ESports goes mainstream on ESPN and Disney Networks
News on 15 Jul 2018
News on 15 Jul 2018
Overwatch League eSports matches will reach a wider audience following a deal with Blizzard Entertainment inked by Disney and ESPN.
ESPN will air the inaugural Overwatch League Grand Finals in prime time this month as part of the multi-year agreement to bring eSports to the biggest sports platform on American television.
Disney and Blizzard Entertainment plan to broadcast the Overwatch League playoffs and championship on ESPN, ABC and Disney XD. The Grand Finals on July 27 and 28 will be shown live on ESPN.
Overwatch is a first-person shooter video game in which teams of six players compete. The Overwatch League is the highest level of competitive play for the game, featuring 12 city-based teams. Ownership groups paid $20 million each to own teams in the league,
Under the terms of the broadcast deal, the Disney-owned networks will broadcast both this year’s playoffs and next year’s second season of the Overwatch League. Networks that will air at least one night of this year’s playoffs during July include ESPN and ESPN 2, while ABC will offer a highlights package on Sunday, July 29.
The first night of the Grand Finals will become the first eSports competition to be broadcast live in primetime on ESPN when it is played on July 27.
“The Overwatch League Grand Finals is by far our most comprehensive television distribution for an eSports event over a single weekend: 10 total hours over four networks and three days,” Disney executive Justin Connolly said in a release.
“This overall collaboration with Disney/ABC, ESPN and Blizzard represents our continued commitment to eSports, and we look forward to providing marquee Overwatch League coverage across our television platforms for fans.”
ESPN Vice President of Digital Media John Lasker said in a company statement last week:
“We are turning the corner here in terms of our interest and engagement in the eSports category. We’ve had an interest and have been watching pretty closely how the first year of the Overwatch League has been progressing, and we’re really excited to be a part of this.”
Overwatch League matches streamed on Twitch routinely draw viewership numbers of 100,000 or more, and the added television coverage and fresh demographics should pull in ever larger audiences.
