[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> SO, WE ALL REMEMBER PLAYING SUPERO, WE ALL REMEMBER PLAYING
SUPER
SUPERMARIO BROTHERS, DONKEY
KONG, MS. PACK-MAN. CAN YOU IMAGINE GETTING PAID
50,000 BUCKS TO PLAY VIDEO
GAMES?
GAMES?
THESE KIDS CAN.
IT MAY LOOK LIKE KIDS PLAYING
VIDEO GAMES.
BUT THESE ARE PROFESSIONAL
ATHLETES, CHANGING THE FACE OF
SPORT.
>> WHAT A TITANIC STRUGGLE BACK AND FORTH.TITANIC STRUGGLE BACK
AND FORTH. >> Reporter: MOVE OVER MLB AND
NBA.
NBA.
THERES A NEW SPORT IN TOWN AND
ITS CREATING BUZZ.
OVERWATCH IS THE MULTIPLAYER
VIDEO GAME WITH ITS OWN LEADGUE
LAUNCHED LAST YEAR. ITS BEING WATCHED BY MILLIONS
OF FANS AND GIVING A PLATFORM TO
E-SPORTS THAT WEVE NEVER SEEN
BEFORE.
>> GAMING IS MY CAREER.
EVERYTHING IS CENTERED AROUND
IT.
>> I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD
BECOME A PROFESSIONAL LIKE THIS.
WERE TREATED LIKE SUPERSTARS. >> Reporter: JAKE LYON AND SHANE
FLAHERTY PLAY FOR THE HOUSTON
OUTLAWS.
OUTLAWS.
>> THE OVERWATCH LEAGUE IS A
GLOBAL SPORTS LEAGUE.
JUST THE SPORT WERE PLAYING IS A VIDEO LEAGUE.WERE PLAYING IS
A VIDEO LEAGUE.
IT WORKS THE WAY TRADITIONAL SPORTS LEAGUES WORK.DITIONAL
SPORTS LEAGUES WORK. THE HIGHEST SKILLED PLAYERS IN
THE WORLD ARE PLAYING FOR
SPECTATORS.
SPECTATORS.
>> FANS ENJOY IT. YOU CANT HAVE SPORTS WITHOUT
FANS.
FANS.
IT HAS ENOUGH VIEWERSHIP LIKE ROBERT KRAFT. VIEWERSHIP LIKE
ROBERT KRAFT.
>> Reporter: HES TALKING ABOUT ROBERT KRAFT, WHO OWNS ONE OFT
ROBERT KRAFT, WHO OWNS ONE OF THE 12 FRANCHISES.
OTHER OWNERS IS JEFF WILPON, WHO
OWNS THE METS.
AND LIKE MORE TRADITIONAL
SPORTS, THE JOURNEY TO THE TOP
REQUIRES LOTS OF TRAINING.
>> WE PRACTICE SIX DAYS A WEEK.
AND THAT TEAM PRACTICE STARTS
AROUND NOON AND WILL PROBABLY GO
UNTIL MAYBE 6:00 P.M.
>> Reporter: THEIR FANS
APPRECIATE THE DEDICATION.
SOME WAITING IN LINE TO MEET THE
TEAM AT A RECENT HOUSTON EVENT.
>> I LOVE THE OUTLAWS LIKE A
LOT.
LOT.
ITS REALLY COOL TO HAVE A TEAM THAT LOVES THEIR FANS SO MUCHM
THAT LOVES THEIR FANS SO MUCH AND WANTS TO COME OUT AND MEET
THEM.
THEM.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Reporter: THE PROFESSIONAL GAMERS ARE CURRENTLY IN THEIR
DEBUT SEASON, COMPETING FOR A
PRIZE POOL OF $3.5 MILLION AND
ARE STILL GETTING USED TO HAVING
MILLIONS OF FANS WATCHING THEIR
EVERY MOVE, IN REAL LIFE AND
ONLINE.
ONLINE.
>> I DONT THINK THAT ANY OF US
IS USED TO THIS YET, HAVING THIS
[ APPLAUSE ] >>> WERE BACK, NOW, WITH TWO
FACES OF THE FUTURE OF SPORTS.
ITS NOWHERE NEAR A FIELD OR A
COURT, ITS ALL ONLINE.
