INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
If you&re sick of hearing about esports, you need to get over it
The space continues to grow, inching its way into the traditional media landscape
Today, in fact, Activision Blizzard announced that the Overwatch League playoffs will be aired on ESPN and Disney XD.
The Overwatch League
in itself is a huge step for esports, as it the first true city-based league for a competitive video game
While most esports leaguesconsist of privately owned teams with little or nothing to do with geography, Overwatch League is a pro league
made up of city-based teams such as the Dallas Fuel or the San Francisco Shock
Many of these teams are owned by big names in the traditional sports world, such as Robert Kraft (CEO and owner of New England Patriots, who
owns the Boston Uprising) and Jeff Wilpon (COO of the New York Mets, who owns the New York Excelsior).
The agreement, which also includes a
recap/highlights package from 2018 Grand Finals coverage on ABC on July 29, marks the first time that live competitive gaming has aired on
ESPN in prime time, and will be the first broadcast of an esports championship on ABC
Activision Blizzard said in the announcement that this is just the start of a multi-year agreement.
That said, EA Madden NFL 18 did
broadcast an esports tournament on ESPN2 and Disney XD earlier this year.
Overwatch League playoffs begin tonight at 8pm ET, and will
culminate in the Grand Finals, taking place in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, on July 27 and July 28.
Here what Justin Connolly, EVP of
Affiliate Sales and Marketing at Disney and ESPN, had to say in a prepared statement:
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
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.
The rise of Twitch stars, like Ninja, and the growth
of the competitive gaming scene have paved the way not only for a new type of sports media, but for a growing new economy
While challenges remain around monetizing the content, the pieces of the puzzle are slowing coming together to create an audience large
enough to incentivize advertisers to spend big money.
In fact, sponsorship revenue and ad spending revenue are expected to hit $655 million
and $224 million, respectively, by 2020, according to Newzoo
That doesn&t sound like much when you think about the NFL, which raked in $1.3 billion in revenue in 2017 alone
But, like this deal proves, the esports space is growing and working its way into the mainstream, hoping to get the attention of young men
between 18 and 34 who have become increasingly difficult to reach via traditional advertising.
Alongside the live TV broadcast of the
Overwatch League playoffs on ESPN and Disney XD, the playoffs will also be live-streamed via Twitch, MLG.com and on the ESPN app and
