6:12 p.m. ET, May 2, 2019
Activision Blizzard sells first 'Call of Duty' pro teams
From CNN Business' Ahiza Garcia
Activision Blizzard has sold the first five teams in its professional "Call of Duty" league. The pro teams sold in Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Paris and Toronto — part of Activision's plan for a global league.
Revenue for the lucrative eSports market is expected
to exceed $1 billion this year, and Activision is hoping to grab a bigger piece of that. The company has already had success with its "
Overwatch" eSports league, which is in its second season and has seen a more than 30% increase in viewership hours. That league is now broadcast on ESPN channels and Disney XD.
Activision, which also owns "World of Warcraft," made that announcement Wednesday when it reported earnings. The company beat Wall Street's expectations last quarter, but its revenue projections for 2019 remain lower than the previous year.
Activision Blizzard (
ATVI) was down more than 4% in after-hours trading.
Last quarter, the company said it would be
laying off 8% of its workforce — about 750 jobs — and refocusing its attention on its top games. Activision also said that 2019 would be a year of transition, a point that the latest revenue projections seem to reiterate.