JOINING ME NOW, TWO OF THE BEST-KNOWN PLAYERS OF THEE
BEST-KNOWN PLAYERS OF THE OVERWATCH LEAGUE, JAKE AND SHANE
OF THE HOUSTON OUTLAWS.
WELCOME TO YOU BOTH.
JAKE, I KNOW, SHANE, YOU LIKE TO
GO BY RAUCOUS, WHICH I KIND OF
LIKE.
LIKE.
I STILL DONT GET IT. EXPLAIN IT TO ME.IT.
EXPLAIN IT TO ME. ASSUME IM A THIRD GRADER.
THE THING IS, YOU SIT IN A ROOM
AND YOU DO VIDEO GAMES.
BUT YOURE ON THE SAME TEAM AND
YOURE COMPETING AGAINST OTHER
TEAMS WHO ARE IN OTHER ROOMS
DOING THE SAME THING.
>> SO, EXACTLY.
LETS START OFF WITH WHAT THE
GAME IS.
GAME IS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WONDER WHERE
ITS REALLY FOCUSED.
WE PLAY OVERWATCH.
THAT IS HOW AN ATHLETE WOULD PLAY ONE GAME. ATHLETE WOULD
PLAY ONE GAME. THEY CAN ONLY COMPETE IN ONE
THING.
THING. OVERWATCH IS A TEAM-BASED ACTION
GAME BY BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT.
IT HAS 35 MILLION ACTIVE
PLAYERS.
PLAYERS.
>> WHATS THE GOAL? >> YOU COMPETE AS A TEAM TO
COMPLETE VERY OBJECTIVES ON A
MAP.
MAP.
MOSTLY, THE CENTER OF THE GAME
IS WORKING TOGETHER TO ACCOMPLISH SOME SORT OF BIGGER
OBJECTIVE.
OBJECTIVE.
>> YOU NEED YOUR TEAMMATES TO BE AS GOOD AS YOU ARE.AMMATES TO BE
AS GOOD AS YOU ARE. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. YOU CANT DO MUCH IN THE GAME BY
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF.
EVERYTHING, ESPECIALLY AT THE HIGH EFEST LEVEL, RELIES ONHE
HIGH EFEST LEVEL, RELIES ON TRUSTING YOUR TEAMMATES AND
RELYING ON YOUR TEAMMATES.
>> HOW DO PEOPLE WATCH THIS?
>> IT HAS A SPECTATOR CLIENT.
AS WE PLAY, THERES DIGITAL
CAMERAS.
CAMERAS.
THERES NO NEED FOR A PHYSICAL CAMERA, OF COURSE. A PHYSICAL
CAMERA, OF COURSE.
THE OBSERVERS CAN MOVE THROUGHOUT THE GAME WITHOUT
BEING NOTICED BY A PLAYER.
THAT ALLOWS THE BROADCASTERS TO
CREATE A UNIQUE SPECTATOR
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. >> IS THERE CONDITIONING?
DO YOU GO TO THE GYM?
TEAM BONDING OR ANYTHING?
>> ONE THING WE FOUND, AS YOU
PROGRESS THE HIGHER LEVELS OF
THE GAME, ITS NOT JUST ABOUT
WHO SPENT THE MOST HOURS PLAYING
THE GAME, WHO HAS THE MOST
KNOWLEDGE.
KNOWLEDGE.
THE ELEMENTS OF TRUST,
COORDINATION, COMMUNICATION,
THESE THINGS ARE MUCH MORE
IMPORTANT AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.
WERE INTO MAXIMIZING OUR SLEEP SCHEDULE, AND OUR DIET.R SLEEP
SCHEDULE, AND OUR DIET. IF YOU DONT DO THESE THINGS YOU
CANT COMPETE AT THE HIGHEST
LEVEL.
LEVEL.
>> THIS IS FASCINATING TO ME. WE HAVE THE CHIEF OPERATINGE.
WE HAVE THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, DANIEL CHERRY, ALONG
WITH SPORTS COLUMNISTS, AS WELL.
WALK ME THROUGH IT, DANIEL.
THESE GUYS ARE GETTING PAID.
THE LEAGUE MINIMUM IS 50 GRAND A
YEAR?
YEAR?
>> YEAH.
>> HOW HIGH DOES IT GO
POTENTIALLY?
>> THERE ISNT A SALARY CAP.
THE SCALE IS AS GOOD AS THE
DEMAND OF THE PLAYERS.
