Ryan DeVos Has Joined The Game
Orlando Magic’s Ryan DeVos Joins Player Epic in Advisory Role
Alan Byrd
Orlando, Fla. (February 8, 2021) – One of the leaders in Central Florida’s growing esports industry has embraced Player Epic’s new platform for players and has joined the company as a strategic advisor.
In that role, Ryan DeVos, director, Magic Gaming, will be providing his insight and connections to launch Player Epic.
“As esports continues its growth, I truly believe Player Epic’s platform will become an essential element in the industry worldwide,” DeVos says. “I’m excited about what the future brings for this company and happy to help provide any guidance and leadership they need during this phase of growth and long-term.”
Player Epic, a client of the UCF Downtown Innovation District, looks to become a key resource for players looking to enter the professional esports ranks and for team owners looking for great amateur players to join their teams.
By using the platform, amateur players can compete against other highly skilled players in a variety of games. Based on results, the players move up and down the Player Epic ranks.
For team owners, like the Orlando Magic, they can look at Player Epic’s ranking system to find players for their teams quickly and easily.
“We cannot stress how important it is to our growth to have an advisor like Ryan DeVos on our team, not only for his business acumen, but for his vast contacts in this industry,” says Johnny Williams, CEO & founder, Player Epic. “The NBA was one of the first businesses to embrace esports and the Orlando Magic have been one of the leaders in the NBA and we plan to learn as much as we can from both of them.”
In his fourth year with the Magic, DeVos oversees all aspects of the Magic’s NBA 2K League team, Magic Gaming. DeVos’ primary responsibilities for the team include overall management of the day-to-day basketball and business operations.
Prior to joining the Magic, DeVos spent two and a half years at the NBA office in New York in the Global Marketing Partnerships group. He handled the marketing relationships for companies such as SAP, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.
Esports continues to be among the fastest growing sports businesses, estimated to be an industry valued at more than $1.5 billion in 2023. The industry is averaging a 9 percent annual growth in viewership each year with nearly 650 million viewers, according to Business Insider.