One Up goes for an esports slam dunk, becoming a partner with NBA 2K

Esports haven’t exactly been booming recently, but One Up and 2K aren’t going to take that sentiment. Announced today is a partnership between the One Up platform and the NBA 2K franchise, allowing for tons of new tournaments to be birthed from the collaboration. Even more awesome, this will allow for the rise of amateur players with these free tournaments, bringing in new blood to the scene. Check out the press release below and start practicing your dribbling, there’s plenty up for grabs.

LOS ANGELES (August 1, 2023) –One Up, a leading on-demand esports company democratizing how video game tournaments are accessed and organized, today announced a multi-year deal with Take-Two Interactive’s 2K label to become an official on-demand esports platform for the NBA® 2K franchise.

The deal will tip off this fall right after the highly anticipated launch of NBA 2K24 on September 8th.To celebrate the launch, One Up will power a series of free-to-enter online tournaments hosted by NBA stars, made accessible to millions of NBA fans and competitive NBA2K gamers. More details will be announced in early fall. One Up will leverage NBA 2K’s in-game promotions and social media to drive awareness and engagement.

The NBA 2K/One Up deal realizes the huge opportunity to give amateur gamers an open pathway to take part in competitive gaming tournaments.

“With this landmark NBA 2K deal, we want to lower the barrier of entry to esports tournaments,” said One Up CEO Brandon Pitts. “Our collaboration with 2K has laid the blueprint for helping publishers build game loyalty and community through tournaments that are truly open to all. At the end of the day, gamers want to compete to showcase their skills, and now they can do that and earn like the pros.”

Ronnie Singh, Head of Lifestyle and Content Marketing, 2K added, “NBA 2K fans are some of the most intensely competitive and engaged in all of gaming. One Up will push the online competitive scene to a whole new level and give our fans even more opportunities to compete and win great prizes.”

One Up originated in college for Pitts, turning his dorm into a place for people to compete in video game tournaments. He launched the tech platform to deliver on the huge, underserved demand for esports accessibility and now boasts more than 750,000 registered gamers that have the desire to compete and monetize their skills in one-on-one matchups or tournament gameplay. One Up has facilitated more than $20 million in payouts to its users across popular games.

About One Up
Founded in 2019, One Up operates two flagship products: its GameChangers OS platform, their proprietary esports Software as a Service that enables anyone to create, market, and monetize their own esports tournament in literally minutes, and its Play One Up app, the world’s foremost on-demand esports marketplace, that connects gamers and enables them to monetize their skills in one-on-one matchups or tournament gameplay. Fans can compete across popular games like Call of Duty®, Fortnite, Madden NFL, NBA® 2K, FIFA, and NHL.

With over 750,000 registered gamers, One Up is the brainchild of CEO Brandon Pitts. A former college point guard, Pitts built a side hustle in college, turning his dorm into a place for people to compete in video game tournaments. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Play One Up is backed by professional athletes, including Terry Rozier, Victor Oladipo, and Denzel Ward. To learn more, visit playoneup.com.

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