Coachella Valley, May 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians today announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with the Canadian League of Gamers’ “Northern Arena,” the largest professional eSports League in Canada.
The partnership will result in the creation of Southern Arena and build upon the success of Northern Arena to create a North American professional eSports league.
Northern Arena’s events in 2016 are expected to attract an astounding four million eSports fans through streaming video and 10,000 fans onsite. Southern Arena’s two events in the fall and next spring are expected to attract 5,000 fans onsite and over half a million viewers online.
Darrell Mike, Tribal Chairman for the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians says, “Building Southern Arena as a world-class professional eSports League is the first of its kind for the 486 Indian gaming operations in the US. Being on the cutting edge of the eSports movement will benefit not only the Tribe and its members, but more importantly build on the Coachella Valley brand as the capital of entertainment and hospitality in the United States.”
“eSports is exploding with interest and becoming one of the fastest growing sports in the world,” says Greg Spievak, Co-Founder of the Canadian League of Gamers. “The eSports market in 2016 is estimated to generate $1.3 billion in gross revenues, which is close to the $1.5 billion the NFL generates. According to Fortune Magazine (October 2015), eSports revenue will surpass $1.9 billion in 2018.”
The visionary behind Northern and Southern Arena and Co-Founder of the Canadian League of Gamers, Carl-Edwin Michel said he is “enthusiastic to oversee Southern Arena events and absolutely thrilled about the partnership between the Canadian League of Gamers and the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians.”
About the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians and Spotlight 29 Casino
The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians, descendants of the Chemehuevi Indians who inhabited the desert area, has been a federally recognized Tribe since 1891.
Spotlight 29 Casino features 1,600 of the hottest and most popular slots of any Casino in the Coachella Valley. Spotlight 29 Casino also offers world-class table games where you’ll always find a $5 table, plus luxurious dining for less with a variety of fine and casual dining options. Spotlight 29 Casino provides the premier entertainment experience in the Coachella Valley and is home to the 2,400 seat Spotlight Showroom, which has featured headliners such as Bruno Mars, Mark Anthony, Pitbull, Dave Chapelle, Montgomery Gentry and more, plus a Free Tribute Concert Series where guests can see a Tribute to their favorite acts for free. Spotlight 29 Casino is a business venture of the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians.
About the Canadian League of Gamers
In 2015, the Canadian League of Gamers was founded by Greg Spievak and Carl-Edwin Michel to build a league of video game competitions that services the eSports market in Canada. The league focuses on hosting finals and qualifying events across the country each year to host the largest eSports event in Canada. With this new partnership with the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians and the introduction of Southern Arena, this eSports league will become the first of its kind in North America. The goal is to bring professional and non-professional gamers together in an official league that offers a structured, professionally managed and credible platform to promote eSports in North America and throughout the world.
Francis A. Wong, a retired Hawaii State Senator and resident of Indian Wells, CA will act as senior advisor to the Northern and Southern Arenas.