Tyson Steps Into Esports Ring

Former world heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson, has made a substantial investment in Fade 2 Karma (F2K), a professional esports team best known for its time in Hearthstone.

The investment was made through Mike’s company Tyson Ranch (TR), with Fade 2 Karma using the capital to build a new streaming facility near Los Angeles which will include private live streaming rooms, a performance stage for tournaments, content production and a rooftop party deck.

Tyson joined many of the Fade 2 Karma professional Hearthstone players for a live streaming session during the week, which was broadcast on Alexandra “Alliestrasza” Macpherson’s Twitch channel.

“It was pretty awesome,” Tyson told ESPN.

“I had the opportunity to really engage with some millennials, which I never really actually do.”

Tyson is the latest in a string of high-profile athletes and celebrities who have invested in esports, including Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan, Ashton Kutcher, Drake, Steve Aoki, Will Smith and Japanese soccer star Keisuke Honda.

The industry continues to attract investors looking to capitalize on the future of online gaming, as the industry is projected to exceed $1 billion in annual revenue in 2019, according to a report by analytics firm Newzoo.