LIZ: AS POPULAR VIDEO GAME LIVE
STREAMING AT PLATFORM TWITCH
SLASHES MORE THAN 400 EMPLOYEES
FROM ITS WORK FORCE -- AND,
AGAIN, THEY’RE OWNED BY
AMAZON -- TWO OF THE BIGGEST
NAMES IN E-SPORTS ARE PREPARING
TO GROW BY JOINING FORCES.
GAMESQUARE E-SPORTS IS MERGING
WITH ENGINE GAMING AND MEDIA TO
CREATE ONE OF THE LARGEST AND
MOST INFLUENTIAL E-SPORTS AND
MEDIA COMPANIES IN THE INDUSTRY.
THE COMBINATION BECOMES OFFICIAL
NEXT TUESDAY WHEN THE JOINT
COMPANY DAY BUYS ON THE NASDAQ
TURNED THETIC THER SYMBOL GAME.
THEY’RE NOT SO SECRET WEAPON,
ONE OF THE BIGGEST GAMERS IN THE
WORLD, TYLER BLEVINS KNOWN
ACROSS MULTIPLE SOCIAL PLATFORMS
AS NINJA.
HE SIGNED OFF AS CHIEF
INNOVATION OFFICER AND NO SUIT
AND TIE FOR THIS C SUITE MEMBER.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> YOU’VE GOT TO JUST GO
STRAIGHT.
LINE OF SIGHT, KEEP GOING.
JUST RELAX.
>> I’M NOT VERY GOOD -- I NEVER
DRIVE IT.
>> GO!
BACK UP!
>> I’M SORRY.
>> YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING
ME!
[LAUGHTER]
LIZ: LIZ YEAH, THAT’S THE NEW
CIO.
SO WITH NINJA AS THE IDEA MAN
AND JERRY JONES HOLDING A
MAJORITY STAKE IN THE GAMING
VENTURE COMPANY, HOW IS GAME
GAMESQUARE GOING TO THE
TRANSFORM THE MEDIA WORLD?
AHEAD OF THEIR BIG NASDAQ DEBUT,
GAMESQUARE CEO JUSTIN KENNA AND
CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER TYLER
NINJA BLEVINS.
I MEAN, NINJA -- AND I ASKED, HE
SAID IT WAS OKAY TO CALL HIM
THAT.
[LAUGHTER]
NEXT WEEK YOU’RE OFFICIALLY THE
CIO OF A NASDAQ-TRADED COMPANY.
I MEAN, BEYOND HOW COOL IS THAT,
WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR MIND
ABOUT HOW BIG A DEAL AND A
RESPONSIBILITY THIS IS?
>> YOU KNOW, THE RESPONSIBILITY
IS, IT’S NOT AS BIG AS PEOPLE
MIGHT THINK JUST BECAUSE I KNOW
A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT I’M ORB
WORKING WITH THERE INCLUDING,
OBVIOUSLY, JUSTIN WHO IS REALLY
JUST HELPING IT BE A SUPER
NATURAL TRANSITION INTO THE
ROLE.
WE ALREADY HAD AN AMAZING
MEETING WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE UNDER GAMESQUARE AS
WELL, ALSO AMAZING STREAMERS,
AND STARTED SHOOTING IDEAS OF
WHAT A ROAD MAP WOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND, I MEAN, SERVICE THE, LIKE,
TWO HOURS OF JUST PURE, LIKE,
LIGHTNING-TIP IDEAS.
SO, I MEAN, WE GOT -- WE’RE
ALREADY GETTING TO WORK.
LIZ: JUSTIN, WHAT’S IT LIKE?
IT’S GREAT TO HAVE SOMEBODY LIKE
NINJA SPITBALLING WITH YOU
BECAUSE HE KNOWS, BUT NEXT
WEEK’S A BIG MOMENT AS THE
MERGED COMPANY COMES TO LIFE ON
THE NASDAQ.
WITH THAT, I MEAN, THE PRESSURE
IS ON.
YOU’D ADMIT THAT, RIGHT, JUSTIN?
BEYOND THE GREAT TICKER, GAME,
WHAT IS MERGING WITH ENGINE
GOING TO DO TO GET THIS STOCK
MOVING BEYOND A DOLLAR AND
CHANGE?
>> YOU’RE RIGHT, IT’S A GREAT
TICKER.
WE’VE GOT A BIG CAMPAIGN AROUND
THE TICKER, ACTUALLY, LIFE IS A
GAME, SO VERY EXCITED.
BUT, I MEAN, ENGINE GAMING
BRINGS ANOTHER LEVEL TO US THAT
HELPS US ACHIEVE MANY LONG-TERM
GOALS IN THE SHORT TERM, AND
THAT IS IT GETS US TO REVENUE
SCALE.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT GIVES US
ACCESS TO DATA ANALYTICS.
