David Beckham is known in the football (or as Americans call it “soccer”) world as one of the best players ever, but now the retired superstar is spending his time making Esports history. Yesterday it was announced that Beckham’s Esports team “Guild” will be going public on the London Stock Exchange. This is a first for the Esports community, and a big move by Beckham. In a press release issued on Wednesday, Guild Esports stated it wants to build the Esports community and mold it similar to the NBA and NFL.
Beckham also plans to raise over £20m (or 26,012,900 US dollars) to recruit players and invest further in Guild. According to sources, roughly 40% of company shares will be available to purchase through the listing. This is huge for the Esports community considering this is the first Esports team to enter any stock exchange, and its a big step for the gaming industry. Over 490 million people watch Esports, and popularity has soared during the pandemic. A spokesperson for Guild stated the company is looking to register 1 million fans within the first 12 months. As a result of this move, I think more American based Esports companies will eventually go public. The Esports industry has grown drastically over the years and this is just the beginning.
