# Video Game Entertainment and News Network is coming in 2020! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 17, 2019, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381 "2019-09-17T15:54:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/1 "2019-09-17T15:54:51Z")
I’m so excited I can barely contain all my thoughts on [this](https://apnews.com/ccee482828cc4a5287051f93aaf21dd7)! > [@](#): > > VENN is set to launch in 2020 and aims to give the fragmented esports scene a home base for content with higher production value than gamers are used to with online streaming. The network was co-founded by four-time Emmy-winning producer Ariel Horn and entrepreneur Ben Kusin and has raised $17 million from investors including co-founders from Twitch, Riot Games and Blizzard Entertainment. > > VENN, short for Video Game Entertainment and News Network, will debut with live studios in New York and Los Angeles. There is expected to be 55 hours of original programming per week, including gamer streams, talk shows, documentaries and live esport events. It already has deals in place to broadcast on Twitch and YouTube and expects to be available on mediums like Roku or Sling. > > Esports revenues are expected to top $1 billion this year, and global viewership numbers are rivaling those of traditional sports — nearly 100 million viewers watched last year’s League of Legends world championship, roughly on par with TV viewership for the Super Bowl. I’ve gotta put more time in on Rocket League, for sure! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/2 "2019-09-17T16:01:24Z")
I just popped in to find out what VENN was as I had no idea. Clearly I move in the wrong circles. Thangyouverramuch ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/3 "2019-09-17T16:19:50Z")
I asked the Mods to add “Gamers” to the thread title; I was afraid it was too vague and your post confirms that. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/4 "2019-09-17T20:48:47Z")
[Moderating] Adding “Gamers” wouldn’t add much clarification, since we are, after all, in the Game Room. So I expanded the acronym, instead. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/5 "2019-09-17T22:19:06Z")
Thanks, I thought this was a game about Venn diagrams or something, I didn’t bother to read the thread until the acronym was expanded. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/6 "2019-09-17T22:41:16Z")
Well, it’s a plus for them that they have Riot and Blizzard who both have draconian control of their esports scenes. Otherwise this is a hilariously backwards idiot since no one who is interested in this content wants to watch it on a TV. All of the producers probably love the idea of having it on TV instead of the over-the-top streaming sites like Twitch and Youtube. No ad blocker on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/7 "2019-09-18T00:23:17Z")
I don’t get watching other people play video games but my daughters (12 and 5) will watch it for hours. They even have people playing games and narrating on the Disney XD channel. There’s a market for it. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/8 "2019-09-18T00:38:57Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > [Moderating] > Adding “Gamers” wouldn’t add much clarification, since we are, after all, in the Game Room. So I expanded the acronym, instead. No problem; thanks. In popular vernacular, tho, “gamer” most often refers to people who play video games. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/9 "2019-09-18T00:43:27Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I don’t get watching other people play video games but my daughters (12 and 5) will watch it for hours. They even have people playing games and narrating on the Disney XD channel. There’s a market for it. That isn’t the type of video gaming that will be on VENN. Pewdiepie and his ilk will still be on Twitch and YouTube, doing playthrus and gabbing. VENN will be for competitive video gaming: League of Legends, Fortnite, Overwatch, Rocket League, etc. Games where multiple people and/or teams face off against each other. ETA: In November 2018, at least 23,000 people went and watched the League of Legends World Championship live. [Cite](https://www.efe.com/efe/english/entertainment/23-000-videogame-fans-attend-lol-world-championship-final-in-south-korea/50000264-3802232). > [@](#): > > More than 23,000 people packed Munhak Stadium in the city of Incheon, west of Seoul, to attend the final of the 2018 League of Legends (LoL) World Championship final, in which the Chinese team Invictus Gaming blew away its European rival. > [@](#): > > The 23,000 tickets that went on sale early were sold out days before the final, a spokesperson for Riot Games, the US developer of the LoL videogame, told EFE. > > Judging by the long lines seen Saturday at the gates of the stadium, it is more than probable that many of the other 3,000 tickets made available at the box office were also sold, with prices from 25,000 to 60,000 won (20-47 euros/$22-$54). Esports is not a joke and it’s not a fad. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/10 "2019-09-18T22:16:17Z")
