Activision Blizzard will reportedly waive the remaining Overwatch League franchise fees for all the competing teams that still owe them, according to the Sports Business Journal<\/em>.<\/p>
The report today comes just a few hours after OverActive Media, the company that owns the Toronto Defiant franchise, announced it had reached a deal with the League to eliminate the franchise\u2019s \u201coutstanding entry fees,<\/a>\u201d while also including an \u201cearly payment of league revenue share\u201d as well as a new sponsorship deal. While he was unable to give specifics, OverActive CEO and co-founder Adam Adamou told Dot Esports that the sponsorship deal was a “major part” of the agreement.<\/p>
OverActive going public with their agreement is likely due to the company’s status as a publicly traded company, meaning they have to disclose deals such as these or risk legal issues. OverActive originally led the collaborative negotiating effort with Activision Blizzard<\/a> back in January, after retaining British law firm Sheridans to negotiate with the OWL on behalf of the teams.<\/p>
The SBJ <\/em>report also notes that additional sources have come forward to say that Call of Duty<\/em> League teams may also ask Activision Blizzard for a a similar deal. Supposedly, Activision Blizzard is looking to “clean up some of its balance sheet” ahead of the impending Microsoft acquisition<\/a>. OverActive’s chief commercial officer Alyson Walker told SBJ<\/em> that the company is “open” to having those discussions with Activision Blizzard.<\/p>