March 2022: Mainstage Gaming Newsletter
Mainstage Gaming Network publishes a monthly update to our community and we are eager to hear your feedback. Please email playnow@mainstagegn.com to share suggestions, request information, and submit support requests.
Summary / TL;DR:
Q1 is in the books and Mainstage the Mainstage High School Season has reached its midway point. We are excited to add new sponsors and brand partnerships at a national level as continue to grow our mission in the gaming industry by educating on career opportunities in the space.
High School League
As we proceed to expand our presence in the high school space, we are amazed at how many schools (even with thousands of students) have no established gaming teams, clubs, or esports opportunities. Over 2/3 of the United States are gamers (Newzoo, Neilson) and African Americans are leading the group with ~75% identifying as a gamer. Additionally, over 300+ universities boast esports programs with growing budgets and scholarships. No offense to clubs out there, but why is the majority overwhelmingly underserved here? Out of ~24,000 high schools, why are there only around 5,000 teams or clubs for gaming?
We plan to write up more in a deep-dive on high school gaming trends, but here are a few high-level answers we have found:
- Lack of Champions
Clubs and teams need a sponsor at the faculty/staff level. With the severe age and interest gaps between teachers and students today, educators desire tooling and support to make running a gaming org for students easier. What games, what consoles, what events, and how do I get colleges to look at our players are a few drops in the ocean of questions left relatively unanswered without ridiculous complications, restrictions, or fees. It is a gap in our space that the team at Mainstage intends to fill with force. - Cannibalistic Pricing Structures and Service Providers
For the few options available for high schools today, companies are charging obscene amounts for students, schools, and sometimes, BOTH. Additionally, many high school focused companies try to position themselves to “win” by exclusive partnerships with games and not allowing schools to participate in other programs or events. This is destroying the high school ecosystem and causing the inevitable downfall of these companies. In gaming, anyone with a contractual cage as a business model will inevitably find failure. - Minimal Support at School or State Level
We support our teachers and understand that, in many cases, they pay out of pocket to support their classrooms and schools. Becoming a sponsor of a club is no different and often becomes a fight against other groups for a cut of the incredibly small school budgets. We have worked with schools and educators to provide the most flexible pricing models possible to offer gaming events as a service from Mainstage. In many cases, this means offering sponsorship income to cover the costs for schools and students to play. Companies that build around the learning experience will win in the budget war, increase school budgets, and thrive in the scholastic space.
With this insight, we believe it is critical to create a program that serves the students, schools, and industry as a whole — and with that, we are proud to announce that Mainstage Gaming Network is officially STEM accredited!
Our leagues, tournaments, and programs are built for and are certifiable, educational experiences. STEM grants access to statewide budgets for schools and educators to (in most cases) cover the costs of participation in our leagues. After months of working with the founding team at STEM, it was a no-brainer to build our business model to include its curriculum requirements. We are one step closer to our vision for equal and inclusive gaming opportunities in the scholastic space.
Mainstage Partners with Hornets Venom GT
We are thrilled to announce that we are working with the Charlotte Hornets’ Pro NBA 2k team: The Hornets Venom GT! In 2019, the Charlotte Hornets unveiled its pro 2k team to their fanbase and they debuted in the 2020 season. The pro 2k league is operated through the NBA with each pro team having an esports counterpart. As of this writing, the Hornets Venom GT are ranked 2nd in the Eastern Conference and 5th overall in the league.
Although we are in the preliminary stages of our partnership, we are especially excited to work with the Hornets Venom GT as we are HQ’d in the Carolinas with a love for the City of Charlotte. In the immediate term, expect giveaways, events, and custom swag bags!! Stay-tuned.
Check out the Hornets Venom GT here:
Mainstage Community
As we continue to grow our community, we love to share our opportunities to get involved with what we are building at Mainstage. Last week, we joined Tallo’s SC Future Makers to present at their SC Days event on the career and business opportunities in the gaming industry. If you know of someone or are personally curious about the gaming industry, sign up for our April 8th follow-up presentation:
If you haven’t already, follow us on our socials or join our Discord below! We are excited about what Lance, our Community Manager, has in store for this year!
- Giveaways: gaming gear, game passes, swag, crypto, skins, DLC, and more
- Tournaments: play with and against the Mainstage community
- Casting and Moderating: opportunities to hop on-stream with us for various esports matches
- Podcasts: Mainstage has been hosting guests and running AMAs in our Discord! Pro gamers, producers, tournament organizers, and much more -
We are so thankful for our team! And we are still growing! Follow us on LinkedIn to see job opportunities. Most immediately, we are looking for Streamers, High School Recruiters/Sales, and Competition Managers to work with organizations in different regions and support their gaming events and leagues.
Stay in Touch:
- Join our Discord
- Learn more: mainstagegaming.com
- Watch us on Twitch: twitch.tv/mainstagegn
- Mainstage Twitter: @Mainstage_GN
- Have an org interested in gaming? Get in touch: playnow@mainstagegn.com
