Athletics, eSports, and tech leaders buy in as Overwatch League names inaugural teams

Blizzard has named the seven cities that will host its first batch of Overwatch League teams and detailed the new owners of each regionally-housed team in the process. 

The company had said previously that it wants The Overwatch League to mirror the sustainability and accessibility of traditional sports leagues, and that sentiment seems to be reflected in the partnerships Blizzard has forged so far.

In addition to the eSports and video game-facing companies that have invested in Blizzard’s competitive initiative, a number of athletics team owners have bought into The Overwatch League as well.

The cities housing each of the seven teams, and the owner of each, are as follows:

Blizzard notes that each owner was selected not only for their proven ability to manage and grow a team, but also for their personal relationship with each of the league's first cities. With the establishment of city-based teams, Blizzard is hoping to foster local support for each and rally regional fan-bases for each team.

The company has also offered an early glimpse at the league’s unique revenue structure that will see team members earn an equal share of league-wide net revenue and keep funds generated through local events, rather than rely on tournament winnings as earnings. More details on both revenue distribution and the first seven teams themselves can be found on the league's website.

UPDATE: Since publishing, The Overwatch League has brought a handful of new teams into the fold and finalized its season 1 roster. The remaining teams and their owners are as follows: