GreenPark Sports raises $14m, adds NBA to its metaverse
Mobile outfit expects to launch game next year with League of Legends Championship Series and NBA integration
GreenPark Sports has raised $14 million in Series A funding for its sporting and esports metaverse ambitions, the company announced this week.
On top of that, the mobile publisher and developer revealed it has reached a multi-year agreement with the NBA to use the pro basketball league in its metaverse app, which launches early next year and will also feature League of Legends Championship Series.
The free-to-play app will let players outfit their avatars with licensed jerseys and hats and compete in various in-game challenges, including games and predictions around live sports events. Beyond esports and basketball, the group's website suggests it has plans to add licenses for football, soccer, and hockey as well.
The funding round was led by Galaxy Interactive, with participation from ADvantage, John Burbank of Passport Capital, YouTube co-founder Steve Chen, M13's Courtney Reum, Sinclair Broadcasting, and existing investors SignalFire and Sapphire Sport. The money will be used "for development, expansion across leagues, and global publishing."
GreenPark was founded in 2018 by YouTube co-founder and former CEO Chad Hurley, Zappos founder and former CEO Nick Swinmurn, and Blitz co-founder and former CCO Ken Martin.