Overwatch League franchise spots for next season could be worth up to $60m
London Spitfires crowned Season 1 champions as Activision Blizzard prepares to open up six new spots globally
The price of franchise spots in the Overwatch League has potentially more than doubled since the inaugural season launch.
While Season 1 franchise spots went for $20 million, the success of the new esport offering has driven expected prices up from anywhere between $30 million and $60 million, according to ESPN.
The price will vary depending on the number of bidders, player density, and city population.
Over the weekend, London Spitfires closed out the first Overwatch League championship as the victors, securing a $1 million prize pot.
With the season drawing to a close, Activision Blizzard has reportedly sold an Atlanta expansion slot in the league to a multi-billion dollar communications and automotive services firm, Cox Enterprises.
One of the largest companies in Atlanta, Cox Enterprises made $20 billion revenue last year; it will be the second major conglomerate to buy an Overwatch League franchise, following Comcast and its sports subsidiary Spectator, which acquired the Philadelphia slot in Season 1.
It is one of six proposed new franchises across North America, Europe, and Asia-Oceania for Season 2.
Meanwhile, McCourt Global and Nenking Group are negotiating for franchise spots in Paris and Guangzhou, China.