eSports broadcaster Virtus.pro lines up $100 million in funding

USM Holdings, a diversified holdings company owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Ismanov, is preparing to invest up to $100 million in Virtus.pro, a website that organizes and broadcasts eSports events throughout Russia. 

USM has confirmed that the total investment may eventually exceed $100 million, but neglected to mention how the cash will be handed out or what it would receive in return for the funding. 

Virtus.pro has established itself as one of the world's leading eSports broadcasters amassing 7.6 million subscribers and recording over 1 billion views in 2014 alone. 

"eSports are a unique proposition, uniting the sports, media and the internet industries," said Ivan Streshinsky, a director at USM Holdings. 

"It is a fast-growing market, which has already generated huge interest around the world, and Virtus.pro is the leader in the e-sports industry in Russia."