Category: Esports

Alaska Tech Leader to Support Mat-Su Valley Students’ Success Through Innovative Partnership

Palmer, Alaska – Dec. 9, 2019 – MTA, Alaska’s best choice for technology and communications products, announced today it will become the official “Esports Partner” of Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD), the second-largest school district in Alaska and home to 46 schools with a district-wide enrollment of over 19,000 students.

Through the partnership, MTA will provide strategic support to MSBSD technology staff and students, enabling them to prepare, train and compete in the esports arena. MTA will also staff its office with two esports-related student interns selected from the district, provide students with free access to gaming equipment and supply jerseys for the MSBSD esports team.

This formal partnership with MSBSD illustrates MTA’s long-running commitment to giving back to the communities it serves alongside its efforts to grow Alaska’s Matanuska-Susitna Valley into a major hub for esports. MTA’s eUnlimited™ Gaming Tournament has been an annual hallmark of this commitment, and the MSBSD partnership will build on that success by incorporating a student tournament within the annual eUnlimited™ tournament.

“We’re proud to be leading the charge in establishing esports in Alaska, not only as a fun, modern form of competition but also as a valuable educational tool,” said Michael Burke, CEO of MTA. “As with MTA’s network, our goal with esports is to minimize the impact of distance on Alaskans to each other and to the Lower 48, and this partnership’s ability to align the cooperation and talent in esports with academic achievement serves as a promising step forward for the students of the Mat-Su Valley.”

“We’ve seen the promising potential of esports in terms of educational benefits for our students, and we are proud to solidify our partnership with MTA so those benefits are able to blossom even further,” said Reese Everett, Director of Instruction of Mat-Su Borough School District. “Bridging competition, discipline and teamwork through esports will improve engagement and boost students’ enthusiasm for academic success, and we’re excited to watch these results play out this school year, and into the future.”

The focus on esports from both MTA and MSBSD reflects the tremendous growth that esports has seen across America in recent years, with more than 427 million viewers expected to have watched or participated by the end of 2019. Within Alaska, more and more schools continue to incorporate esports into their curriculum; 35 high schools across the state participated in Alaska’s inaugural esports season during the 2018-2019 school year.

Media Contacts
Chris Guizlo or Kyle Wall
The Fearey Group for MTA
MTA@feareygroup.com, (206) 343-1543

Jillian Morrissey
Public Information Officer
Jillian.Morrissey@matsuk12.us or (907) 746-9251

A while back, we teased the appearance of a special guest at our 2020 Virtual Gaming Tournament. As this year’s tournament nears, we’re excited to finally introduce you to this year’s special guest: NBA superstar and longtime esports enthusiast Gordon Hayward!

That’s right, when Gordon is not sinking shots for the Celtics, he’s online and live streaming his numerous conquests as he plays Valorant.

A natural-born athlete with a fiery competitive side, Gordon entered the world of esports by competing in local Halo tournaments with some of his close friends. From there, he began to get more involved in PC gaming. On the court, Gordon gains his competitive advantage by anticipating the actions of his defenders. Online, things are not much different, and he uses this same advantage to carry himself, or his team, to victory.

Gordon’s passion for esports has led to him investing in mobile esports company Tribe Gaming. Knowing how much he loves gaming, his goal with this initiative was to help deliver the thrills and experiences he’s encountered to more people around the world.

At MTA, we aim to connect technology to the world around us; whether that’s through education, community initiatives and now physical sports. Our esports offerings have allowed us to do just that. We’re beyond excited to host Gordon Hayward at this year’s tournament because of his passion and understanding of the importance of esports, and for the unique perspective he will bring.  

Registration for this year’s tournament is still open, and you can sign up here to select the bracket(s) you wish to participate in. Make sure to also share the Twitch live-stream information with friends and family to watch you compete – and to see what an NBA star has to say about some of this year’s participants!

By: Brandon Meiners, MTA Esports Coordinator

On May 1, MTA Gaming successfully hosted the Virtual Victory esports tournament, its first official event under its new brand. Bringing Alaskans together to duke it out over Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the event helped build connections and support our community during what is a difficult and isolated time for many.

With nearly 40 gamers participating, a live Twitch stream and play-by-play commentary, and a total of $300 up for grabs among the top three winners, Virtual Victory lasted nearly six hours. The event was a great success and set the tone for future MTA Gaming events, both digital and in-person.

Giving Back Beyond the Screen

Successful on the screens, the Virtual Victory tournament was a win for our community, too. In total, the tournament raised $2,000 for both Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. and the Mat-Su Seniors Center, helping the latter continue delivering food to seniors through its Meals on Wheels program.

MTA Gaming works in two ways: uniting our community through a shared activity and giving back to our community members. And in our current situation, many of our older residents are vulnerable, in need of support and connection. Adapting the model of our esports programming means we can better help meet their needs.

