Spanish telecommunications provider Telefónica has announced the Movistar Riders Academy, a project aimed at developing esports talent in Spain. Movistar Riders is a Spanish esports organization backed by Movistar, a major telecommunications brand owned by Telefónica.
Helping amateurs turn pro
The Movistar Esports Series constitutes a set of competitions aimed at helping amateur players on their path to becoming professionals. The chosen few will have the opportunity to further develop their skills by using a training facility to accrue sponsors. The current members of Movistar Riders will serve as a source of technical knowledge and experience for the newcomers.
Dante Cacciatore, Telefónica España’s director of communications, brand, and customer experience, said his company “wants to take a step forward promoting the development of esports among fans, and for this purpose we have the best tool: connectivity, the foundation of the Digital Revolution.”
To ensure the participating players have the best predispositions for success, an expert technical team manages the Academy.
“The club will contribute towards the training of amateur players with the objective of forming future professional players, strengthening their emotional capabilities and digital competencies, as well as contributing to their personal evolution through the internalization of the values of the club and sports,” said Movistar Riders CEO Fernando Piquer.
Telefónica goes all-in on esports
The Movistar Riders Academy launch follows Telefónica’s ongoing expansion into esports. Last year, the company created a dedicated esports platform in a partnership with ESL. Then, its Movistar+ premium TV offering welcomed the addition of exclusive esports content.
A year after entering the area, the company reports the venture into esports has been a massive success and exceeded their expectations. The esports service has reportedly reached 2.7 million followers, 185 million hits, 15 million content views, and 250,000 monthly page visits.
As for 2018, the company has planned to take the following steps in order to further develop and expand its esports scene:
- Help discover and promote the talent in Spain
- Facilitate the training and digital enjoyment of esports
- Transform Movistar into the largest generator of Spanish-speaking esports content
Movistar esports series
The new tournament series, a joint collaboration between Movistar and ELS, was established to support amateur players in reaching the pro ranks. By participating in these events, amateurs can earn trips to major esports events like ESL One and the Intel Extreme Masters, among others.
“The most important thing is that the CS:GO Movistar Esports Series will offer teams who finish in first and second place a direct spot to play the Promotional Phase, [which] will give access to the next season of the CS:GO ESL Masters, the CS:GO National League,” said ESL Managing Director Spain & Latam Manuel Moreno.
