CHICAGOLAWBULLETIN.COM TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 ® Volume 161, No. 8 The rise of e-sports as a new American pastime “sock-strewn tract explanations of e-sports tourna - house” with a ments and other lobbying efforts clubhouse/crash-pad eventually led legislators to say SPORTS MARKETING PLAYBOOK vibe and multiple “we have no reason to say no … Internet connections OK, this is legitimate.” Aon an ordinary side street in an While that attitude reflects a island city east of San Francisco. somewhat begrudging recogni - A bungalow in Venice Beach, tion of gamer-as-athlete, the Calif. A rented house in Hoffman policy has been described as DOUGLAS N. M ASTERS Estates. “groundbreaking” for e-sports. AND SETH A. R OSE What do these places have in And there are other signs that common? These ordinary spaces e-sports is joining the major have become the training facili - leagues. Douglas N. Masters is a partner at Loeb & Loeb LLP, where he litigates and ties for a new type of American Superstars and sponsorships counsels clients primarily in intellectual property, advertising and unfair athlete — the e-sport athlete. Gaming — both e-sports and competition. He is deputy chairman of the firm’s advanced media and technology “E-sports” refers generally to other gaming — has developed department and co-chair of the firm’s intellectual property protection group. He can video gaming set up to resemble superstar teams and players, and be reached at
[email protected]. Seth A. Rose is a partner at the firm, where he conventional sports — they have the aim is that these teams and counsels clients on programs and initiatives in advertising, marketing, promotions, teams and uniforms, superstars, players will do for gaming what media, sponsorships, entertainment, branded and integrated marketing, and social playoffs, comebacks and upsets the repeat championship teams media.