Musicians and athletes have long been mutual admirers, and now a synergistic relationship is launching via the dedicated esports platform Rock N’ Jock, bringing together eight teams made up of rock stars, celebrities and athletes to battle for the top spot in a classic bracketed format.
The Rock N’ Jock tournament, which will see marquee names from the sports and rock worlds participate, is a partnership between competitive video gaming and esports giant Super League Gaming and Hit Parader, the newly launched film, TV and live events production studio under the classic music magazine’s moniker.
To build awareness, initially on Rock N’ Jock the bands and musicians will be playing for charity. “The winner of the first tournament will be able to donate a large check in their name to the organization of their choice,” says Hit Parader president Josh Bernstein. “The first tournament will feature musicians, athletes, and influencers only, but in future tournaments, we want to open this up to much larger gameplay amongst the fans so everyone can be involved and engage.”
“It’s a new way for artists to make a genuine personal connection to fans and to promote their personalities, brands, and new music,” says Hit Parader CEO Ash Avildsen. In the future, we will have a fully-monetized model so it generates real revenue for the artists and the labels.”
Inspired by the spirit of MTV’s Rock N’ Jock series of the ‘90s, the new platform is reimagined for the digital era, and is free to both play and watch. For the first game title, Hit Parader is surveying participating players about their favorite games, with Fortnite and Call of Duty being the strongest contenders. The game title, a list of participating musicians and sports figures (including wrestlers and MMA fighters) as well as tournament dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
Super League will produce the tournament and live broadcast, and in addition to the gameplay, the live streams will include real-time player cams, special guests from the rock world, and exclusive live performances from well-known musicians, curated by Hit Parader. Participating record companies include Better Noise, eOne, Fearless, Metal Blade, Nuclear Blast, Rise, Roadrunner and Sumerian, rock labels that reach a combined global audience of over 10 million fans across their multiple social platforms.
“Rock musicians are gamers too, and Hit Parader is the ideal brand to celebrate their passion for play by creating a dedicated esports brand with the launch of Rock N’ Jock,” said Super League Chief Commercial Officer Matt Edelman. “Music is such a big part of gaming. Producing and broadcasting a tournament for some of the top rock artists in the world will be epic.”
Adds Avildsen, “Giving fans a chance to compete both against and alongside their favorite artists, athletes and entertainers is very special. Doing it with a platform that can let the whole world watch the tournaments and the feuds on their own terms is ideal.”