IRVINE, California: ESPN, Disney XD and Blizzard Entertainment have announced an exclusive multiyear agreement for live television coverage of the Overwatch League, the world’s first major global city-based eSports league.
The deal comes months after video game live streaming platform Twitch had agreed to showcase the tournament for a $90 million fee, according to SportsPro media.
ESPN and Disney XD covered the playoffs of the competition on Wednesday and will be broadcasting the entire season till July 28, with the finals taking place at the Barclays Centre in New York.
Subscribers of both the networks in the US can also watch the live streaming of the event on the ESPN App and DisneyNOW. The Grand Finals telecast on ESPN marks the first time live competitive gaming has aired on the flagship network at prime time.
“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,” said Justin Connolly, executive vice president, Affiliate Sales and Marketing, Disney and ESPN Media Networks.
“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.”
“We are pleased to partner with Activision Blizzard to bring Overwatch eSports to our audience. The Blizzard team has created a genre-leading eSport and a premium professional franchise system in the Overwatch League,” said Marc Buhaj, senior vice president, Programming and General Manager, Disney XD.
“We are kicking off the agreement by showcasing the inaugural season playoffs and Grand Finals live across our linear footprint. Together with our telecast partners at ESPN, we look forward to growing a legion of new Overwatch fans across the next two years.”
The winners of the tournament will receive a lion’s share of the $1.4 million prize money.
