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Activision (ATVI) Hosts New Season of CWL in Las Vegas
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Activision Blizzard hosted much-awaited Call of Duty (COD) World League from Dec 7-9. The e-sports league was streamed on MLG.com and Amazon’s (AMZN - Free Report) Twitch.
The latest season attracted 260 teams from around the world and a record breaking 1280 players competed in Las Vegas.
To boost player engagement level, COD: World League (CWL) offered different modes including Call of Duty: Black Ops 4Blackout and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Zombies among others. The players got to compete in a team or on an individual basis.
OpTic Gaming emerged as the winner of CWL Las Vegas, defeating eUnited in the three-day event. Notably, the top four contenders in Las Vegas grabbed a position in the CWL Pro League, which is scheduled to begin in February 2019.
Call of Duty has a total prize money of $6 million this season, which is the largest in its history. Additionally, the company removed regional restrictions and now allows players from all around the world to compete. Thus, Activision has 20 teams participating in the league, out of which nine teams are from overseas. This is expected to raise the popularity of the game.
E-sports: A Key Catalyst
Per a report from Newzoo, the e-sports industry is expected to cross the billion-dollar threshold in 2019, with revenues projected to hit $1.1 billion. Activision is evidently using the growth of e-sports industry to its benefit.
Activision’s Overwatch League had a scintillating start with more than 10 million viewers watching the event in the first week of the inaugural season. The Overwatch League offers a variety of different viewing options for fans, which should give the company the chance to lure more advertisers and expand its user base.
Moreover, the company’s multi-year deals with Disney (DIS - Free Report) and Twitter to live stream its e-sports league, Overwatch, is expected to further enhance its popularity.
We believe that the growing popularity of its popular franchises, Overwatch and COD, coupled with increasing e-sports viewership is expected to translate into higher revenues, helping Activision stand out among its peers.
Call of Duty franchise is one of the biggest growth drivers for Activision. Notably, the latest title, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 instantly became a hit as it generated record digital sales on the first day of release in the company’s history.
Moreover, the company witnessed an increase of $1 billion in in-game net bookings in the last-reported quarter driven by King’s Candy Crush Saga. Additionally, the release of latest Candy Crush Friends Saga is a tailwind.
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Activision (ATVI) Hosts New Season of CWL in Las Vegas
Activision Blizzard hosted much-awaited Call of Duty (COD) World League from Dec 7-9. The e-sports league was streamed on MLG.com and Amazon’s (AMZN - Free Report) Twitch.
The latest season attracted 260 teams from around the world and a record breaking 1280 players competed in Las Vegas.
To boost player engagement level, COD: World League (CWL) offered different modes including Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Blackout and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Zombies among others. The players got to compete in a team or on an individual basis.
OpTic Gaming emerged as the winner of CWL Las Vegas, defeating eUnited in the three-day event. Notably, the top four contenders in Las Vegas grabbed a position in the CWL Pro League, which is scheduled to begin in February 2019.
Call of Duty has a total prize money of $6 million this season, which is the largest in its history. Additionally, the company removed regional restrictions and now allows players from all around the world to compete. Thus, Activision has 20 teams participating in the league, out of which nine teams are from overseas. This is expected to raise the popularity of the game.
E-sports: A Key Catalyst
Per a report from Newzoo, the e-sports industry is expected to cross the billion-dollar threshold in 2019, with revenues projected to hit $1.1 billion. Activision is evidently using the growth of e-sports industry to its benefit.
Activision’s Overwatch League had a scintillating start with more than 10 million viewers watching the event in the first week of the inaugural season. The Overwatch League offers a variety of different viewing options for fans, which should give the company the chance to lure more advertisers and expand its user base.
Moreover, the company’s multi-year deals with Disney (DIS - Free Report) and Twitter to live stream its e-sports league, Overwatch, is expected to further enhance its popularity.
Activision Blizzard, Inc Price and Consensus
Activision Blizzard, Inc Price and Consensus | Activision Blizzard, Inc Quote
Popular Franchises Aids Activision
We believe that the growing popularity of its popular franchises, Overwatch and COD, coupled with increasing e-sports viewership is expected to translate into higher revenues, helping Activision stand out among its peers.
Call of Duty franchise is one of the biggest growth drivers for Activision. Notably, the latest title, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 instantly became a hit as it generated record digital sales on the first day of release in the company’s history.
Moreover, the company witnessed an increase of $1 billion in in-game net bookings in the last-reported quarter driven by King’s Candy Crush Saga. Additionally, the release of latest Candy Crush Friends Saga is a tailwind.
Activision currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars?
Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge.
With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research.
It's not the one you think.
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