Austin, TX
Dayglow plans three back-to-back hometown shows in Austin on new tour
Austin’s Moody Center has positioned itself as the next big thing in arena entertainment — not just in Austin, but in the country. In 2022, it was the highest-grossing arena of its size, according to Billboard; In 2023, the Academy of Country Music named it the Arena of the Year; In 2024, it is Pollstar Arena of the Year. It’s adding another feather to its cap with the arrival of one of the world’s biggest esports event next summer.
Moody Center is hosting Blast.tv Counter-Strike Major 2025 next June. The event is predicted to bring in $40 million, with 50,000 fans expected to attend. Players on teams and participating individually will competing for a $125 million prize pool. This event is the first Counter-Strike Major in seven years, since it was held in Boston.
Although esports — competitive video game-playing, with in-person and streaming audiences depending on the event — are still a relatively niche event category, they are on the rise and represent huge opportunities for catching audience attention. Fans are expected to tune into Counter-Strike 2025 from more than 150 territories, watching in 28 languages.
Even if players are not “athletes” in the traditional sense, they work with complex strategy, quick reaction times, and even physical discipline — how long can the average person sit and focus completely? Austin, famously an F1 city, seems to be getting deeper into fringe kinds of athleticism.
The relatively new Moody Center, opened in April 2022, is still light on popular traditional sports. The calendar does have some interesting departures from the football-basketball-soccer-hockey norm, like bull riding and WWE wrestling.
“We are incredibly excited to bring the BLAST.tv Major to Austin, Texas,” said Blast CEO Robbie Douek in a press release. “The city’s dynamic atmosphere, the cutting-edge Moody Center, and track record of hosting world-leading events provide the perfect setting for what promises to be an unforgettable event. We look forward to showcasing the best of esports to a global audience and making a positive impact on the local community.”
Austin’s prevalence as a growing tech city also makes it an ideal place to show off the event’s tech capabilities, or even just appeal to tech-informed people who are likely to be interested in gaming.
“Austin is the perfect place to showcase the esports industry and the technology at the heart of the competition,” said Mayor Kirk Watson in the release. “We look forward to welcoming teams and fans from all across the globe to Austin.”
The release also shared a quote from Drew Hays, executive director at the Austin Sports Commission, although it did not name the commission’s involvement in bringing the event to fruition: “We’re excited to host Blast.tv Austin Major, Austin’s first arena-based esports competition, which we estimate will bring 10,000+ fans to Moody Center each day. For our city to have such a thriving technology sector and avid esports fanbase, an event like this is long overdue and we’re looking forward to an exciting competition next June.”
More information about the Blast.tv Austin Major, including tickets and dates updates, will be available over time at blast.tv.
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According to the City of Austin, former Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert has applied to be the next chief of police for the Austin Police Department. Albert is one of 32 people who have applied for the position.
According to ABC affiliate KVUE, the city is looking for a candidate with at least a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, public or business administration, or a related field. They must also have at least 10 years of “progressively responsible work in police administration,” with at least five years as a “bona fide law enforcement officer.”
The posting states that the most competitive candidates will have direct experience as a police chief in a large city with “issues that are similarly complex to those in Austin.” They will also have the ability to forge relationships with Austin’s many diverse communities and should have a “sound understanding of the history of institutional racism in policing” and work to provide public safety services equitably while also advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion, including within APD.
Albert resigned from the Montgomery Police Department on April 18, after he was put on administrative leave by Mayor Steven Reed on April 8. You can see Mayor Steven Reed’s press conference about Albert’s resignation here.
Reed said there were several issues, including sexual harassment and department morale, that led to Albert being put on paid leave. He would not go into specifics.
Reed said that when Albert submitted his resignation, they both mutually agreed that the department needed a new voice and a new direction. Albert became Montgomery’s police chief in 2022.
Editor’s Note: The above video shows KXAN News’ top morning headlines from Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department said it was investigating a homicide in north Austin Wednesday.
According to police, officers responded to a call at approximately 1 a.m. in the 10600 block of Macmora Road after a caller stated, “My wife is in the bedroom. I’m outside.”
When officers arrived, a woman, later identified as 58-year-old Suzanne Bailey, was found inside a home with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Bailey was taken to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead at 9:10 a.m.
Officers also found a man, later identified as 53-year-old Joshua Lockwood, in the backyard of the residence with a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:28 a.m.
An investigation by APD Homicide Detectives and Crime Scene Specialists showed Bailey had been shot by Lockwood, her husband, who then shot himself.
APD said this case was being investigated as Austin’s 26th homicide of 2024.
Los Angeles FC (10-4-3, second in the Western Conference) vs. Austin FC (6-7-5, seventh in the Western Conference)
Austin, Texas; Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE LAFC -112, Austin FC +260, Draw +281; over/under is 2.5 goals
BOTTOM LINE: Denis Bouanga leads Los Angeles FC into a matchup with Austin after scoring two goals against Orlando City.
Austin is 6-6-4 in Western Conference games. Austin is 5-3 in one-goal games.
LAFC is 8-4-2 in Western Conference games. LAFC is 4-0-0 when it scores more than two goals.
The matchup Wednesday is the first meeting this season between the two teams.
TOP PERFORMERS: Sebastian Driussi has five goals and one assist for Austin. Jader Obrian has three goals and one assist over the last 10 games.
Bouanga has scored 12 goals with six assists for LAFC. Mateusz Bogusz has six goals and two assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Austin: 4-4-2, averaging 1.0 goal, 3.4 shots on goal and 3.6 corner kicks per game while allowing 1.4 goals per game.
LAFC: 7-1-2, averaging 2.0 goals, 6.5 shots on goal and 6.4 corner kicks per game while allowing 1.0 goal per game.
NOT EXPECTED TO PLAY: Austin: Julio Cascante (injured).
LAFC: David Emmanuel Martinez Morales (injured), Lorenzo Dellavalle (injured), Luis Muller (injured).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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