ESL launches its own 24/7 esports satellite channel
The Electronic Sports League (ESL) has announced that it will be launching its own esports-focused satellite channel, appropriately named esportsTV, which will finally provide esports fans with a more large scale platform that does not force them to interact with the Twitch community.
To launch the new channel, ESL is teaming up with Swedish multimedia entertainment corporation Modern Times Group MTG AB, which boasts that it provides “multi-screen and multi-platform access to best television, film, sports, eSports and social media stars.”
The channel is set to launch in May on MTG’s Viasat platforms and will offer broadcasts of all of ESL’s major tournaments and competitions.
“We have always dreamt of making esports the world’s most popular sport, and it’s the opportunities like this one that bring us one step closer to making that dream come true” Ralf Reichert, ESL’s Managing Director, said in a statement.” Bringing new and existing content to more screens worldwide is key to further accelerating the growth and popularity of esports, and we’re on a mission to reach every gamer in the world.”
“This is fantastic because it will bring esports to an even broader global audience,” added Arnd Benninghoff, CEO of MTGx, and Peter Nørrelund, CEO of MTG Sport. “Esports is a global sport played all year round so there is so much content to share. The channel is all about building awareness and growing the gaming community and fanbase. We have seen an explosion of interest in esports and we want to make more and more content available on as many screens as possible.”
ESL said that its new esports channel will operate alongside its existing partnerships with live streaming services like Twitch and Azubu, but it it not currently clear whether or not ESL will reserve exclusive content for its own platform that would not be available on other platforms. The organization said that it would be revealing more information about esportsTV in the weeks leading up to launch.
photo credit: IMG_0331 via photopin (license)
Since you’re here …
… We’d like to tell you about our mission and how you can help us fulfill it. SiliconANGLE Media Inc.’s business model is based on the intrinsic value of the content, not advertising. Unlike many online publications, we don’t have a paywall or run banner advertising, because we want to keep our journalism open, without influence or the need to chase traffic.The journalism, reporting and commentary on SiliconANGLE — along with live, unscripted video from our Silicon Valley studio and globe-trotting video teams at theCUBE — take a lot of hard work, time and money. Keeping the quality high requires the support of sponsors who are aligned with our vision of ad-free journalism content.
If you like the reporting, video interviews and other ad-free content here, please take a moment to check out a sample of the video content supported by our sponsors, tweet your support, and keep coming back to SiliconANGLE.