LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — In another sign of the growing relevance of the e-Sports world for the live entertainment sector, veteran festival producer Sig Greenebaum has resigned from his post at the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience to sign on with Blizzard Entertainment as head of global live events for Overwatch League, one of Blizzard's professional e-sports operations.
Greenbaum told the Advocate that the offer from Blizzard came out of the blue, and described it as an "incredible job offer." [Voodoo] "is in my DNA," he told the Advocate “It’s very special to me. To leave at this point is very difficult.”
Greenbaum's exit comes 4 years after Live Nation acquired the Voodoo festival and handed the management of the event to their Austin-based concert and festival promotion operation C3 Presents in 2016.
Greenbaum's co-director Don Kelly will take up most of the slack left by Greenbaum's departure from the festival, with additional responsibilities being absorbed by C3's staff, the Advocate reported.
Blizzard Entertainment has been at the forefront of the nascent e-sports scene and owns several key IPs in the sector. "Overwatch" is one of their newest games and features teams of players squaring off to battle in virtual arenas. The company has invested heavily in developing a professional e-sport league for the game, which the Blizzard has indicated they plan to push into high gear for 2018. In May, the company outlined its plans for teams and franchises, akin to the way the NBA, or NFL operates.
As well, the company is planning a live competition for the game at their annual BlizzCon convention, which will take place in the first week of November at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. – Staff Writers