AND AS YOU WOULD KNOW WITH BRAND
AND AD SPEND SORT OF RETRACTING
IN SOME AREAS, I THINK, YOU
KNOW, NOW MORE THAN EVER IT’S
REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE A
CANNIBAL AND REALLY HAVE THAT,
THE DATA ANALYTICS INTERNAL, I
THINK IT ADDS TO OUR UNIQUE
OFFERING.
LIZ: WELL, VERY UNIQUE TO HAVE
SOMEBODY LIKE TYLER AS NINJA ON
THIS C SUITE GROUP THAT, TO ME,
IS VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE, YOU
KNOW, NINJA, THEY GAVE YOU THE
ROLE NOT JUST BECAUSE OF ALL THE
FOLLOWERS YOU HAVE, BUT THE KNOW
HOW AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT
THOSE FOLLOWERS WILL DO AND WHAT
THEY’LL SPEND MONEY ON.
SO WHAT IS YOUR ROAD MAP?
YOU MENTIONED ROAD MAP.
WHAT IS YOUR PLAN, AND WHAT ARE
SOME OF THE BIG IDEAS THAT YOU
FEEL HAVEN’T YET BEEN TAPPED AT
THE COMPETITORS OUT THERE THAT
YOU FEEL COULD REALLY TURN INTO
GREEN?
MONEY?
>> OH, MAN, I DON’T KNOW IF I
WANT TO LEAK ANYTHING, BUT I
GUESS I COULD --
[LAUGHTER]
YOU KNOW, SO ONE OF MY GOOD
BUDDIES, TIM, HE HAD A AILGATE
THAT WAS IN DALLAS.
TAILGATE, ACTUALLY AT JERRY
JONES’ SETUP WHERE THE PRACTICE
FIELD IS, AND THEY HOSTED AN
ENTIRE EVENT, AND THEY LITERALLY
DIDN’T HAVE TO -- WHAT’S THE
WORD, THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO REACH
OUT TO ANYONE FOR ANYTHING.
THEY HAD ALL OF THE ABILITIES TO
GET ALL THE VENDORS, RIGHT, AND
THEY BASICALLY CREATED THIS
MASSIVE EVENT, AND THEY WERE
ABLE TO DO IT ALL IN-HOUSE.
THERE’S A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THAT,
RIGHT?
SO THAT’S GOING TO BE ONE HINGE
THAT HEIR GOING TO ABSOLUTELY
DOMINATE IN THE FIELD.
SO BASICALLY JUST CONTINUING TO
DO STUFF LIKE THAT, CREATING NEW
EXPERIENCES THAT HAVEN’T BEEN
DONE BEFORE ON A GAMING SCALE.
ONE THING I HAVE DONE IN THE
PAST, THERE WAS A NINJA NEW
YEAR’S EVENT, AND THAT WAS ONE
WITH OF THE THINGS THAT WE
SPITBALLED ABOUT, DO IT BIGGER,
BETTER, ADMINISTER STUFF TO IT.
-- ADD MORE STUFF TO IT.
AND FOR HOSE OF YOU WHO DON’T
KNOW, FORT KNIGHT CREATED THE
FUTURE WITH AN -- FORTNITE ADDED
THE UNREAL ENGINE WHICH IS WHAT
YOU USE TO CREATE VIDEO GAMES,
AND YOU CAN LITERALLY CODE ALL
THAT SUFFICIENT.
THEY ADDED IT INTO THE GAME OF
FORTNITE.
SO THAT ANNOUNCEMENT WAS ALMOST
TWO WEEKS AGO NOW, AND IT’S
GOING TO BE GAME-CHANGING,
LIFE-CHANGING, KIND OF CREATING
THE METAVERSE IN THE WORLD THAT
WE LIVE IN, LIKE, ACTUALLY
CONCERN I REALLY DO THINK THAT
THAT’S WHERE WITH A LOT OF
EVENTS COULD EVEN TAKE PLACE IN
THERE AS WELL.
SO WE CAME UP WITH SOME IDEAS
ABOUT THAT ALSO.
LIZ: YEAH.
IT SOUNDS LIKE, JUSTIN, NINJA’S
ALL OVER THIS WHEN IT COMES TO
IDEAS.
[LAUGHTER]
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
LIZ: BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE
LEGACY MEDIA GUYS OUT THERE, YOU
KNOW, THEY HAVE FOUND A VERY
VERY ELUSIVE DEMOGRAPHIC THAT
THEY CAN’T SEEM TO REACH WITH
ADVERTISING.
>> YEP.
LIZ: THAT’S WHERE YOU GUYS COME
IN BECAUSE THE DISNEYS AND THE
WARNER BROTHERS OF THE WORLD,
WARNER BROTHERS DISCOVERY, THE
COMCASTS, PARAMOUNT, THEY’RE
TRYING SO HARD, AND THEY CAN’T
DO IT BECAUSE THIS GROUP OF
PEOPLE DOESN’T WATCH REGULAR TV,
ASK THEY DON’T GO ON MAYBE
STREAMING SERVICES THAT THE REST
OF US MIGHT AND SEE SOME OF
THESE HIS THEMENTS.
