The Dallas Cowboys, the NFL’s most valuable team, are considering a move into the e-sports industry.
According to AdAge, the Dallas Cowboys have chosen the Alliance Data-owned marketing agency Epsilon to determine whether it should make a move into the competitive gaming space.
Data from video game specialized research firm SuperData found the eSports industry generated $892.8 million in revenue 2016. SuperData projected the industry will break the $1 billion mark in 2017. The Dallas Cowboys generated $700 million in revenue in 2016.
Last week, Epsilon launched a new practice, called Data Design, which will show which brands are associated with eSports and which of those could be matched to the Dallas Cowboys’ fanbase.
Epsilon developed a model for the NFL team to profile the eSports target audience, grouped them by behaviors and, using Amazon, matched brands that appealed the most to each group. The Cowboys will be able to use that information to target sponsors while using its own brand as a way to reach large scale audiences.
“If we thought we could buy a team for — gimme a number — $2 million, $3 million, $5 million or whatever, but get $7 million in sponsorship deals over the next couple years it becomes a no-brainer,” Matt O’Neil, the Cowboys’ senior VP of brand marketing, told AdAge.
The Cowboys will not be the first professional sports team to make a move into competitive gaming.
The NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers acquired and merged two eSports teams in September. Another basketball team, the Houston Rockets, hired a director of eSports development in December.
Multiple athletes, including Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal have also made investments into the competitive gaming space.
In Europe, soccer teams Valencia FC, FC Schalke 04, and West Ham United have also all launched their own eSports teams.
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