Among video gamers, “gamers” mostly means video gamers. Among tabletop gamers, “gamers” mostly means tabletop gamers. And it’s usually subdivided further. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/11 "2019-09-19T00:27:27Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > That isn’t the type of video gaming that will be on VENN. Pewdiepie and his ilk will still be on Twitch and YouTube, doing playthrus and gabbing. VENN will be for competitive video gaming: League of Legends, Fortnite, Overwatch, Rocket League, etc. Games where multiple people and/or teams face off against each other. > > ETA: In November 2018, at least 23,000 people went and watched the League of Legends World Championship live. [Cite](https://www.efe.com/efe/english/entertainment/23-000-videogame-fans-attend-lol-world-championship-final-in-south-korea/50000264-3802232).Esports is not a joke and it’s not a fad. That’s true. Dota 2’s annual giant tournament, The International, had a prize pool over $34m, almost entirely funded by players. Six days in the Mercedes-Benz Arena, and almost 2 million live viewers for a grand finals that started around 2 AM CDT - not including the Chinese viewers. Valve makes close to a quarter BILLION a year from Dota 2 alone. There’s a LOT of money in esports, and we’re only scratching the surface. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/12 "2019-09-19T00:32:07Z")
G4 tried this and even though they had shows that were entertaining, it didn’t last. I don’t think this will either as a TV network. It will probably eventually ditch being a channel and evolve to an online only thing. Esports are for real but over and over again we learn their audience doesn’t watch traditional TV. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/13 "2019-09-19T02:04:23Z")
Then again, there are so many TV channels nowadays that it’s hard to imagine anything being competed out. Can the cable companies even fill all the channels? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/14 "2019-09-19T02:32:57Z")
Everybody wants to be the central hub for esports content, but I think it’s the white whale of gaming. The current ecosystem is fragmented, yes, but it’s all readily and (for the most part) freely accessible. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/15 "2019-09-20T16:45:09Z")
I suspect this won’t last but I’d be interested to see what kind of numbers it pulls in. Viewership numbers from streaming sites are notorious overinflated due to viewbots created to pump supposed advertising value and people idling the stream without really watching it because there’s viewing incentives (cosmetic skins for the game, etc). Last year, one Chinese League of Legends player supposedly had between 4.5 and 8.5 million viewers which was found to be both inflated by bots and people [misinterpreting the data](https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/5172/correction-uzis-stream-did-not-reach-85-million-simultaneous-viewers); the actual viewership was in the “[hundreds of thousands](https://news.weku.io/community-deals/@wezzy/jian-uzi-zi-hao-broke-the-world-record-for-most-live-viewers-on-a-live-stream)”. Still a bunch of people but nowhere near what was being initially reported. Edit: When I say it won’t last, that’s less about “No one wants to watch games” and more agreeing with others that cable television isn’t the way most people will do it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/16 "2019-09-20T21:53:11Z")
That’s probably the main problem with esports and money right now. As a sponsor, do you want to spend your $100,000 to put your logo on stage at an event or do you want to pay $100,000 to have a streamer shill directly to his or her hundreds of thousands of viewers? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-entertainment-and-news-network-is-coming-in-2020/840381/17 "2019-09-20T22:00:41Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I suspect this won’t last but I’d be interested to see what kind of numbers it pulls in. Viewership numbers from streaming sites are notorious overinflated due to viewbots created to pump supposed advertising value and people idling the stream without really watching it because there’s viewing incentives (cosmetic skins for the game, etc). I won’t lie, I can’t stand battle royale games (nor do I like most MOBA games in general) and don’t play the sorts of games that end up being esports, and I’m not the target audience of this stuff. But if I was I would totally idle on some Twitch stream if I knew it would get me some shiny trinket in a game I play.