“A state-of-the-art, destination gaming studio and hospitality space to house an esports competition venue, esports practice & streaming facility and a food & beverage experience. A flagship venue for esports & entertainment on the East Coast”
Washington, D.C. (January 26, 2022) – Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) today announced its plans for “District E Powered by Ticketmaster”, a premier, nearly 14,000-square-foot live-event theater offering a 365-day-a-year, series of immersive experiences in esports, music, event programming, and community events – along with pre-and post-event activations for fans attending Capitals and Wizards games or events. This space will entertain hundreds for independent events, offer an extraordinary culinary experience, and is conveniently located adjacent to Capital One Arena at Gallery Place in downtown Washington D.C. The venue will also create a best-in-class competition and training venue for the MSE esports franchises which it owns, operates, and invests in, including Wizards District Gaming and Caps Gaming – part of the comprehensive, multipurpose facility is MedStar Wizards District Gaming Studio – as well as serving as a catalyst to foster the amateur gaming community in the Greater Washington Metropolitan region. Additionally, it will establish an East Coast satellite office for global esports powerhouse Team Liquid. Further, it will attract the growing influencer streaming community through its state-of-the-art streaming pods.
View facility website here: www.districtedc.com
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“We are excited to invest in this first-of-its-kind venue for esports and other immersive experiences and know it will quickly become the preferred destination for pre-and post-event attendees with one-of-a-kind programming and food and beverage offerings,” offered Zach Leonsis, President of Media & New Enterprises. “And given the rapid rise in the popularity of esports and the growing audience for gaming in general, we believe the time is right to build an esports-centric venue that serves as a rallying point for the gaming community in the Mid-Atlantic. The wide-scale, international appeal of esports brands is well documented. We believe that developing deep, grassroots-level connections within our local community is the natural next step for esports as the genre develops into a major league aside from other traditional sports. We are so proud to build a best-in-class esports venue featuring our globally recognized esports team, Team Liquid, our back-to-back NBA 2K League Champion, Wizards District Gaming, our leading Caps Gaming NHL initiative, and much more to come in the future.”
Monumental Sports was an early investor in esports and has rapidly grown its esports portfolio over the past several years. Starting with an initial, sizable investment in esports ownership group, aXiomatic, in 2016. MSE has since expanded its efforts in esports to include the NBA 2K League’s Wizards District Gaming, a franchise that just won back-to-back NBA 2K League championships, and Caps Gaming, a leading esports sub-brand in the NHL. Through its equity ownership in aXiomatic, MSE also owns equity in Team Liquid, Epic Games, Niantic, Dapper Labs, and Nifty Games, among other gaming investments. MSE’s Chairman, Founder, and CEO, Ted Leonsis represents Monumental Sports on the board of aXiomatic and Zach Leonsis, represents Monumental Sports on the board of Team Liquid. Zach Leonsis also sits on the Executive Committee of the NBA 2K League.
“MSE has been an incredible partner to Team Liquid over the years and the development of District E is an initiative that I believe truly elevates the fan experience and helps connect us with more fans than ever before,” said Steve Arhancet, Co-CEO, and Owner of Team Liquid. “Having lived in the DMV for a number of years, it’s an honor for me to reconnect with the local community and I am looking forward to working alongside and supporting our local organizations, universities, and athletes to bring together fans across Northern Virginia, Maryland, D.C. by providing them with a genuine and unique esports experience.”
Centrally located in the historic Chinatown neighborhood of downtown Washington D.C., District E Powered by Ticketmaster, will be located adjacent to Capital One Arena, the home arena for the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals. With more than 3 million annual attendees coming to Capital One Arena for professional sporting events, live concerts, and other performances, District E Powered by Ticketmaster, will also plan to host Capitals, Wizards, and other fans for pre-and post-game events to enhance the game day experience. District E Powered by Ticketmaster, also contemplates additional programming including its own shows, viewing parties, corporate events, and other programs that will drive additional visitors downtown for unique, immersive experiences.
“The team at Monumental is always on the cutting-edge, adopting the latest technology and setting trends for live event experiences,” said Marla Ostroff, Ticketmaster Managing Director – North America. “District E Powered by Ticketmaster is an innovative and exciting concept that explores a whole new realm of live entertainment experiences. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Monumental in bringing District E to life.”
The design of District E Powered by Ticketmaster, is intentionally welcoming, inviting passersby to peer into the gaming venue and learn more about the energy and enthusiasm of esports. Three of the main components of the space include: (1) an Esports Competition Studio: a public-facing, 150+ person venue expected to host over 200 events per year; (2) an unparalleled Food and Beverage Experience: MSE is partnering with Aramark to operate a restaurant and bar experience that will support events hosted throughout the year; and, (3) an Esports Practice Center: a best-in-class, private team practice facility, officially “MedStar Wizards District Gaming Studio,” with streaming pods for Wizards District Gaming, Caps Gaming, Team Liquid and more.
