Sky is offering a £50k prize fund for a new series of women’s esports tournaments.
The initiative, which is first of its kind, is being run with David Beckham’s Guild Esports to promote more diversity in gaming.
Currently just 5% of esports pros are women, despite 47% of UK gamers being female. According to research from Bryter 56% of women feel that there is a great lack of women gamers in esports and 54% agreed that the gaming community wasn’t doing enough to encourage women gamers.
However, the report also found that 36% of women gamers would consider entering an esports tournament.
“At Sky Broadband we’re committed to powering the gaming community, and we want to help ensure it’s an equal playing field for all,” said Amber Pine, MD, Sky Connectivity.
“We’re creating new, safe and equal opportunities for woman gamers, working with Guild Esports for the past two years to achieve this ambition. This first-of-its-kind initiative opens up new avenues to help women go pro, with contracts and cash prizes up for grabs.”
The series of tournaments will involve Racers and Soccer Eseries games and will offer the chance to win professional contracts, including elite training.
The final will take place at Sky’s headquarters.
“With women representing 47% of all gamers in the UK, it’s high time we create opportunities for talented women gamers to showcase their skills and compete at the highest level. We look forward to witnessing gaming enthusiasts across the country and beyond taking part in this unique opportunity,” added Jasmine Skee, CEO of Guild Esports.
