Latest news with #GlobalGamingLeague
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Global Gaming League Raises $10 Million Funding Round to Revolutionize Gaming Entertainment
GGL set to systemize and monetize the world's largest untapped entertainment audience – the over 3 billion people who play video games worldwide Everybody Games: The Global Gaming League's Leadership Team Las Vegas, NV, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Gaming League (GGL), a global gaming entertainment and media company, announced today the raise of $10 million for its SAFE round led by Solyco Capital. GGL was founded by Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum music producer and entrepreneur Clinton Sparks, in partnership with music icon T-Pain and tech visionary Jeff Hoffman (Priceline, UBid, The Global Gaming League is a first of its kind multi-title gaming league with celebrity owned teams made up of four players each – high profile influencers, actors, athletes, artists, casual and professional gamers – who compete in live events playing everything from first person shooter, sports titles and fighting games to the latest releases and retro favorites. The GGL is not an esports league – it's a gaming entertainment league that brings together every style of play and every kind of player. It's multigenerational, multicultural, and converges gaming, music, sports, fashion, celebrity, competition and culture. 'There are over 3 billion gamers around the world,' said Clinton Sparks, Founder and CEO of GGL. 'But there's still no centralized platform that gives everyday players the spotlight—while authentically connecting brands, celebrities, and competition in a way that's truly entertaining. That's where GGL comes in. Imagine the energy of the Super Bowl, the fandom of Comic-Con, and the culture of ComplexCon and Coachella. There is currently no place for investors to have any meaningful return on a gaming investment, brands to consistently get an ROI with gaming, publishers to expand their IP to new audiences, celebrities to have an authentic footprint in gaming and nothing set up for all gamers to build a career as a gamer, and have a chance to be recognized globally as true athletes. Until now.' The GGL's matches will take place at their state-of-the-art campus and arena in Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world and the home of the Global Gaming League. GGL's studio facility The Campus powered by Vū, is set to elevate the city's connection with the video gaming community forever. It is the most technologically advanced studio in the area, boasting the largest wrap-around digital screen in the Western U.S. (second only to Sphere) and 43,000 square feet of space with everything for Hollywood-level film and television production and VIP events of all kinds. GGL delivers unforgettable experiences, high-impact sponsorship moments, and a new entertainment format where the audience is just as important as the action. 'Everybody games,' said T-Pain, GGL Director of Strategy and team owner. '67% of people between the ages of 5 and 90 game in some form—in fact, more people watch video gaming than any sport (short of the NFL). 46% of gamers are female, colleges give scholarships for gaming now. and the average gamer is 36 years old, despite most thinking it's only for kids. Gaming is a faster, cheaper and safer path to success than traditional sports." The Global Gaming League is providing real opportunity for gamers around the world to be drafted and earn a salary as a player on a celebrity owned team through the global nomination submission process where gamers can log on to and sign up. Since announcing this, the league has over a quarter of a million entries to play for one of the celebrity-owned teams. The first team owners to be revealed include: T-Pain – Grammy-winning artist and beloved voice in gaming culture Bryce Hall – TikTok star, Bare Knuckle brawler and digital entrepreneur Flavor Flav – Hip hop legend, reality show icon, and official host of the Olympics Ric Flair – 16-time world champion legendary professional wrestler known for his flamboyant personality and signature catchphrase, 'Wooooo!' GGL will be announcing more team owners in the coming weeks pulling from music, film, sports, fashion, social media and gaming. Game time is the new prime time. Gaming is projected to surpass $300 billion by 2026—outpacing TV, film, and music combined. But it's not just the revenue—it's the attention. Unlike traditional media, where viewers are distracted, multitasking, or skipping ads, gaming commands full focus. There's no second screen. No passive scrolling. Just millions of fully immersed fans, locked in and actively engaged. For brands, this isn't just a new channel—it's a new kind of consumer. One who's not just watching, but participating. One who's emotionally invested in the moment and wide open to authentic brand experiences that enhance gameplay rather than interrupt it. This is where advertising stops feeling like an ad—and starts becoming part of the story. 'Gaming is a blue ocean opportunity for brands, investors, and new business. Gamers spend 30% more on retail than non-gamers and that number goes up in key categories like automobiles, travel and technology,' said John Garcia, Founder and Managing Partner of Solyco Capital. 