(Bloomberg) -- The NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. is attempting to grow its esports league beyond gaming, launching live events and bringing more NBA players and celebrities as competitors.

The NBA was the first major US league to launch its own esports venture in 2018, in a bid to capitalize on the increasing popularity of competitive video games. It partnered with Take-Two to create a competition around its popular NBA 2K game franchise. Now there are 25 teams, with 22 affiliated with NBA clubs.

“The culture of basketball is deeply ingrained in the culture of 2K, so the idea is we’re going to build an entertainment brand that taps into that,” Andrew Perlmutter, chief executive officer of the NBA 2K League, said in an interview. There are also plans to incorporate more WNBA players into the league’s content.

Despite the hype, esports has faced challenges generating profit, partly because turnout to live events has often missed expectations. Microsoft Corp.’s Activision unit recently offered financial relief to teams competing in its professional Call of Duty esports League.

The 2K League is counting on advertising, long-form content, merchandise, affiliate marketing and live events. The league’s existing partners include Anheuser-Busch and AT&T Inc.

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