Jennifer Lopez part of $15m investment in esports team
NRG Esports receives huge investment from NFL and baseball stars
If there was any doubt about the mainstream appeal of esports, it's just been quashed by the announcement that Jennifer Lopez was part of a $15m funding deal for NRG.
According to ESPN, J.Lo joined other big names like Marshawn Lynch and Michael Strahan of the NFL, and retired New York Yankees batter Alex Rodrigeuz in a Series B financing round. Sports legend Shaquille O'Neal also has a stake in the team after investing back in March 2016.
Other investors included Twitter chief operating officer and former NFL chief financial officer Anthony Noto, Sacramento Kings minority owner and Sacramento Republic owner Kevin Nagle, and Fortress Investment Group chairman Pete Briger.
NRG Esports began as a short lived League of Legends team but has since taken up a spot in the Overwatch League, costing a reported $20m, and also has teams in CounterStrike: Global Offensive, Hearthstone, and Rocket League among others.
This investment continues a growing trend of traditional sports stars going digital. Former NBA star Rick Fox has built a name for himself in the world of esports with his team Echo Fox. The team first entered the scene with League of Legends in 2015 and has since grown to field teams in Gears of War, Call of Duty, and a number of fighting games.