Joint venture aims to take live esports events to bigger stages

British game industry content agency Attention Seekers and live event firm Done + Dusted have formed a joint venture to make competitive gaming and esports into much larger public events.

Attention Seekers and Done + Dusted say the Santa Monica, California-based venture, AD+D, will bring large-scale live entertainment and new thinking to showcase competitive gaming to the general public and offer live event expertise to the games industry.

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The venture will help the burgeoning competitive gaming industry innovate and will raise the profile of live events, including consumer experiences and media briefings, as well as bringing a new level of inventiveness to formats and entertainment.

AD+D arose after many years of successful collaborations between its two parent companies and the realization that they possess complementary skills and expertise that could be harnessed to deliver compelling content in the gaming sector.

Attention Seekers will bring its understanding of video games and authenticity in that space, plus its expertise in creating bespoke video content, both online and in a live context, to the joint venture. Done + Dusted is known for its work on some of the highest-profile live shows, including the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, the opening and closing ceremonies of London 2012 Olympics, and tours by artists such as U2 and Katy Perry,

Attention Seekers CEO Phil Tucker said in a statement, “Through the vast experience of AD+D we are able to go big and go bold when dialing up the reach of Live moments in the video games calendar.”

He added: “In the games industry, we are seeing the most exciting changes for years, due to the emergence of gaming as a live spectator sport. Now it is time for it to take on a bigger stage, by showcasing gaming in revolutionary new formats, in compelling environments, and broadcast over live television, as well as online. We look forward to working in partnership with the games industry to define that live agenda.”

Thanks to the likes of Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Live — platforms on which Attention Seekers has a vast amount of experience — participation and spectator levels for competitive gaming are at an all-time high. But the companies said that the mainstream TV industry has, as yet, failed to embrace the opportunity this ever-growing audience offers. One of AD+D’s key aims is to use its specialist knowledge to give broadcasters the confidence to commission more programs centered on competitive gaming, accelerating its inevitable move into the mainstream.

From planning to production, AD+D will provide a one-stop shop for companies wanting to deliver creative, entertaining, and highly memorable live events and broadcasts to consumers and media. With much of the gaming industry centered in North America, AD+D has set up shop in its West Coast office to be on hand to work directly with games companies, platforms, and broadcasters.

Done + Dusted CEO Simon Pizey said in a statement, “We are delighted to head into a very exciting area of the live video business via a partnership with Attention Seekers, who bring huge experience of the gaming industry to the table.”

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London-based Attention Seekers Productions was founded 10 years ago to create video game live events, and the company is owned by Philip Tucker and Jason Wiltshire.

London-based Done + Dusted is a TV production media group that creates compelling content from stadiums, arenas, studios, and green-field sites across the globe. It was founded 16 years ago by Hamish Hamilton, Ian Stewart, Simon Pizey, and Melanie Fletcher, with partners David Jammy, Katy Mullan, and Guy Carrington.