With an esports stadium in Arlington and well-known professional teams in Dallas and Frisco, North Texas is quickly becoming a hub for the fast-growing industry. And a new podcast network is looking to be the voice and connective tissue of esports in the region.
Launched late last month with an inaugural lineup of three shows, the Esports Futuri Podcast Network aims to be a vehicle to bring more people into the esports fandom, highlighting players and ecosystem around the industry, while also reaching diverse communities to drive interest in the science behind the games.
“You’ve got a lot of players in Dallas who understand sports… and esports fits right into the ecosystem with its structure. We kind of bring that last piece of infrastructure that’s been missing, that really has caused us to fall behind Korea, China and Europe, is that infrastructure to support the esports industry,” Jacob Miles III, Esports Futuri CEO, told NTX Inno. “You’ve got your gamers, you’ve got your fans but we really did not have an esports network, an infrastructure that celebrates those players, that promotes those players, that gives them a venue to reach their fans and talk about the industry and so forth, and that’s what we provide.”
Esports Futuri was created as the podcasting arm of Grapevine-based esports media, marketing and events company MAP Esports Network, which was created in 2019.
Currently, Esports Futuri has three shows on its network focused on the industry and the people in it. “All in with Esports,” a series hosted by sports journalist Lewis Johnson, looks at the trends and players shaping the industry. “Future of Marketing in Esports” looks at how marketing in esports is evolving and is hosted by Rebecca Longawa. And “The DLC Drop” is a series featuring stories from movers and shakers in the industry hosted by Esports Trade Association chairman John Davidson.
By the end of the year, Esports Futuri hopes to have a lineup of five shows, increasing that to about 20 shows by the end of next year. New shows will also focus on adjacent communities to esports, like non-competitive games, cosplay and K-pop.
“What we want to do is create that infrastructure so that the gamers and the fans can be celebrated and they have a circuit that they can go through to say what they’re working on and showcase their talents and their awards, and also their favorite charities,” Miles said.
Miles said the purpose of starting with those three shows is to help people understand esports more and bring them into the community. Even while global esports revenue declined from pre-pandemic projections this year, it is still expected to reach nearly $1 billion. And next year, it is expected to hit nearly $1.2 billion, according to Newzoo.
As it attracts new people to the esports community, Esports Futuri hopes it can use its platform to increase diversity in the sport and reach underserved communities through advocacy and partnerships with organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the YMCA. Miles said that he wants to specifically highlight the issue of “technology deserts,” areas where access to stable connection and paths to higher education in the industry exist. He said he hopes Esports Futuri can connect communities and bring competitive esports programs and esports STEAM-related education to those areas.
“We really are looking to inspire and ignite an esports cultural movement for social and economic progress and growth. And (esports is) a perfect vehicle for reaching into disadvantaged communities, because they all know the games and they all love the games but they don’t think about what’s behind them,” Miles said. “That’s part of the growth of this industry… and we couldn’t be more excited about helping disadvantaged communities be brought along, in spite of the digital divide that we have out there.”
With the esports industry expected to grow in the future, Miles sees North Texas as a great place to grow alongside of it. For one, he said there is an interest and an entrepreneurial community that supports emerging industries like esports, something aided by financial investments in the industry by people like Mark Cuban and Jerry Jones. He also said the density of activity created by Complexity Gaming, Envy Gaming and the esports stadium in Arlington, as well as other companies that work in adjacent industries help make DFW an esports hub.
Since its launch last month, Miles said Esports Futuri has been gaining traction, picking up nearly 1,000 followers on its Instagram. As it looks to grow Miles said the company has plans for begin raising outside capital in Q1 of next year. And in addition to adding new shows to its network, Esports Futuri plans to add streaming services, magazines and other media to its platform.
“I think that the Dallas-Fort Worth market could not be a better place… it has the right spirit to support something like this,” Miles said.
