I want my VENN?
Fans of video games and esports can soon have their personal media outlet à l. A. MTV or ESPN. The Video Game Entertainment & News Network (VENN), set to debut next yr with stay studios in New York and Los Angeles, pursuits to be an internet video home for esports and sports subculture.
Expected to air 24 hours each day, VENN might be available as an app on streaming and cell devices, and with channels on the modern-day video game and esports locations together with Twitch and YouTube. VENN also plans to have a presence on stay streaming offerings together with Sling, YouTube TV, Hulu, and PlutoTV, in addition to social networks such as Snapchat and TikTok.
“We are growing a novel media brand on the nexus of Gaming, Entertainment, and the GenZ + Millennial generations, throughout a particularly fragmented video market,” said Ben Kusin, a online game veteran previously with Electronic Arts and Vivendi Games, who is co-CEO of the brand new venture with Ariel Horn, a former NBC Sports manufacturer (winner of four Emmys) and Riot Games executive.
Watching VENN
Viewers can get a month-to-month subscription as a way to gain them “stronger viewing reports,” but VENN plans lots of unfastened to watch content material. “We are a Universal Network, aiming to be everywhere our target market is consuming content, and but they’re ingesting it,” Kusin said. “Long-form, short shape, stay, on call for, on social. Our community might be loose to view on all platforms. Our own OTT will have price introduced offerings, along with a more interactive experience. But by no means are we gating content.”
The community’s co-CEOs announced $17 million in seed investment and a number of its investors, which encompass Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin, Riot Games co-founder Marc Merrill, Blizzard Entertainment co-founder Mike Morhaime, and Blizzard’s former global esports head Amy Morhaime. Kusin says in advance this in 12 months; he pitched the concept of a TV community centered around video games, esports, and recreation way of life and entertainment to Merrill. “He laughed, permit me to recognize that his former Global EP at Riot (Ariel) had just provided him a comparable concept in advance that day, and said he’d experience higher about backing the assignment if we teamed up,” Kusin said.
The co-CEOs of the Video Game Entertainment & News Network (VENN), because of release in 2020, are Ben Kusin, a video game veteran previously with Electronic Arts and Vivendi Games, at left, and Ariel Horn, a former NBC Sports manufacturer (winner of 4 Emmys) and Riot Games exec. (Photo: The co-CEOs of the Video Game Entertainment & News Network (VENN)) Tasked with catching Horn, who changed into flying again to New York City that day, “two blown pink lights, one fateful assembly, and 7 months later, right here we are together pronouncing VENN,” Kusin said.
Everybody performs
Beyond certainly providing a brand new home for esports opposition and streaming of gameplay, VENN will create content to interact with greater video game fans, past hardcore players. “Esports has traditionally catered nearly exclusively to audiences that play the sport at a high degree. This makes it extremely hard for outsiders, even avid gamers of different titles, to jump in given the jargon and complex strategy.” Horn stated. “We will consciously welcome in a much wider target audience thru subtly more inclusive coverage, how-to manual applications to bridge the divide.”
Also, expect “expanded enjoyment” content material which includes Imagine Dragon’s music video “Warriors,” created for the 2014 League of Legends World Championship and the fictional K-Pop organization K/DA and its video “Pop/Star” for ultimate yr’s championship. “Keep in thoughts that we’re focusing simplest a fraction of our interest on esports coverage, with the general public of our awareness on raising, and translating for tv, other gaming formats that are quickly gaining traction on YouTube and Twitch,” Horn said.