BUT HOW -- ADVERTISEMENTS.
HOW DO YOU CAP CAPTURE THAT FROM
AN EXECUTIVE STANDPOINT?
>> YEAH, EXACTLY.
SO THE WAYNE GRETZKY QUOTE IS
SKATE TO WHERE THE PUCK’S GOING,
NOT TO WHERE THE PUCK IS.
WE LIVE THAT EVERY DA.
BRINGING SOMEBODY -- EVERY DAY.
BRINGING SOMEBODY LIKE NINJA IS,
IS HAVING THE VOICE OF THE
CREATOR IN-HOUSE.
SO I THINK THAT’S REALLY
POWERFUL.
BUT IT’S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
I THINK TRADITIONAL MEDIA AND
ADVERTISERS ARE REALLY
STRUGGLING TO REACH YOUTH
AUDIENCE AT SCALE, AND THAT’S
EXACTLY WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE OFFER
AND PROVIDE BY NOT ONLY THE
SERVICES THAT NINJA WAS TOUCHING
ON IN TERMS OF LIVE EVENT
PRODUCTION, CONTENT THE, THE
ABILITY FOR FANS TO DIRECTLY
ENGAGE, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK,
YOU KNOW, HAVING THE ABILITY --
CAN WE HAVE A MEDIA NETWORK THAT
REACHES 115 MILLION GAMING AND
E-SPORTS FANS EVERY MONTH.
I IT’S REALLY COMPILING WHAT WE
TALK TO AND DEAL WITH BRANDS
THAT ARE TRYING TO REACH
AUDIENCES IN THIS SPACE.
THEY REALIZE HOW LARGE THESE
AUDIENCES ARE, BUT THEY ARE
FRAGMENTED, THEY’RE HARD TO
REACH, AND WE GUARANTEE THEM A
CERTAIN LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT.
SO I THINK THAT’S REALLY
POWERFUL, RIGHT, IN TERMS OF
BUILDING OUT THE STRATEGY BUT
THEN THE ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO
REACH THAT SPECIFIC AUDIENCE.
LIZ: WELL, FOR BOTH OF YOU,
THERE’S A MURDERER’S ROW OF
BOARD MEMBERS, NOT JUST TO
MENTION JERRY JONES, THE BIG
SHAREHOLDER HERE.
BUT YOU’VE GOT SOME BIG NAMES ON
THE BOARD WHO CAN GUIDE ON MANY
DIFFERENT LEVELS TO MAKE THIS
WHAT YOU EXPECT TO TRULY BE A
BIG UMBRELLA.
YOU KNOW, TOM ROGERS, THE
EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF THE MERGED
COMPANY, WILL BE THERE.
HE, OF COURSE, IS CONSIDERED A
VISIONARY AND DISRUPTER IN THE
MEDIA WORLD.
JER CONCERN JEREMY GORMAN WHO
OWNS -- RUNS AD SALES AT
NETFLIX.
CFO OF DALLAS COWBOYS, TOM
WALKER.
THESE ARE HEADY PEOPLE WHO WANT
TO SEE ACTION AND, NINJA, I’M
GOING TO FINISH WITH YOU.
>> YEAH.
LIZ: WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE
PEOPLE AND SAY, OKAY, HEIR GOING
TO WANT SOME IDEAS THAT THAT A
MAKE MONEY FROM ME, WHAT ABOUT
MERCHANDISING?
HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THAT?
>> YEAH, WE DEFINITELY HAVE.
THAT’S ONE THING WE TOUCHED ON.
I HAVE A PATENT FOR, LIKE, A
HOODIE CONCEPT A THAT REALLY IS
NOT JUST USED FOR GAMERS
EVERYWHERE, BUT PRETTY MUCH
ANYBODY THAT USES HEADPHONES.
THAT THAT’S ONE SMALL THING.
BUT I THINK AT THE END OF THE
DAY WHEN IT COMES TO ANYTHING
THAT WE’RE GOING THE TO BE
DOING, IT’S PRETTY MUCH ALWAYS
WORKED IF YOU CREATE WERE
INCREDIBLE CONTENT AND CREATE
INCREDIBLE THINGS, YOU KNOW, IT
JUST TRAVELS, SPREADS BY WORD OF
MOUTH, RIGHT?
IT GETS THE JOB DONE IN THE
ITSELF.
I THINK THAT’S OUR GOAL, JUST TO
MAKE SURE WE’RE CREATING
INCREDIBLY AUTHENTIC AND AMAZING
CONTENT.
LIZ: WELL, IT’S GREAT TO HAVE
YOU BOTH.
GOOD LUCK AT THE NASDAQ NEXT
WEEK WHEN YOU OFFICIALLY MERGE
AND LIST UNDER TICKER GAME.
THANKS SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANKS, LIZ.
APPRECIATE IT.
LIZ: AND, NINJA, LOVE THE THE
HAIR.
I THINK I’M GOING TO TRY IT.