Over the past year, the Overwatch League has been a breakout for eSports, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. On Wednesday morning, ESPN reported that the League will be broadcast on ESPN, Disney, and ABC as well as their corresponding digital platforms. After the first regular season ended, we discussed how the Overwatch League is changing the way we think about eSports, and it appears that those measures Blizzard took to make it stand out are paying off.
This is a big deal because it not only shows how far the mainstream has come in taking eSports seriously, but it also puts competitive gaming in front of new eyes. The League is known for being accessible to new viewers, with its city-based teams, beautiful new arena, and spectating tools. Now that the games will be broadcast on major networks, many who would never consider watching, or don’t even know what eSports even are, could be tuning in.
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The multi-year broadcast deal will include the playoff games, which begin this week, the season one grand finals in New York City, and season two. Overall, the games will be shown on ESPN, ESPN 2, Disney XD, and ABC in some way, shape, or form. Both ESPN and Disney have broadcasted eSports events before, but never in this capacity.
Blizzard put a lot into the Overwatch League in order to make it a success, and now that it’s seen that success, we hope to see more eSports organizations following suit. Check out ESPN’s website for the full broadcast schedule of the playoff games.
Images: Blizzard Entertainment
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