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Teams:Games:
The Madison Square Garden Company has announced that, from October 2nd, Nick Allen will become their vice president of esports. Allen has served the same position at Twitch since 2015, and upon leaving the streaming platform he will also take on the role of Counter Logic Gaming’s chief operating officer.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Since 2015, Allen has been the vice president of esports for Twitch, and is now also set to become
Counter Logic Gaming’s chief operating officer.[/perfectpullquote]
Jordan Solomon, executive vice president for MSG Sports, said:
“Nick brings with him an extensive knowledge of esports and a deep set of relationships developed through overseeing some of the industry’s most popular events, and he has created initiatives that have continued to grow the gaming community. His vision for the esports space will be an invaluable asset to The Madison Square Garden Company and to CLG.”
According to MSG, Nick Allen’s chief responsibilities will include developing media rights opportunities and creating live, ticketed events. He will also foster relationships with game publishers and other esports entities, including the NBA2K esports league. “Nick is one of the best people I know in esports,” said CLG Founder and President George “HotshotGG” Georgallidis. “I’ve known him for many years and seen firsthand the passion he has for the space and what he has done for the industry.”
[perfectpullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]According to MSG, Nick Allen’s chief responsibilities will include developing media rights opportunities and creating live, ticketed events.[/perfectpullquote]
Nick Allen himself said on his new position:
“I’ve known George since the early days of League of Legends, and admire what he has accomplished as a player and what he has built with CLG. I’m looking forward to doing incredible things with George and the amazing players and staff that have created one of the strongest teams and brands in all of esports”
During his tenure at Twitch, Nick has overseen the streaming platform’s yearly esports budget, developed its first formal, cross-functional approach to promoting esports growth, and played a part in coordinating the company’s most notable developer partnerships. Prior to Twitch, he was also esports operation manager for Riot Games (where he oversaw the creation of the LCS and World Championship) and before that, fulfilled a similar role for IGN Entertainment.
MSG is an American sports and entertainment holdings company, most known for its eponymous arena in New York and ownership of sports franchises like the New York Knicks and New York Rangers. Shortly after MSG confirmed it had purchased a controlling stake in Counter Logic Gaming, Jordan Solomon told The Esports Observer that the company wanted CLG to become a strong brand within its home city.