Team Dignitas Buys Clutch Gaming's Slot in the LCS
By Wyatt Fossett ·
Team Dignitas parent company Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment have filed for the purchase of majority stake in Clutch Gaming from their parent company, the Houston Rockets.
Sports organizations have been investing heavily into the world of Esports as of late. Whether it’s Shaq and Beastmode being big parts of NRG and the San Francisco Shock or ex-Laker Rick Fox and his Echo Fox team built from the ground up. The two scenes’ crossover has been growing steadily in recent years and Marshawn Lynch even escorted his team out onto the Overwatch League stage. Team Dignitas owners have become the latest story with their acquisition of Clutch Gaming in the North American League of Legends Championship Series ( LCS).
Yesterday, the parent company of the Philadelphia 76ers, Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment announced it will be purchasing a majority stake in the competitive League of Legends team Clutch Gaming.
Current owners, the Houston Rockets, will receive roughly $20 million for the shares according to a report from ESPN.
It Gets Spicy
It may sound like some pretty simple news of an ownership change within the League of Legends Championship Series here in North America. However, the Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment company currently own former LCS brand Team Dignitas.
Back in 2016, Blitzer bought into the League of Legends circuit in North America by buying into one of the founding teams. Team Dignitas had been around since the start of the league. Unfortunately, as the LCS announced it would move to franchise spots, that investment was thrown out the window.
Just a year after purchasing Dignitas, the team was informed in round two of the franchising application that it would not be accepted into the LCS. This left the Blitzer company without a participating League of Legends team. Not to mention the dissolution of one of the founding teams in League of Legends Esports.
Clutch Gaming
In the 2019 LCS Spring Split, the folks of Clutch Gaming managed to finish with a 5W - 13L record, missing the playoffs by only 3 wins. Their current line-up doesn’t look like one that is going to be able to make a huge impact on the North American League of Legends standings. Expect some conversations regarding potential roster moves as we head towards the 2019 Summer Split.
Whoever they dress and put on-stage, they will not be wearing Clutch Gaming gear. Blitzer still owns the name Dignitas and they’ve been keen to get the brand hanging up in the Riot Studios Arena again. That's where Clutch Gaming comes in. Now, they own a historied brand, and an LCS slot.
Part of the written deal is that Clutch Gaming will be rebranded to Dignitas sometime after the 2019 League World Championship. It is probably impossible to change these things mid-season per LCS contracts and fine-print.
Dig Takes Over
The merging of Clutch Gaming in their relationship with the LCS and Dignitas in their history may go down as one of the most interesting moves in Esports business and modern League of Legends franchises.
Leading this newly formed mega-beast will be Dignitas CEO Michael Prindiville. In a conversation with ESPN during the South by Southwest conference in Texas, Prindiville outlined Dignitas’ desire to re-enter the league after being declined in the franchise application stage.
“We really have the capabilities of building something big throughout North America through HBSE and so my focus was what we could do to build something in North America, specifically with Riot and the League Championship Series." Primdiville told ESPN.
With a long-standing and colorful history in the North American League of Legends world, it is exciting for most fans of the Esports that Dig will be making their return to the LCS. Even if it’s going to be a relatively fresh start.
Who was your favorite Team Dignitas member of old? Are you excited to see the franchise return to the LCS next year? Let us know in the comments.