With a huge fan base it's an appealing commercial opportunity. "Our fans are passionate and an amazing value for MT 2K22 PS4 brands to be able to be a part of" Donohue says. "Our average fan is playing video games for about 30 hours a week. This is a dedicated base of fans."

Donohue believes the NBA 2K League's explosive growth in partnerships is due to a combination if companies who acknowledge esports as an emerging market and an explosive increase in fan engagement. I think it was already being observed, and the increasing fan participation only adds fuel to the flame. I think it was having every single brand we spoke with about partnerships, they all realise that they should be participating in esports, and they're just trying to figure out how to achieve it."

But for companies there is the possibility of taking a risk by entering an emerging industry such as esports and esports-related activities. Former Golden State Warrior and acknowledged tech entrepreneurs Andre Iguodala once called "the Wild Wild West". It was worth the risk for the NBA. "It's built into the NBA's branding as well as 2K's brand to be innovating" Donohue explains, adding that the NBA owners "realise the future , and this will increase. Also, I think there might have been more risk not doing it rather than taking the initiative."

The fears that esports could be unorthodox ideas that could attract hardcore gamers, but have no commercial appeal beyond that have been proven to be untrue. Forbes reported last year, that esports revenues worldwide were expected to be in excess of $1.1bn by the year 2019.

"Even in the past 3 years, all three seasons, the conversations I have are quite different from the way they were prior to Buy 2K MT Xbox when the league was established because it's all about becoming regular, and it's not something that's atypical;" Donohue emphasizes. Kirk Lacob, Warriors Assistant Manager, recently told me that esports was "absolutely getting more mature".