The NBA, MLS, and NFL Enter Esports With New Competitive Leagues

NBA 2K, FIFA, and Madden NFL are kings of traditional sports games with millions of players competing on the virtual fields and courts every day, but that is not enough for the companies behind these games. The goal now is to develop these games into competitive esports that will have as passionate of fans as the real life sports they are modeled after.

The NBA 2K League is the creation of the partnership between Take Two Interactive, publisher of the NBA 2K franchise, and the National Basketball Association (NBA). There will be 17 NBA teams participating in the esports league. Each NBA team will own and operate their respective team in the 2K League. Here are all 17 teams that will be playing in the inaugural season.

• Golden State Warriors - Warriors Gaming Squad
• Toronto Raptors - Raptor’s Uprising Gaming Squad
• New York Knicks - Knick’s Gaming
• Memphis Grizzlies - Grizz Gaming
• Milwaukee Bucks - Bucks Gaming
• Philadelphia 76ers - 76ers Gaming Club
• Washington Wizards - Wizards District Gaming
• Orlando Magic - Magic Gaming
• Miami Heat - Heat Check Gaming
• Utah Jazz - Jazz Gaming
• Boston Celtics - Celtics Gaming
• Portland Trail Blazers - Blazer5 gaming
• Indiana Pacers - Pacers Gaming
• Detroit Pistons - Pistons Gaming Team
• Cleveland Cavaliers - Cavs Legion GC
• Dallas Mavericks - Mavs Gaming
• Sacramento Kings - Kings Guard Gaming

May 2018 is when the inaugural season begins and it will continue until August. Tryouts for all of the teams are taking place this February and players will be drafted in March. Players must have had won 50 Pro-AM matches by January 31st and those who accomplished this qualified for the NBA 2K League Combine. The combine will be running from February 2nd through February 21st. This is where aspiring players will be able to prove their skills to all 17 teams and prove why they should be drafted. Players of the 2K League will not be playing as the players on the NBA teams that own their 2K League team. They will be playing as unique characters that will have specific archetypes to choose from for each position. More info on the league can be found on the NBA 2K League website.

Major League Soccer (MLS) is also entering the world of esports with EA Sports by creating the eMLS. The eMLS will operate in a similar manner as the NBA 2K League by having 19 MLS teams sign a representative for them in the esports league. One major difference between the NBA 2K League and the eMLS is that only one player will be representing each MLS team, instead of the multiple players that will play together for each NBA 2K League team.

The players of the eMLS will compete against each other in the eMLS Cup that will be taking place at PAX East in April. The winner will go on to the FIFA Global Series and then have a chance to to play in the FIFA eWorld Cup. The future of eMLS is also not committed for the long term, as the league is only set up for FIFA 18 currently. More info on the league can be found on the MLS website. Here are the 19 teams that will be participating in the eMLS.

• Chicago Fire
• Colorado Rapids
• Columbus Crew FC
• FC Dallas
• Houston Dynamo
• LA Galaxy
• Minnesota United FC
• Montreal Impact
• New England Revolution
• New York City FC
• New York Red Bulls
• Orlando City FC
• Philadelphia Union
• Portland Timbers
• San Jose Earthquakes
• Seattle Sounders FC
• Sporting Kansas City
• Toronto FC
• Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Gary Stevenson, president of MLS Business Ventures, released a statement explaining the goal of MLS’ new esports league for FIFA.

“This step forward into competitive gaming is a key component in our partnership with EA Sports to promote deeper engagement and connections between MLS supporters and the millions of FIFA players around the world.”

Disney XD and ESPN have also partnered up to bring Madden NFL esports to national television. ESPN 2, ESPN, and Disney XD will be broadcasting weekly action from the Madden NFL Ultimate League. Half-hour episodes will be broadcasted by ESPN 2 and Disney XD every Tuesday, along with DisneyXD broadcasting hour long episodes on Thursdays. Madden NFL's Ultimate League will began the day after the Super Bowl and will continue for two and half months. The championship final will air live from the NFL Draft on April 28th. Players in this league will be competing with rosters created from the Madden NFL Ultimate Team game mode. This means that viewers can expect to see NFL greats playing along with current stars on the competitors' teams.

In a statement to Forbes, SVP and General Manager of EA's Competitive Gaming Divison Todd Sitrin had this to say about the goal for the Madden NFL Ultimate League. 

"The Madden NFL Ultimate League is purposely designed to make superstars of our best players, allowing viewers to develop player loyalties and follow competitor rivalries.

Through this collaboration with ESPN and Disney XD, we’ll provide ongoing coverage for fans worldwide across a variety of ESPN and Disney platforms, but also digitally through our own Madden streaming and social channels."

Make sure to check out the Game Talk Live where industry professionals dive into whether or not ESPN and Disney XD's partnership with Madden NFL will be successful. 

The NBA,  MLS, and NFL are going all out in making the NBA 2K League, eMLS, and Madden NFL Ultimate League into legitimate esports leagues that can compete with the likes of the Overwatch League , ESL Pro League, and the League of Legends Championship series. If these esports leagues can become as popular as their real life counterparts then it would not be a shock to see in the near future that someone’s favorite basketball, soccer, or football player might be competing on the virtual field or court, instead of one in the real world.