Integrating esports into older adults’ lives isn’t always a seamless transition, but many older adults in our community are technologically adept or curious to learn more. Even for those who aren’t, their needs are still important. Evolving MTA Gaming tournaments into an engine to drive donations back into the community also helps us bridge the tournament’s impact for Alaska’s gaming community with a meaningful impact for all of the surrounding residents of the Mat-Su Valley.

The success of this tournament and being able to give back so much to our community as a result illustrate an important point: technology enables and powers connections between people in many dimensions. We’ve seen this over and over again through our constant collaboration and relationship building with local businesses, our esports partnership with the Mat-Su Borough School District and hosting Alaska’s largest esports tournament for the gaming community.

We are excited to keep planning and growing our Virtual Victory esports series with more tournaments and more contributions to help the community. For more details on MTA Gaming and future events, stay up to date at https://www.mtasolutions.com/esports/.

Palmer, Alaska – April 10, 2019 – MTA, Alaska’s best choice for technology and communications products, announced today it is the recipient of a 2019 Best in Class Provider Award from the Broadband Multimedia Marketing Association (BMMA) for its marketing efforts around MTA’s eUnlimited™ Gaming Series, which includes an annual gaming tournament.

Since 2015, MTA has worked to become a major player in Alaska’s esports world through unique experiences and effective partnership building with local schools and community organizations. The eUnlimited™ Gaming Series is a flagship community program for MTA, and the 2018 season was the Series’ most successful year yet, with tournament attendance doubling from the previous year.

The award comes as the co-operative continues to expand its focus on esports in Alaska through increased collaboration with Alaskan schools on incorporating esports into their curriculum, supporting youth STEM initiatives and cultivating national partnerships with likeminded organizations.

“We are honored to be recognized for our work in the esports field, and we look forward to working with our community partners around the state to keep growing the eUnlimited™ Gaming Series,” said Michael Burke, CEO of MTA. “We will continue doing all we can to propel Alaska ahead as a national leader in esports through education-based partnerships, riveting in-person tournaments and experiences and more.”

“Over the past year, MTA’s marketing efforts have successfully built out awareness of its innovative eUnlimited™ Gaming Series, increasing local partnerships and doubling the number of tournament attendees,” said Jonathan Babbitt, Vice President of Product, Sales and Marketing at MTA. “The program’s growth in one year is particularly impressive, and it serves as an indicator of the promising future Alaska has in the esports industry. MTA is proud to be the company leading the charge with our community and gaming partners around the state.”

BMMA’s Best in Class Marketing Awards annually recognize teams and companies that demonstrate innovation and excellence in marketing broadband services. MTA was joined in this honor by other leading telecommunications companies including Cincinnati Bell, Calix and F-Secure.

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Esports have gained significant momentum throughout Alaska over the years and MTA is proud to continue leading this charge. Our annual esports tournament has played a critical role in deepening connections between education and technology while serving as a hub connecting Alaskans through competitive gaming and community building.

After a widely successful event in 2019, with the turnout more than doubling from 2018, we’re thrilled to experience this year’s event right alongside you.

Despite the hurdles our communities have been facing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we know the event must go on – nothing can stop MTA Gaming! So, to ensure we keep all our participants and community members safe, we’ve decided to take our 2020 Gaming Tournament virtual. As one of our most popular and fastest growing events, we couldn’t be more confident that this year’s tournament will be a landmark one in the evolution of MTA Gaming, and in our journey to help our community stay connected while staying home.

Spread out over three days, this year’s tournament will feature even more games, competition, community partners and even a few special guests. Additionally, various gaming brackets are available so that those of all skill levels have the chance to compete. The fun kicks off on Friday, November 6 and lasts until Sunday, November 8, with a variety of prizes available each day. The schedule for the weekend will be as follows:

• Friday, November 6: Valorant (PC) 5v5 match up
• Saturday, November 7: Smash Bros. Ultimate (Youth/MSBSD/Full) singles
• Sunday, November 8: Tekken 7 (PC) singles

Registration is now open for all three days. The first 100 gamers to register will automatically be entered to win a RESPAWN Gaming Mouse Pad Table! The lucky winner will be announced the week prior to the tournament. To register, go here and select the bracket(s) you wish to participate in. Once registered, make sure to share the Twitch live-stream information with friends and family to watch you compete.

If you’ve never participated in a gaming tournament, connect with fellow Alaskan (and beyond!) gamers on Discord to immerse yourself in the community. Additionally, we’re creating a series of video tutorials that lay out everything you need to know as you navigate our online tournament – stay tuned for more information.

Whether we’re all in the same space or just in the same virtual space, participants like you are the reason for the continuously growing success of MTA Gaming and esports in Alaska, and we can’t wait for this year’s edition!