#40 Media and the Esports Industry with Will Partin, Mitch Reames, and Maxwell Foxman

Demystifying Media at the University of Oregon

About our guests:
Mitch Reames graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication in 2017. He has written about emerging technology and the esports industry for publications such as AdWeek, SportTechie, Blazer5 Gaming, and Dexerto, and is the founder of the Esportz Network podcast, which partners with Reuters to report on the biggest stories in esports.

Will Partin is a doctoral student and graduate research assistant at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His work focuses on the platformization of cultural production within the realm of livestreaming, video games, and esports. His writing can be found in such publications as The Atlantic, Variety, and Jacobin. He is also a consultant for Power Play, a boutique consulting firm that helps brands find their place in the growing esports market. Former clients have included Microsoft, AMC Networks, Tribeca Enterprise, Madison Square Garden, and others.

At the SOJC, Maxwell Foxman's research centers around how play manifests in non-game contexts, including social media, politics, and journalistic institutions. His work explores the way media makers frame games and play in their activities and professional lives.

Esports are on the rise; according to a recent Business Insider Intelligencer report, esports viewership is expected to grow to nearly 650 million by 2023, at a rate of 9 percent per year. In the studio to discuss this emerging industry are esports journalist Mitch Reames, technology researcher and brand consultant Will Partin, and Maxwell Foxman, Assistant Professor of Game Studies at the UO SOJC.

Find our guests online:

Twitter:
Will Partin
Mitch Reames
Maxwell Foxman
LinkedIn:
Will Partin
Mitch Reames
Maxwell Foxman
Website:
Will Partin
Mitch Reames
Maxwell Foxman

Show Notes:
0:00 - Introductions
0:56 - Why is esports growing so quickly?
2:20 - What is the appeal to brands?
4:13 - Demographics of esports audience
4:46 - Global appeal of esports
8:11 - Esports marketing research
9:44 - Monetization of esports
13:13 - Esports events
16:13 - Esports' global moment
21:53 - What does the rise of esports mean for different constituents?
26:14 - The normalization of esports
27:10 - What should journalism students be doing to break into this industry?
32:02 - How is the esports sector evolving?
35:47 - Wrap-up

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