'Gamers don't just play—they influence. Today's gamer spans generations and lifestyles. They watch, buy, and move culture. When I met Clinton Sparks and listened to his vision, I knew this wasn't just another business idea—it's a key future in media.' More Than a League — A Launchpad for Talent, Education, and Opportunity The launch also includes the GGL Academy—a first-of-its-kind initiative focused on empowering advancement through gaming education, career pathways, and scholarship opportunities. The Academy is built to train, mentor, and connect aspiring gamers, creators, and professionals to real-world roles across the gaming, entertainment, and tech industries. Strategic partnerships with NYU, UNLV, and Syracuse are already underway, building a direct pipeline from the classroom to the arena. With 74% of Gen Z expressing interest in careers in gaming or digital media, GGL is creating the infrastructure to meet that demand—especially in underserved communities where access to opportunity has been historically limited. 'I came out of retirement for this,' said Jeff Hoffman, GGL Chairman of the Board. 'Because this isn't just about gaming—it's about access. GGL has the power to connect cultures, build international bridges, uplift underserved communities and close age gaps. And it's not just meaningful—it's good business. We're building a platform that can monetize at scale while making a positive impact. That's rare, and that's why I'm all in.' Sparks adds, 'The Global Gaming League is positioned to make gaming a household name in the same manner that the WWE did with wrestling and the UFC did with mixed martial arts, by systemizing and democratizing an industry that already exists with billions of users and hundreds of billions already being generated. Get familiar with the Global Gaming League.' About Global Gaming League:GGL is a new kind of league—where gaming, culture, music, sports, fashion, and reality TV collide. With celebrity-led teams, live competitions, global fan engagement, and next-gen media experiences, GGL is building the first entertainment system for the world's largest and most engaged audience. More info at About Solyco Capital:Solyco Capital is a unique private equity group that delivers capital solutions for late-stage startup and growth companies. Headquartered in Detroit, with offices in Orange County, Dallas, and Miami, Solyco supports high-growth companies with operational guidance through Solyco Advisors. Learn more at Visit: Press Contact: Business Inquiries: Attachment Everybody Games: The Global Gaming League's Leadership Team CONTACT: Press Contact: owen@ Business Inquiries: info@ in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Global Gaming League Sets to Innovate the Gaming Industry, Establishing the First High-Profile Gaming Entertainment League of Its Kind
The Global Gaming League aims to revolutionize the culture of gaming entertainment Las Vegas, Nevada--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2025) - The Global Gaming League (GGL) is the world's first of its kind multi-title gaming entertainment league set to revolutionize the industry, composed of high profile celebrity team owners whose four player teams of skilled and casual gamers, popular personalities, and influencers compete in live, in-person gaming tournaments in Las Vegas. Teams play both new video games such as Call of Duty and Rocket League and retro video games such as Pac-man, Donkey Kong and Tetris, and everything in between, from Street Fighter, to Mario Kart, and beyond. GGL Chairman Jeff Hoffman, Founder Clinton Sparks, and GGL Board Member T-Pain Founded by notable gaming disruptor and entertainment mogul, Clinton Sparks, The GGL is a gaming entertainment league where gaming, fashion, music, sports, celebrity, competition, and culture converge, targeted at bringing the video game lifestyle and culture to the masses, while providing an unparalleled live, in-person and virtual interactive, entertainment experience for all ages. They recently unveiled their GGL headquarters, a state of the art 43,000 sq ft. Las Vegas gaming campus. The league will be officially launching with a select group of focused teams led by globally recognized celebrity names during 2025. Artists such as Grammy and BET award winning artists T-Pain, and Jermaine Dupri along with personalities like Bryce Hall and Flavor Flav have already signed on as team owners. Notable actors, music artists, DJs, sports figures, and renowned personalities representing a vast array of industries are set to be announced. "The GGL will make gaming a household name. It's the fastest growing form of entertainment in the world, and we all game, yet, it's completely disconnected from mainstream, pop-culture, and the streets. This is what The Global Gaming League is going to change," adds T-Pain. "The GGL is here to disrupt the over $200 billion dollar gaming industry by converging gaming, music, fashion, sports, celebrity, and culture while authentically integrating and elevating gaming into mainstream and pop-culture," adds CEO, Grammy nominated producer and League Founder, Clinton Sparks. "Gaming is the fastest growing form of entertainment in the world and generates more revenue than the movie and music industries combined with almost 500 billion projected revenue by 2028, and has true global appeal. We created a model that will connect cultures, build international bridges, uplift underserved communities, and close age gaps." Founder Clinton Sparks at GGL Headquarters Sparks added, "We're all familiar with massive established leagues to even newly formed leagues. These leagues allow aspiring athletes and professional hopefuls an opportunity, something for fans to watch, as well as products to be sold. However, none of these produce the revenue that the gaming industry generates, yet, there is no league for the billions of casual gamers around the world to aspire to become a part of, build a career in, make money, elevate their notoriety, or compete