The NFL Meets WWE? Global Gaming League Brings Celebs to Esports Arena

Credit: GGL

Last month, entertainment mogul Clinton Sparks and Grammy-winning artist T-Pain announced The Global Gaming League (GGL), a new entertainment-driven gaming competition blending celebrity culture with competitive esports. Now, new details have emerged — including official game publishers, celebrity team owners, and the date for the league’s kickoff.

On August 4, GGL revealed it has secured licensing deals with six major publishers: Activision Blizzard, Bandai Namco, Capcom, Tetris, Ubisoft, and EA. These agreements allow the league to feature and stream a curated lineup of their games globally during its first official season, dubbed SZN Zero, which begins on August 23, 2025.

The format sets celebrity-owned teams of four against one another in matches across four game genres, with titles ranging from old-school icons to modern esports staples. Among the confirmed games are Tetris, Trackmania, Call of Duty, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Brawlhalla, Tekken, and Rocket League.

As per the press release (via GI.Biz), the league has already attracted several well-known personalities as team owners, including wrestling legend Ric Flair, hip-hop icon Flavor Flav, TikTok creator Bryce Hall, and T-Pain, who also serves as the league’s Executive Director of Strategy.

Speaking about the project’s vision, founder and CEO Clinton Sparks said the GGL is designed to bring gamers of all ages together, something he believes the industry hasn’t yet achieved. “With these partnerships, we are able to bring game titles from different genres and eras that attract everyone to the same place,” he noted, adding that the league will spotlight every aspect of the gaming world — from developers and hardware partners to fans and players.

The GGL describes its approach as “the NFL meets WWE,” promising a spectacle that mixes high-level gameplay with entertainment flair. With global streaming plans, cross-generational game picks, and a stacked lineup of celebrity involvement, the GGL is shaping up to be a unique experiment in the evolving world of esports-meets-pop-culture.