CNBC Names Skillz the Top eSports Disruptor of 2019
Skillz Returns to List as Leader in Record-Breaking $63 Billion Mobile Gaming Market, Joining Airbnb, Casper and Stripe as a Top 50 Industry Disruptor
SAN FRANCISCO, May 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CNBC today named Skillz, the global leader in mobile eSports, to the 2019 CNBC Disruptor 50 list. Gaming is now the fastest-growing sector of the entertainment industry, and even Netflix cited eSports as a threatening competitor in a recent letter to shareholders. In 2018, the video game industry generated nearly $135 billion in revenue. Of that, $63.2 billion was attributed to mobile gaming, outpacing last year's record-breaking worldwide box office revenue by $22 billion.
"Skillz is driving the future of entertainment by accelerating the convergence of sports, video games and media for an exploding mobile-first audience worldwide," said Andrew Paradise, CEO and founder of Skillz. "Skillz is uniquely positioned to win the battle by making eSports accessible to anyone, anywhere with a mobile device. We're leading the next wave of entertainment by empowering mobile game developers and players with democratized access to fun, fair competition for real prizes."
Mobile gaming revenue as a whole is growing 25 percent annually – 9 times the pace of PC gaming and over 11 times the pace of console gaming. According to a March 9 report from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, a third of the world's population is now watching or playing video games, bringing the total number of gamers to 2.6 billion versus 100 million in 1995. By 2021, mobile gaming revenue worldwide is expected to top $100 billion, approaching the size of today's entire video gaming industry.
The Skillz platform is leveraging its marketplace model to help developers monetize mobile game content by connecting them with the world's growing mobile gaming community. By turning mobile games into competitive eSports, Skillz helps developers build multi-million dollar game franchises. The platform boasts 63 minutes of engagement per user per day, and the company has already used its patented technology to host over 800 million tournaments for 18 million players worldwide.
This year marks the second time Skillz has achieved the exclusive distinction as a Disruptor, which CNBC awards annually to 50 companies that exhibit the potential to upend multibillion-dollar industries. Only a third of all Disruptors have appeared on the list more than once, and Skillz claimed a spot on this year's list alongside notable companies including Airbnb, Casper, Stripe, Peloton, and Rent the Runway.
CNBC's selection criteria vets Disruptors based on sales, user growth, company developments, and the strength of its key technologies. In 2017, Skillz became the first eSports company to earn the Disruptor distinction. Check out the CNBC special report for an in-depth profile on the company. For more information on Skillz-enabled games and implementing mobile eSports competitions, visit www.skillz.com or email [email protected].
About Skillz
Skillz is backed by leading venture capitalists, media companies, and professional sports luminaries, ranging from Liberty Global, Accomplice, Great Hill Partners, Wildcat Capital, and Telstra Ventures to the owners of the New England Patriots, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Mets, and Sacramento Kings. In 2019, Skillz was named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies. In 2018, Skillz was listed as one of Forbes' Next Billion-Dollar Startups and Entrepreneur Magazine's 100 Brilliant Companies. In 2017, Inc. Magazine ranked Skillz the No. 1 fastest-growing private company in America, which was the same year Skillz made CNBC's Disruptor 50 list for the first time. To learn more, visit www.skillz.com.
Press Contact
Roxie Bostwick
Communications Lead
Skillz Inc.
[email protected]
SOURCE Skillz
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