Major League Gaming Snags New VP From Machinima To Further Grow Its MLG.tv Network

Major League Gaming (MLG), one of the oldest e-sports companies out there, picked up a new hire today from Machinima, another well-known gaming content company. Ryan Wyatt will join MLG as its vp of programming.

The hire fits into MLG’s MLG.tv strategy that has seen rapid audience growth, enough even to drive MLG nearly into the black. To date MLG has raised $69 million.

According to MLG, MLG.tv has grown its viewership 60% monthly since launch, growing a total of 1,376% in the first quarter of 2014 alone. That’s actually less surprising than you might imagine, given that MLG launched the online network with a limited set of broadcasters that it quickly worked to expand.

Wyatt, former head of e-sports for Machinima, is actually returning to MLG in this move. He left the company for Machinima three years ago. His role at MLG is simple to get: He’ll work to expand its content, both in-studio and via game streaming personalities. More content, more viewers, and more viewers, more money. That’s the gist of it.

Machinima, which has raised $67.6 million to date, has seen a number of executive changes in the last six months, including the installation of a new president. Wyatt’s impact will be easy to grok: Either MLG.tv’s audience continues to grow quickly, or it doesn’t. If Wyatt can’t keep the new content flowing, it probably won’t.

Top Image Credit: MLG