The Adelaide Football Club has finalised the sale of its esports franchise to a well-known Australian gaming operation.
Kanga Esports has purchased the Crows’ Sydney-based Legacy Esports, which is a top-tier professional outfit competing in the League of Legends Circuit Oceania.
Esports is competitive video-gaming with tournaments played online and in stadiums where teams of professional players battle each other in a variety of games.
The Club successfully entered the industry in 2017 but its strategic priorities have since changed.
Crows CEO Tim Silvers said Legacy had attracted interest from several potential buyers, including those based overseas.
“The global pandemic had a deep and wide-ranging impact on Australian sport and we were forced to take on debt and review all areas of our operations,” Silvers said.
“We have a clear recovery strategy and we are well positioned and determined to overcome the recent challenges presented by COVID-19, and emerge stronger as a Club.”
Kanga Esports owner Hayden Shiels described the acquisition as an exciting opportunity to support and strengthen the esports eco-system across Australia and New Zealand.
Shiels added the team would be re-branded and compete under the Kanga Esports banner and colours in the League of Legends Circuit Oceania.
“Acquiring Legacy and entering League of Legends makes perfect sense for our next step,” Shiels said.
“This will not be the last of our announcements and we have got even more exciting news in the pipeline for our fans in 2022."
The Crows are also reviewing their ownership of the popular high school esports competition, META, which runs at a community level across Australia and New Zealand.
