Hit Parader to Launch Celebrity E-Sports Competition

Universal City production studio Hit Parader plans to launch an e-sports platform for celebrities. Called Rock N’ Jock, the video game streaming platform will pit musicians, athletes and other influential figures against one another in both tournament formats and online play. The platform will debut with a celebrity-only tournament comprising eight teams competing for charity. The winning team will receive an undisclosed sum of money to donate to a nonprofit of their choosing. The competition will be produced and broadcast by Super League Gaming, a Santa Monica e-sports giant that trades publicly on the Nasdaq. Hit Parader will release the game title and list of celebrities competing in the tournament in the next few weeks. Record labels including Better Noise, eOne, Fearless, Metal Blade and Nuclear Blast have announced their involvement. All tournaments on the Rock N’ Jock platform will be free to watch for fans. Future tournaments will be opened up to the general public so gamers can play with and against their favorite celebrities. Chief Executive Ash Avildsen said in a statement the Rock N’ Jock platform will offer “newfangled entertainment at a time when people really need it.” “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,” he added. The Hit Parader brand is better known for the rock music magazine that published under the same name between 1942 and 2008. The company was revived earlier this year as a production studio for television, film, live events and now e-sports. It is led by media veterans Avildsen, Josh Bernstein and Matt Pinfield, and is based out of the Panasonic building in Universal City.