It’s been a banner year for eSports, as the revenues from various games like League of Legends, World of Tanks, and DOTA 2 rise into the billions, with over 100 million dedicated players globally and new titles on the horizon. We now have eSports events occurring in major sports stadiums, and even a special stadium being built just for eSports. Related to that, streaming game video continues to grow, and the sale of Twitch to Amazon for $2 billion underscores the value of game streaming and eSports.

In this rapidly growing space we have Azubu, which bill itself as a “global broadcast network, delivering premium live and on demand eSports action, programming, news and analysis.” The company is taking a different approach to eSports than the everyone-is-welcome-to-stream style Twitch employs. Azubu is focused on building a premium eSports network, the equivalent of ESPN. That means building superior technology for displaying high-quality streams on a variety of devices, and it also means top-quality content, analysis, and statistics.

Furthering that goal, Azubu has been busy signing top eSports players and teams to provide exclusive content, bringing more reasons for eSports fans to tune into Azubu as it builds out its network. The [a]listdaily caught up with Azubu CEO Ian Sharpe to ask about Azubu’s plans and the growth of eSports and streaming.

Ian Sharpe

[a]listdaily: Azubu has embarked on an ambitious journey to become the premiere eSports network. How would you assess your progress towards that goal so far

Ian Sharpe: There are two ways to answer that question. The first is very practical. At Azubu, I often say ‘you can’t improve unless you measure’. We keep track of every aspect of the business, and so, according to our development backlog, we are 40 percent through our planned feature set.

The second is more philosophical. Startups are tough and reboots are tougher still. I like to quote Bukowski, “What matters most is how you walk through the fire.” Not only are we still walking, but the team we have forged in this crucible is unparalleled in my experience in terms of dedication, passion and sheer derring-do.

[a]listdaily: Azubu has partnered with KeSPA (the Korean eSports Association), and pro players like Faker. How have they been received, and what has this meant for Azubu

Ian Sharpe: Partnering with KeSPA was like uncovering a lost treasure. Of course, KeSPA has been a staple of the eSports industry for years, but the players had never streamed — at least for League of Legends. The first night Flame was due to headline, I was sitting in a hotel room in Seoul, eagerly waiting the stream to start. Ten minutes passed and the suspense was so unbearable, I was phoning staff to make sure all was going to plan. Right then, all of a sudden, the site burst into life. It was a phenomenal shared experience and a real triumph as well as a definite first. Partnering with Azubu allows KeSPA players to reach a broader audience and interact with fans worldwide, and all of eSports wins. Of course, a couple of weeks later, Faker started streaming. The best player in the world, hands down, on our site. That’s the stuff dreams are made of. To say the least, we’re excited to expand that partnership and announce other projects we’ll be working on with them in the future. Partnering with these pros has been a step closer to having a platform with all the best pros and teams in the eSports scene. In addition, we’ll be announcing new teams and pros joining soon!

[a]listdaily: Now that the League Champions Series (for League of Legends) is over, what’s your assessment of the year eSports has had Will eSports continue to move forward at the same pace in 2015

Ian Sharpe: Competition is part of our DNA, this space is destined for continual evolution. Look at the massive changes happening in China, the growth of BlizzCon in LA, the new titles on the horizon. eSports is a wildfire, leaping over obstacles, sparking new ideas, blazing a trail. Momentum is always a friend, and I am enthralled to see how it surges forward.

[a]listdaily: When a professional League of Legends player retired and then signed a streaming agreement for $800K a year, that raised some eyebrows. Is this an anomaly, or is this where streaming is headed

Ian Sharpe: Streaming is as much a phenomena as eSports itself, and the two combined create a real force for change — potentially explosive change. High profile endorsements and contracts have been the norm in sports for years. Now, in eSports, money is helping fuel the fire, fanning the flames. However, there are many pros out there that have turned down large monetary opportunities from streaming companies because they just want to compete, so there is a balance, and I think there will continue to be.

[a]listdaily: Despite Electronic Arts giving up on their MOBA Dawngate, there are still high-profile entries coming like Heroes of the Storm, Overwatch, and even on tablets (Vainglory, for instance). Do you think there’s good reasons to work with upcoming titles for streaming

Ian Sharpe: Absolutely. The sheer inventiveness in and around videogaming is awe inspiring. I could show you a dozen new and compelling experiences being created right now, on every device imaginable, from my ex-EA colleagues alone. Streaming offers them an audience and advocates that can be influential in shaping a game and making it better. I’m personally excited for Overwatch (along with every other gamer out there). Our goal is to have content opportunities around every single one of these major titles to provide fans with the gameplay they want to watch, and provide broadcasters with the platform that delivers all the major titles that they want to play.

[a]listdaily: What do you think Amazon’s acquisition of Twitch means to the streaming business

Ian Sharpe: You know, looking back on my answers above, I’ve noticed a whole Fire motif, which perhaps shows the subliminal power of the Amazon platform! The acquisition was like setting a beacon ablaze for eSports. It proves what a major business eSports and livestreaming is. The world is watching, quite literally, to see where we go next. Exciting times.