DENVER -- “Game On! Esports Colorado,” a documentary about the burgeoning eSports movement and Colorado’s role in the future of the industry, will premiere on PBS12 Thursday, October 21 at 9:30 pm. The film was produced by the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, with Rob Simon of BurstMarketing as the Executive Producer and Citizen Pictures as the film’s production company.
An advance screening and panel discussion will take place at the new Sturm Pavilion at the Denver Art Museum on Tuesday, October 19 at 4 p.m. After screening the documentary, PBS12’s Dominic Dezzutti will host a panel discussion with interviewees and stakeholders in the Colorado eSports space.
“Esports is a quickly evolving industry worth more than one billion dollars annually,” said Rob Simon. “I hope that people who watch this film will come away with a better understanding of eSports and its potential for creating economic growth in Colorado, enjoyment for fans and personal development for players.”
“It’s clear that the eSports industry is becoming more mainstream every day and presents real opportunities for not only events and tourism, but also for Colorado’s workforce,” said Michelle Hadwiger, Director of Global Business Development. “ESports provide equitable access to gameplay regardless of ability and boosts interest in the hundreds of career paths that game development has to offer. We are poised to be a leader in this vertical because of Colorado’s early adoption of this burgeoning industry.”
In 2019, Governor Polis signed HB19-1327 which added the bipartisan Proposition DD to the ballot. Colorado voters approved that measure in November 2019 to legalize sports betting and fund the state’s water conservation plan. Online betting went into effect on May 1, 2020.
Coupled with HB21-1263, the Meeting and Event incentive which provides a 10% cash rebate against eligible hard costs of meetings and events held in Colorado between July 1, 2021 and December 31, 2022, the opportunity to grow Colorado as an esports capital continues to expand.
You can watch “Game On! Esports Colorado” on PBS12 via livestream or broadcast by finding your local channel.