Andy is a businessman and entrepreneur within technology, sports and esports. He is a co-owner of the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2015 he founded NRG where he works as a CEO.

This interview originally appeared in 2021 in the book Build It Like benjyfishy & MrSavage: The Unofficial Fortnite Esports Guide for Players and Parents, written by Anne Fish and me. Benjy “benjyfishy” Fish joined NRG as a pro Fortnite player in March 2019 and is still a part of NRG as of September 2022 but now as a Valorant player. Martin “MrSavage” Foss Andersen was a member of NRG for one year from February 2019.

Andy holding the Overwatch League championship trophy in 2019. Photo credit Andy Miller.

HOW DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN ESPORTS?

Andy: ‘My teen boys were way into gaming and watching Twitch. I started to watch with them back in 2015 and was blown away by the viewer numbers and fan engagement.’

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO START UP NRG?

Andy: ‘I showed my fellow Kings owners various player Twitch streams and dug into the numbers. Mark Mastrov (Kings co-owner and founder of 24 Hour Fitness chain) and I decided to partner up and jump into esports. We bought a League of Legends team in 2016 and soon after Shaquille O’Neal joined the founding group.’

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME NRG? WHICH WE KNOW IT IS TO BE PRONOUNCED ENERGY AS OPPOSED TO THE LETTERS N.R.G!

Andy: ‘It DOES stand for eNeRGy, but most casters still say N.R.G after all these years! The name developed after watching a long time League of Legends Korean player retire and give his final interview after the World Championships. He talked about how he would always remember the feeling of the fans giving him their energy and how special it was to have people rooting for you to do well in life. I loved the positive message behind it and used the letters to abbreviate energy.’

What are the best parts of running an esports organisation?

Andy: ‘I love working with the players and watching them grow with the org and grow their own brands. Not everyone becomes a ‘Benjy’ in terms of fanbase, but we do try to help them mature, take responsibility for themselves, learn what it is like to be part of a team and share common goals etc. Watching them blow up or watching a team get to the top and stay there like our back-to-back World Championship Overwatch team (San Francisco Shock) is super gratifying.’

HOW DO YOU THINK ESPORTS ORGANISATIONS WILL DEVELOP DURING THE NEXT YEARS?

Andy: ‘I think the key to successful orgs with staying power will be a dual focus on competitive and content. The content game needs to become a much bigger part of every org's game plan to drive fandom and revenue. I also see a handful of truly global orgs developing that will compete at the highest levels for fans and championships on a regional level as well as a global level.’

NRG HAS QUITE A LARGE FORTNITE ROSTER WHO PLAY IN LIVE COMPETITIONS. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE FUTURE OF COMPETITIVE FORTNITE?

Andy: ‘I think the COVID-19 pandemic really impacted Fortnite significantly. Maybe the most significantly of all the esports. Fortnite is truly a global, social game and needs to have live global competition and events and celebrations of the game. I think we will see the competitive side of the game become more of a priority for Epic Games in the next couple of years, especially in bringing the community together for live events!’

NRG HAS A CONTENT CASTLE IN LOS ANGELES, WHERE CREATORS COME TOGETHER ON A PER EVENT BASIS TO MAKE CONTENT. BUT OTHER ORGANISATIONS LIKE FAZE AND 100 THIEVES HAVE CONTENT HOUSES WHERE CREATORS LIVE AND CREATE CONTENT OVER TIME. HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE ON CONTENT CASTLES VS CONTENT HOUSES?

Andy: ‘NRG has had content houses over the years. They never last long! Players eventually get tired of them or want their own space and privacy over a period of time. The Castle was a brilliant idea developed by NRG Executive Producer Grady Rains. We wanted a cool, clubhouse type of place that both the players AND the fans would want to be a part of. We make loads of content in the Castle, the Shock scrims and plays from the practice rooms and our staff loves to hang out there. We will continue to do short-term, cool location team-specific houses like we have done for Fortnite in the past.’

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO INVOLVE THE PARENTS AND FAMILY IN THE EARLY TALKS WITH YOUNG PROSPECTIVE PLAYERS WHO YOU WANT TO SIGN?

Andy: ‘I am involved in all player talks. Every one! Our motto has always been #NRGFAM and it is with meaning and purpose. Our players came up with the hashtag early on because we all are super involved in everyone who works with the org. It is especially important when signing young players like Benjy and Martin to get to know the families and understand their goals and limitations for their kids. We always sign a player with the intention that they will be with NRG for as long as they want to be. So we want to make sure we really know the player and not just their stream persona.’

WHAT KIND OF FORTNITE TALENT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN THE FUTURE?

Andy: ‘NRG has had the top competitive and most popular team for a while now. It is rare to have such talented players who are also fabulous entertainers and trend setters. That is the lens through which we look for Fortnite players. A combo of skill and content creation/stream appeal.’

FINALLY, ANY ADVICE FOR YOUNG ASPIRING PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS?

Andy: ‘Work on your game. Learn to communicate with your fellow players. Be a leader AND a good listener. Understand that the competitive side is a business so building your brand and helping the org build their brand simultaneously gives the org value for the contract. Remember to have fun while playing. If the actual competitive part doesn’t bring you joy, then it is not for you.’

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Check here for how to connect with me. You will find my co-author Anne Fish on Twitter by the name @mamabenjyfishy or live at twitch.tv/mamabenjyfishy1.

Interview with Andy Miller - CEO of NRG Esports