in. And, there certainly isn't anything in this massive industry that connects to culture, has mainstream relevancy, or provides entertainment to the non-endemic gaming community. That is where GGL comes in." Unlike the many leagues tied to sport, who are focused on playing one sport, with one season, and representing one region, The GGL comprises all sports (meaning all game genres) and is year round, establishing it as a global sport that is currently played in every region around the world from Asia, India, to Europe and The Middle East, to both South and North America. Additionally notes Sparks, "The GGL will engage and introduce communities and cultures that are not aware of the viable careers, opportunities and possibilities that gaming provides. Much like sports and music has been looked at as a path to a better life, especially for those of us from less privileged communities, gaming is a third vertical that almost no one is talking about publicly or even knows about, generating hundreds of billions of dollars." The Global Gaming League, founded by Clinton Sparks, and along with partners T-Pain and Jeff Hoffman, states "Our goal is to create accessibility and appeal to the masses, provide opportunities and possibilities that do not currently exist for gamers, and to remove the stigma around gaming being a 'waste of time,' or 'only for young kids." "There are billions of gamers around the world, some of the biggest celebrities on the planet are gamers, there is massive interest from major brands wanting to be connected to gaming, game publishers are looking to expand their IP and grow their audience, investors are seeking meaningful ways to invest in gaming, and gamers want to be legitimized as true athletes for their skill. This was the motivation to create The GGL. During my time building Faze Clan and XSET, I recognized all of these needs and realized my unique position, with my background and experience, could fulfill these needs, and solve these problems," Adds CEO, Clinton Sparks. The league also provides opportunity to casual gamers around the world, and those in underserved communities by giving them the chance to join the league via the GGLs global nomination submission process, where gamers from anywhere in the world can log onto and submit themselves or someone they choose to be considered to join one of the celebrity owned teams. GGL Chairman of the Board Jeff Hoffman notes, "Gaming is much bigger and more valuable than most people know. Schools now have scholarships for gamers, it helps with critical thinking, strategy, problem solving, the future engineers are gamers, and studies show that gaming helps with depression and focus. We put our kids in football and baseball and hope that after 15 years of dribbling a basketball they will go pro in that sport, but less than 2% of athletes ever go pro. Gaming is faster, less expensive, and a safer sport that can be played at any age." Jeff Hoffman, GGL Chairman of the Board, is an award-winning global entrepreneur, proven CEO, worldwide keynote speaker, bestselling author, Hollywood film producer, producer of a Grammy Award winning jazz album, and Executive Producer of an Emmy Award winning television show. In his career, he has been the founder of multiple startups, serving as CEO of both public and private companies. Jeff was instrumental in a number of well-known successful startups, such as and and more. Jeff is the Managing Partner of Jeff Hoffman Advisory Services and CEO of World Youth Horizons on the philanthropic front. Team Captain Bryce Hall, Founder Clinton Sparks, Team Captain T-Pain Clinton Sparks, CEO of the Global Gaming League, is a respected entertainment mogul, author, speaker, entrepreneur, proven visionary, brand builder, and leading-edge innovator in integrating culture, collaboration, and cross-platform marketing. He has a consistent track record of success and a background in managing multiple products from ideation to market launch. Clinton is also a Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum music producer, songwriter, and DJ responsible for over 80 million records sold to date. Clinton has worked with notable artists and brands. He is an expert in culture convergence, his business and marketing expertise has helped him build multi-million-dollar companies by implementing innovative marketing strategies that continue to shape and shift culture today. Clinton is a brand builder whose ability to forecast trends and intersect cultures has established him as a recognized expert in culture convergence and business growth. T-Pain, GGL Board Member and Executive Director of Strategy, has changed the course of pop, hip-hop and R&B, but has reshaped the fabric of culture itself. He's sold over 50 million singles, accumulated billions of streams, racked up 10 #1s on the Billboard Hot 100 and captivated audiences with his live performances. Since emerging in 2004, T-Pain's influence has transcended generations in music and more. He shines as a Twitch phenomenon and popular streamer, head of his own Nappy Boy Entertainment, Nappy Boy Automotive, Nappy Boy Gaming & Nappy Boy Dranks, podcast host, director and editor, expert drift driver, actor, author and spokesperson. All of these relationships and combined industry expertise will contribute to the success of The Global Gaming League, which enters the market at a time where the conversation about gaming is more relevant than ever. Follow the Global Gaming League on social media @globalgamingleague and visit them online at Website: Email: GGL@ SOURCE: Honey Media To view the source version of this press release, please visit Sign in to access your portfolio
