The Gaming Stadium: Inside Canada’s First Esports Stadium

With competitive gaming projected to generate US$1 billion in revenues in 2019, The Gaming Stadium (TGS) has created a formative venue for competing in esports at a niche level.

Central to its operations is a community-minded approach to esports. Located in Richmond, British Columbia, TGS offers events six days a week, including training and education programs focused specifically on esports.

With sponsorships and partnerships with entities like Ubisoft (OTC Pink:UBSFY,EPA:UBI), Red Bull, Vertagear and Tourism Burnaby, TGS has made a name for itself as the first esports stadium in Canada.

During an exclusive visit to TGS, the Investing News Network spoke to CEO Spiro Khouri about the challenges and misconceptions within the esports space.

“For us to open a facility that was meant for spectators and was meant for people who were coming in to compete … we had a lot of skepticism in the market,” he said.

For several years, Khouri and Matthew Low, vice president of operations, had run successful esports events but encountered logistical problems with internet and power capabilities, among others.

This spurred the idea for a dedicated esports facility. With a customized stage, screens, projectors, cameras and lights, Khouri essentially built the venue from scratch. In addition, to supply adequate internet capabilities, TGS has a 10 gig fiber line that was built specifically for the building.

“What that allowed us to build is the blueprint,” said Khouri.

During the interview, Khouri made it clear that this is only the beginning for TGS; he hopes to open a number of other dedicated esports venues in the near future.

Watch the video above to get an inside look at how the first esports stadium in Canada emerged.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Dorothy Neufeld, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.