The entire eSports arena has continually grown over the years; it has now become a legitimate form of competition, watched by millions of viewers worldwide. Now, a new report revealed that MLB Advanced Media, through their company BAMTech, has invested a hefty sum of money to bank on the popularity of electronic sports in the coming years.

The company, which is a limited partnership of Major League Baseball club owners, has reportedly signed a USD$50 million annual deal through 2023 with video game developer Riot Games. This developer is, of course, best known for their extremely popular multiplayer online battle arena game, "League of Legends".

The brand new agreement will allow BAMTech to further monetize and commercialize the game itself through a number of events and media. Reports have also indicated that the deal may not have been much of a surprise as Riot Games' title has so far reached a 100 million monthly players since September of this year.

BAMTech does have access to a multitude of online resources, which it uses to brand their Major League Baseball clubs --- including websites, club sites, and online streaming platforms. Following the deal, Riot Games quickly released a statement, assuring fans that the agreement itself will not affect how viewers will be seeing their game's content moving forward. They reassured fans that the content will still be free for everyone and that they have no plans to change that formula anytime soon.

The company, however, hinted that they are currently developing different types of content that can be placed "behind a premium"; meaning, players would have to fork out some cash in order to access the content. The deal was also revealed to be a very big step for eSports itself as it would translate to large expansions in those particular segments. Players can likely expect bigger monetary benefits as well, when it comes to competing with different leagues and tournaments.