator news
“We are excited to enter the world of esports through our relationship with Super League, which has a loyal and growing fan base of kids,” said Matthew Evans, Nickelodeon’s EVP of digital and new business. “Nickelodeon is interested in esports because gaming is an important passion point for kids today, and forging this partnership with Super League puts us at the forefront of where kids will be playing next.”
