Overwatch League Commissioner Nate Nanzer Named In Fortune’s 2018 40 Under 40
Blizzard EntertainmentOverwatch League Commissioner Nate Nanzer has been named on Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list for 2018.
The 40 Under 40 is an annual list produced by Fortune ranking the most influential people in business under the age of 40.
Nanzer earns his spot for his vision in building the Overwatch League, undeniably one of the most ambitious projects in esports history.
From a game with very little esports pedigree, Nanzer has created one of the first franchised leagues in the industry, with massive record-breaking buy-ins from both the biggest endemic organizations and sports giants. The Overwatch League continues to make strides with “mainstream” partners, most recently announcing a TV broadcast rights deal with ESPN, Disney, and ABC.
This year’s list also features the likes of Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom, Facebook’s Mark Zucherberg, Donald Glover and Rhianna, putting Nanzer in esteemed company. Nanzer said on Twitter that he is “incredibly humbled and honored to even be considered”.
Incredibly humbled and honored to even be considered for the @FortuneMagazine #40under40. It takes an amazing team of people to bring @overwatchleague to the world and I'm so lucky to work alongside them each day. https://t.co/FjXRceMGrJ
— Nate Nanzer (@natenanzer) July 19, 2018
Interestingly, Nanzer’s 40 Under 40 profile highlights that beyond the existing 12 franchises, Nanzer hopes to expand the league “to continental Europe and the Middle East next season.” This is the first mention of the latter region, with Blizzard previously highlighting Europe, North America, and Asia when talking about potential expansion.
