'Overwatch,' 'Call of Duty' May Follow in Fortnite's Free-to-Play Footsteps: Analyst
*By Zane Bhansali*
Following Epic Games' incredible $3 billion profit gain in 2018, many game developers are eager to emulate its success. Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter predicts that Activision Blizzard will follow in Epic's footsteps by changing two of its biggest titles to a free-to-play model.
According to Pachter, Overwatch and Call of Duty may soon switch to the free-to-play model in order to meet investors' expectations.
"The real reason I think this is going to happen," says Pachter, "is that Bobby Kotick, who's the CEO of Activision, has convinced 18 members of the billionaire boys' club to buy franchises in the Overwatch League."
According to Pachter, Activision Blizzard's ($ATVI) only viable route to making back the $18 million to $24 million purchasing fees for each team slot is through advertising ー a model better suited by having more eyes on the game. To Pachter, that means more players who can understand Overwatch's frenetic pace.
"Overwatch, if you play, you get it," says Pachter. "If you don't play, it's incomprehensible. The only way you're going to ever drive more eyeballs is to make it free. The only way these 18 billionaires are going to get their investment back is if the audience expands dramatically."
Blizzard's Overwatch League has faced concerns about viewership numbers after a strong start. According to a [report from The Esports Observer](https://esportsobserver.com/10most-watched-twitch2018/), the Overwatch League Twitch channel ranked fourth in hours watched in 2018 with 74.6 million hours watched. Rival developer Riot Games logged 99.31 million hours on its own channel, while breakout Fortnite streamer Tyler "Ninja" Blevins eclipsed both, with 226.85 million hours.
LeBron James will serve his first-ever NBA suspension tonight against the New York Knicks after getting into an on-court squabble with Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart. Stewart will also serve a two-game suspension for escalating the fight.
Jill and Carlo are a bit delayed today on account of Carlo's internet not working. Better late than never, they discuss what we know about the suspect in the Christmas parade crash, closing arguments in the Arbery killing trial, and more.
Special Olympics and WWE are announcing a three-year partnership extension of their global partnership to help create inclusion through sports. Mary Davis, CEO of Special Olympics and WWE superstar and Special Olympics Global Ambassador, Drew McIntyre join Cheddar News to talk about the announcement.
NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice and his daughter/business partner Jaqui Rice Gold joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to talk about their energy drink G.O.A.T. Fuel. The pair talked about launching the brand during the height of the pandemic and what makes it different from competing brands. "The thing that separates us from the other energy drinks is we have cordyceps mushrooms in the drink," he said. "You're not going to have the jitters or anything like that." The duo also discussed the Los Angeles Lakers making it the official energy drink of its organization and what that means for the growth of the brand.
Jill and Carlo cover the developing story out of suburban Milwaukee, where a speeding SUV careened through a Christmas parade. Looters get more brazen in San Francisco, the missing Chinese tennis star resurfaces, and more.
Alternative asset, sports cards-focused platform Alt recently raised $75 million in a Series B round. Alt's platform lets users research, trade, and securely store sports cards and other high-value assets. Right now, the company has more than $70 million worth of cards in its vault. The company is also hoping to get into other assets, including NFTs. Alt CEO Leore Avidar joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Ameeth Sankaran, CEO of the emmy-winning media company Religion of Sports, joined Cheddar to talk about the "Man in the Arena: Tom Brady" docuseries that premiered on ESPN+ earlier this week. Sankaran noted Brady and former NFL star Michael Strahan as co-founders and discussed the origin of the company and its goal to tell stories about sports figures beyond their roles on the court or field.
A former live-in-chef for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown has claimed the NFL star lied about his COVID vaccination status and obtained a fake proof of vaccination card. Brown and the Bucs have since come out denying the claims.
Jill and Carlo are back to cover the latest in the Rittenhouse trial, new information on the origins of Covid, return-to-office and more.
JOIN US FOR THE YOUTUBE WATCH PARTY @ 9aET: http://www.youtube.com/cheddarnow
Ben Stinar, NBA reporter for Fastbreak on FanNation, joins Cheddar Bets to provide some one-month-in overreactions and underreactions to some of the NBA betting lines.
Sponsored by BetMGM
