Activision buys e-sports organizer Major League Gaming

Activision is adding a veteran e-sports organizer to its arsenal.

Call of Dutypublisher Activision Blizzard Inc. announced plans Monday to buy Major League Gaming in a move to push deeper into e-sports. The deal to purchase the 12-year-old competitive gaming organizer is reportedly worth $46 million US.

"Our acquisition of Major League Gaming's business furthers our plans to create the ESPN of e-sports," said Activision CEO Bobby Kotick in a statement.

Under the deal, MLG will continue to produce competitions featuring games created by Activision and other publishers. The e-sports organizer will also continue to operate the online broadcast network MLG.tv and be led by MLG co-founder and CEO Sundance DiGiovanni.

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The announcement comes after months of several high-profile hires and acquisitions by Activision.

Activision hired MLG co-founder Mike Sepso and former ESPN and NFL Network executive Steve Bornstein last year.

In October, Activision unveiled plans to shift an annual Call of Dutytournament to a year-round international league, as well as increase the prize pool from $1 to $3 million

The Santa Monica, Calif.-based company, which also publishers the Skylandersand Guitar Herofranchises, said in November it was acquiring Candy Crush Sagapublisher King Entertainment for $5.9 billion and planning to create its own film and TV series based on Activision Blizzard franchises.

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The competitive gaming genre draws tens of millions of spectators online and in person. Last year, a report released by research firm Newzoo said 205 million people watched e-sports in 2014.