I DONT SEE THESE GUYS ANY
DIFFERENT THAN A LeBRON JAMES, A
STEPHAN
STEPH CURRY.
THEY ARE THE ELITE OF WHAT THEY
DO NATIONALLY.
>> OVERWATCH LEAGUE, IS THAT
LIKE THE NFL.
TODAYS VERSION OF THE NFL, IN ONLINE GAMING? OF THE NFL, IN
ONLINE GAMING? >> THIS DIALED IT UP.
THEYRE NOW ENVISIONING BOSTON
PLAYING AGAINST NEW YORK, AND
MIAMI PLAYING AGAINST HOUSTON.
AS IM LISTENING TO THIS, MY
LITTLE HEART IS BREAKING BECAUSE
I HAVE THREE SONS FROM 26 TO 30.
AND I NEVER KNEW THAT ULTIMATELY
I WOULD BE ABLE TO MONETIZE
THIS.
THIS. >> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. >> I WAS THINKING OF ALL OF THE
HOURS.
HOURS.
I WAS WITH MY YOUNGEST SON LAST NIGHT AND I SAID, TO GET REALLY
GOOD, THESE GUYS PRACTICE 14 AND
16 HOURS A DAY.
AND HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID,
YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT,
DAD?
DAD?
THESE GUYS, I COULDNT COMPUTE THE HOURS THAT MY SONS, WHO HAVE
REAL JOBS, HAVE SPENT PLAYING
GAMES.
GAMES.
>> WE TELL OUR KIDS TO GET OFF
THE GAMES THAT ITS GOING TO
RUIN YOUR LIFE AND RUIN YOUR
MINDS.
DO YOU LIVE TOGETHER?
>> WE LIVE IN THE SAME APARTMENT COMPLEX.VE IN THE SAME APARTMENT
COMPLEX.
BUT SOME HAVE INDIVIDUAL APARTMENTS AND SOME SHARE.
WE LIVE TOGETHER AS A TEAM,
TECHNICALLY.
TECHNICALLY.
>> AND WHO ARE THE FANS?
>> THE FANS ARE REALLY -- THATS
ONE OF THE MOST STUNNING THINGS TO ME AS IVE COME UP IN THISNGS
TO ME AS IVE COME UP IN THIS CAREER.
CAREER.
I NEVER WOULD HAVE EXPECTED MYSELF TO BE HERE ONE YEAR AGO.
BUT THE FANS ARE, ITS AN
INCREDIBLY DIVERSE GROUP.
YOUNG AND OLD.
>> LOOKS LIKE MOSTLY GUYS.
ARE THERE GALS, TOO?
>> ITS REMARKABLY WELL SPLIT.
>> ILL BET YOU HAVE FEMALE
FANS.
FANS.
JUST GOING TO TAKE A SHOT HERE. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OFE.
WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF THIS?
THIS?
THEY MUST BE LIKE, YES. YOURE MAKING A LIVING OUT OF
THAT STUFF I THOUGHT YOU WERE
JUST MESSING AROUND WITH IN THE
BASEMENT.
BASEMENT.
>> I HAVE TO GIVE A SHOUTOUT TO MY PARENTS.O GIVE A SHOUTOUT TO
MY PARENTS.
I APPRECIATE THE WAY THEY
APPROACHED GAMING.
IT WAS ALWAYS MY PASSION, WHAT I
WANTED TO BE DOING.
I KNEW I WANTED TO COMPETE, AT
THE TIME WHEN THERE WAS NO MONEY
IN IT.
JUST THE THRILL OF THE COMPETITION.ILL OF THE
COMPETITION.
AND THEY WERE OKAY WITH IT. THEY ACCEPTED I WAS GOING TO
INVEST MY TIME IN IT.
BUT THEY MADE SURE I WAS LIVING
A BALANCED LIFESTYLE.
>> THEY BELIEVED IN YOU.
>> LIKE ANYTHING IN LIFE.
IF YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL,
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A DIVERSE RANGE
OF SKILL SS.
AND THEY GAVE THAT TO ME.
>> GOOD FOR YOU GUYS.
MIKES BOOK IS CALLED "TEAM PLAYERS."K IS CALLED "TEAM
PLAYERS."
YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT. ONE OF THE TEAMS IN THE
OVERWATCH LEAGUE WAS PURCHASED
BY BRIAN ROBERTS, WHO IS THE CEO