NBA 2K League Announces Prize Pool and Player Benefits
By Nicholas Barth ·
The NBA is going all in on esports with their NBA 2K League. Today, they announced what teams will be competing for and benefits that league players will have access to.
The partnership between Take Two Interactive and the National Basketball Association has created a esports league for the NBA 2K franchise. The goal is to rival the likes of Blizzard's Overwatch League and Riot Game's League Championship Series. Today, the NBA 2K League announced major details of the league likely meant to show how serious the NBA 2K League is in making their league one of the best for viewers and competitors in the world of esports.
$1 MILLION PRIZE POOL FOR INAUGURAL #NBA2KLEAGUE SEASON https://t.co/gmwtBtN6al pic.twitter.com/N1udvTlqKR
— NBA2KLeague (@NBA2KLeague) February 9, 2018
Announced on their Twitter account and website, the NBA 2K League will have a prize pool of one million dollars for its inaugural season. It will be distributed across three tournaments and the league championship with the championship team receiving the largest share of the prize pool.
Players will be signed to six-month contracts to their respective teams. First round draft picks will have a salary of $35,000, while other players will be paid a salary of $32,000. This will not be the only avenue for players in the league to earn an income, as they will be allowed to sign endorsement deals that follow the league's guidelines. Player compensation also includes paid housing for the entire season with relocation included. Travel costs, such as food, housing and transportation, will be covered by the league. Players will also have access to medical insurance and a retirement plan offered by the league. March 2018 is when the league will begin to sign players to their contracts.
Mind blown this morning I signed up for covered health, vision and dental insurance all offered by @compLexityLive for their players and staff. Truly next level in esports.
— Christopher Duarte (@Parasite) February 3, 2018
With esports careers becoming a norm for skilled players all over the world, organizations like compLexity Gaming have started to offer the same kind of benefits that one would expect from a "normal" job, as business practices like medical insurance are making their way into the esports industry. This is a major step in legitimizing esports to the general public and the NBA 2K League has become a major contributor in this legitimization.
The NBA 2K League is looking to prove that traditional sport titles have a place in the world of esports. With the kind of benefits that they are offering, it will not be surprising to see esport athletes running at the chance to compete for glory on the virtual courts of the NBA 2K League.