The Weeknd invests in OverActive Media, owner of Splyce and Defiant
Popular Canadian R&B musical artist The Weeknd has invested in OverActive Media, the parent company of Splyce and the Toronto Defiant.
Splyce currently has a professional League of Legends team in the LEC, the top tier of pro League competition in Europe. The organization also boasts a pro Call of Duty team, a Rocket League team, a Smite team, and a StarCraft team.
While Splyce also owns the Toronto Defiant, that team competes under a separate branding in the Overwatch League as is required by Activision Blizzard.
Specific details of the new investment were not disclosed, but Defiant fans should see some presence from The Weeknd in future advertising efforts. Having arguably one of the most famous people from Toronto advertising the hometown team will hopefully bring more exposure to a squad that finished Stage 1 with a winning record and made the playoffs in its debut season in the Overwatch League.
The Weeknd is one of the most popular musical artists in the world, with three Grammy wins and three number one album releases to his name. He has sold a staggering 70 million albums in the United States alone.
The Weeknd is not the only Canadian musical artist to invest in esports. World-famous rapper Drake and American entrepreneur Scooter Braun have invested heavily in the 100 Thieves esports organization, which is run by dynamic CEO Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag.
“As a big esports fan, I am really excited to be involved in this project,” The Weeknd said in a
statement
from OverActive Media. “I am looking forward to collaborating with OverActive Media in unique and innovative ways.”
As esports continues to grow, more and more celebrities and other big investors will continue to take interest. The attention is surely welcome for a scene that’s likely to continue expanding as the action of esports captures more and more mainstream attention. Further investments will be relied on to put organizations in states of better financial stability, better paying professional players who in some games still struggle with lower levels of income.
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