*By Carlo Versano*
There are three legs on the esports stool, and each one is crucial to the sector's development and maturation, according to ESL CEO Ralf Reichert: athletes, fans, and partnerships.
"It's most important that the athletes, after all, are happy," Reichert said in an interview with Cheddar from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where the ESL One tournament took place over the weekend.
Then come the fans, who now view tournaments more as "mini-festivals." That is perhaps why organizers like ESL are pouring resources into the fan experience. There are "massively upgraded activations" around ESL One, Reichert said.
Finally, there are corporate sponsorships, in combination with the media.
Partnerships, such as Mastercard's ($MA) recent deal with League of Legends and ESL's streaming partnership with Facebook ($FB), are key to taking esports to the next level. This also includes deals with venues like the Barclays Center ー what Reichert called the "most beautiful" tournament setting ー which add a layer of professionalism.
As esports mature and take on new cultural relevance, ESL is settling into a role as an elder of the industry. In business since 2000, ESL has been a pioneer in the field, though Reichert says there's still plenty of pioneering left to be done.
"It's still an educational journey we're on," he said. "We don't have the answers yet, but we're going to continue to try."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-future-of-esports).
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has announced that 100,000 businesses have signed up for a new database that collects ownership information intended to help unmask shell company owners. Yellen says the database will send the message that “the United States is not a haven for dirty money.”
A new version of the federal student aid application known as the FAFSA is available for the 2024-2025 school year, but only on a limited basis as the U.S. Department of Education works on a redesign meant to make it easier to apply.
A steep budget deficit caused by plummeting tax revenues and escalating school voucher costs will be in focus Monday as Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and the Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature return for a new session at the state Capitol.
The first U.S. lunar lander in more than 50 years is on its way to the moon. The private lander from Astrobotic Technology blasted off Monday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, catching a ride on United Launch Alliance's brand new rocket Vulcan.
Global prices for food commodities like grain and vegetable oil fell last year from record highs in 2022, when Russia’s war in Ukraine, drought and other factors helped worsen hunger worldwide, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said Friday.
Wall Street is drifting higher after reports showed the job market remains solid, but key parts of the economy still don’t look like they’re overheating.
The Biden administration is docking more than $2 million in payments to student loan servicers that failed to send billing statements on time after the end of a pandemic payment freeze.
The nation’s employers added a robust 216,000 jobs last month, the latest sign that the American job market remains resilient even in the face of sharply higher interest rates.
A U.S. labor agency has accused SpaceX of unlawfully firing employees who penned an open letter critical of CEO Elon Musk and creating an impression that worker activities were under surveillance by the rocket ship company.
