T-Pain and Clinton Sparks Officially Launch the Global Gaming League in Las Vegas

The Star-Studded Kickoff Event Hosted by Nick Cannon and Jermaine Dupri featured a Performance by Social Media Pioneer Soulja Boy

Las Vegas, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grammy award-winning, multi-hyphenate recording artist/songwriter and entrepreneur, T-Pain and notable entertainment catalyst, Clinton Sparks have officially launched the Global Gaming League (GGL)—a groundbreaking new entertainment sports league combining video gaming, celebrity, and culture—this past Saturday, June 28 in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a spectacular pre-season premiere that marked the beginning of a new era in competitive gaming.

The formal launch event, hosted by entertainment icons Nick Cannon and Jermaine Dupri, featured a live performance by Soulja Boy and introduced GGL’s pre-season premiere match between T-Pain’s Nappy Boy Gaming and Bryce Hall’s Hall Pass Gaming—complete with a friendly $10,000 wager. The match highlighted just a taste of what fans can expect from the league’s official season, dubbed SZN ZERO, launching later this summer with eight celebrity-led teams.

Clinton Sparks (center) and T-Pain (right) launch the Global Gaming League with kick-off event co-host Jermaine Dupri.

Backed by entertainment visionary Clinton Sparks and Grammy-winning artist and streaming icon T-Pain, the GGL is the first-of-its-kind, multi-title, live-action gaming entertainment league, where professional gamers, influencers, and casual players compete side-by-side in front of live audiences in Las Vegas and the competition streams globally. Teams face off in modern favorites like Call of Duty and Rocket League alongside nostalgic classics such as Street Fighter, Mario Kart, and Tetris.

“The GGL will make gaming a household name like WWE did for wrestling and UFC did for mixed martial arts,” said T-Pain, who also serves as the league’s Executive Director of Strategy and Board Member. “We all game—now it's time for the world to see gaming at the center of culture.”

Soulja Boy performing at the Global Gaming League Launch Event half time show.

GGL Founder and CEO, Clinton Sparks, adds: “We’re disrupting a $200+ billion industry by authentically integrating gaming with music, fashion, sports, and celebrity culture—something no one else has successfully done at this scale. The GGL is not just a league: it's a movement to connect cultures and communities through gaming.”

The GGL offers year-round competitive play and entertainment across all game genres, positioning it as the only truly global digital sports league, with accessibility for casual and aspiring players worldwide. Through the GGL Global Nomination Program, gamers from cities like Tokyo, Toronto, Lagos, and Boston can apply to join one of the celebrity-owned teams via globalgamingleague.com

Notable team owners include: T-Pain (Nappy Boy Gaming), Jermaine Dupri, Bryce Hall, Flavor Flav, Gillie Da Kid, Wallo, Kaash Paige, and more. 

T-Pain, Clinton Sparks, Nick Cannon and Bryce Hall at the Global Gaming League Launch Event.

The league is headquartered at a state-of-the-art  43,000 sq. ft. campus in Las Vegas, unveiled last December during a celebrity-studded private event. GGL’s leadership team also includes Jeff Hoffman (GGL's Chairman of the Board and co-founder of Priceline), Michael Fuller (COO) Andrew Blacker (founder of Bandsintown) among other industry veterans from the hospitality industry, music and fashion. 

“The future engineers, artists, and leaders are gamers,” said Jeff Hoffman. “We’re here to celebrate them, support them, and give them a global platform.”

For more information, please visit www.globalgamingleague.com and connect on social media @GlobalGamingLeague

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About Global Gaming League: GGL is a new kind of league—where gaming, culture, music, sports, fashion, and reality TV collide. With celebrity-led teams, live competitions, global fan engagement, and next-gen media experiences, GGL is building the first entertainment system for the world’s largest and most engaged audience. For more information, please visit www.globalgamingleague.com 

CONTACT: owen@thoughtgangmedia.com