“We are honored to expand our partnership with Monumental Sports & Entertainment by developing a first-class hospitality experience for fans to enjoy at District E Powered by Ticketmaster,” said Alison Birdwell, President and CEO of Aramark Sports and Entertainment. “As Aramark’s first foray into the rapidly-growing esports space, this is an exciting opportunity to showcase our expertise in food and beverage innovation to esports fans while also creating jobs and further building Aramark’s presence in the Greater Washington Metropolitan region.”
The entire feel of District E Powered by Ticketmaster is modern, technology-forward, and cutting-edge, with esports and traditional sports iconography adorning the broad sweeps of open space across the pavilion. More than 1,000 square feet of LED lights and bars hug the ceilings, and large, crisp screens hang along the walls of the food and beverage experience as well as the competition studio and training facility. Sleek, comfortable furniture is housed throughout – enticing new and die-hard esports fans to watch elite world gamers and amateurs alike.
“District E Powered by Ticketmaster is exactly the type of innovative, experiential retail concept we’re looking to attract at Gallery Place, and we’re delighted that Monumental Sports has chosen to partner with us on their exciting new esports initiative,” said Chris Mundy, US Head of Office at Oxford Properties. “This announcement is a testament to the strength and viability of a centrally located asset like Gallery Place, and we know its ongoing repositioning will continue to attract a similar caliber of occupant at the cutting edge of entertainment, sports, and retail.”
“At this size and scale, District E Powered by Ticketmaster will be the first-of-its-kind in the D.C. region and a gamechanger,” stated Zach Boroson, JLL. “The real estate market rebound has shown that we will see innovative and alternative uses for both office and retail spaces across the city and the new District E Powered by Ticketmaster is exactly that. By activating these spaces in such a unique and forward-thinking way, Monumental Sports & Entertainment is truly solidifying its leadership in the esports industry.”
District E Powered by Ticketmaster has a targeted delivery for Fall 2022. Architecture, Incorporated is responsible for architecture and interiors, construction is led by KBR Corporation and the property is owned and managed by Oxford Properties Group. Monumental Sports was represented by Zach Boroson and Andy O’Brien of JLL. Creative agency 4040 Agency designed the brand and logo for the enterprise. Additional details on partners and programming will be announced in the Spring and Summer of 2022.
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About Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Monumental Sports & Entertainment is America’s leading sports and entertainment family. Our people, players, teams, and events bring excitement and joy to millions. We invest and innovate to consistently raise the game so we can deliver extraordinary experiences that will inspire and unite our community, our fans, and our people. To learn more, please visit www.monumentalsports.com.
About Team Liquid
Team Liquid was founded in 2000 in the Netherlands and has evolved into one of the leading international multigame esports teams with training centers in Utrecht, São Paulo, Brazil, and Los Angeles, California. Team Liquid has about 100 athletes competing across 15 distinct games, including all major esports titles, such as VALORANT, Rocket League, DOTA 2, League of Legends, CS:GO, Fortnite, Rainbow 6: Siege, and more. Led by Co-CEOs Steve Arhancet and Victor Goossens, Team Liquid is one of the most successful esports teams in the Western market in terms of competitive achievement and fan engagement across multiple sports. For more information click here.
In addition to the premier esports team franchise, Liquid Enterprises operates various business units created to complement its esports athletic brand. This includes influencer management agency Liquid Media, esports Wikipedia Liquipedia, and 1UP Studios, the full service production company known for its high-quality esports documentary style filmmaking, and creative commercial content.
In September 2016, controlling interest in Team Liquid was purchased by esports ownership group, aXiomatic. aXiomatic leadership includes Co-Executive Chairmen Peter Guber, Ted Leonsis, Jeff Vinik, and Bruce Karsh who together represent an unparalleled team of sports, technology, entertainment, and investment industry titans.
About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the world’s leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world with food, facilities, and uniform services. Because our culture is rooted in service, our employees strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and our planet. Aramark has been named to DiversityInc’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list, the Forbes list of “America’s Best Employers for Diversity,” the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality” and scored 100% on the Disability Equality Index. Learn more at www.aramark.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
About Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster is the world’s largest ticket marketplace and the global market leader in live event ticketing products and services. Through official partnerships with thousands of venues, artists, sports teams, festivals, performing arts centers, and theaters, Ticketmaster processes 500 million tickets per year across 30+ different countries. Ticketmaster is a part of Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV).
About JLL
JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces, and sustainable real estate solutions for our clients, our people, and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $16.6 billion in 2020, operations in over 80 countries, and a global workforce of more than 95,000 as of September 30, 2021. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com.