eSports Added to ESPN’s Coverage in Preparation for a Big 2016

PCARS-Aston-Martin-c172fccc

Just in case you weren’t convinced that eSports are serious business, entertainment juggernaut ESPN has added a section to their website dedicated to precisely that. As an industry that’s projected to hit $500 million this year alone (as per Deloitte’s latest TMT prediction), can you blame them?

Over at the eSports section at ESPN, you’ll be greeted by coverage largely focused on MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) games such as League of Legends, DOTA 2, and Hearthstone. Chad Millman, editor-in-chief of both the website and magazine arms of ESPN, had this to say to the LA Times about the phenomenon that will see well over 100 million viewers this year:

“The storyline was so compelling that we decided there was no reason we shouldn’t be doing this on a daily basis with the same rigour we cover the National League Football or other sports.”

This is the latest in a batch of news to raise the profile of eSports. Amazon famously paid almost $1 billion for popular streaming site Twitch back in 2014. Activision Blizzard snapped up Major League Gaming this month for a fraction of that ($46 million), and also host the annual Blizzcon event, attended by thousands of fans eager to watch these tournaments unfold live. ESL, the world’s largest eSports company, saw significant investment from media group MTG in 2015.

2015_F1_Maxverstappen_iRacingIn the realm of sim racing, Project CARS is just about to wrap up their inaugural SMS-R championship (a series hosted by afore-mentioned ESL), with thousands of dollars of prizes for the podium. iRacing’s regular tournaments draw big payouts, and equally big talent. Last summer, Team Redline – itself, one of the most successful online racing teams – made waves when it announced F1 driver Max Verstappen had joined the team.

Of course, there’s also Gran Turismo. Our own rechristened GTPlanet Sportscar Series (previously the Endurance Series) just kicked off the 2016 season with both success and close competition at Brands Hatch last weekend. This weekend will see teams from across the globe descend onto Daytona for a full 24 hour race, a week before the Rolex-sponsored event kicks off the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season in the real world.

The GT Academy initiative is arguably the most visible program of its kind, proving gamers can, under the right tutelage, race right alongside the pros. Tantalizingly, GT Sport promises an eSports approach of its own, thanks to the FIA Championship tie-in. With the game set to arrive later this year on the fastest-selling system of this generation, with the name recognition of a 76-million strong franchise behind it, the year could prove to be a major turning point for sim racing eSports.

 Project CARS Photomode image by c172fccc.

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Comments (12)

  1. VBR

    Like I’ve always said, “The cars & tracks may be virtual, but the racing’s very real!”. Sim racing has always been a real sport, & it’s nice to see more people & organizations waking up to that fact.

    1. Johnnypenso

      As big of a fan of sim racing as I am, seeing as how virtual racing is pretty much devoid of any physical exertion beyond turning a wheel and pushing some pedals, I think calling it a real sport is a bit of a stretch. A new category of “e-sport” specific to gamers?…sure I’d buy that. But a sport in same vein as running, cycling, jumping, hitting sports etc? Not in my books anyway.

  2. RESHIRAM5

    Didn’t this happen before but people raged calling it “not a real sport” which force ESPN to pull the plug on it before?

  3. Robin.

    OK, they added it to their website but until we see real broadcast screen time dedicated to eSports on major networks it’s still not on the same legitimacy level as normal sports. Realistically I don’t know if that will ever happen, at least not in the next 5-10 years. Yes it dominates the streaming world but traditional media is much harder.

    1. Kyle P.

      @Robin. Funnily enough, TBS will be the first big network to air eSports content, this year, with 20 events centred on Counter-Strike. As traditional networks continue to lose ground to streaming services like Netflix and such, we could see a quicker change. I agree that traditional media is a much more difficult barrier, though.

      I may not have mentioned it in the article, but apparently the eSports coverage will be finding its way onto ESPN’s major broadcasts as well. It won’t be limited to simply the website.

    2. another_jakhole

      We have GT Academy on tv. Admittedly, the competition isn’t… right. By that, I mean to say there seems to be a lack of professionalIsm in the way the elimination process is conducted. It has that “reality tv game-show” aspect to it forced upon it. It needs to be reinvented or be left in the dust by true gaming competitions. If anything, GT Academy needs to be scrapped. Only a dozen or so “gamers” get to the finals? Hopefully, the FIA’s involvement with GT will change it to something that can be taken seriously.

      Sure the winners have gone on to succeed in the racing world or at the very least given them opportunities that couldn’t be considered. I get chills when I think about last year’s Bathurst 1000. And it’s not solely the GT Academy winners who have been given options after the competition ended. I give credit to the judges for that though.

      As for esports on ESPN becoming a reality, bahaha Colín Cowherd. Ba Ha Haaaa. From gamers, at him. Let’s hope this is something created by gamers for gamers. I’m hoping it covers everything gaming and not completely dominated by MLG-type coverage or all about tournaments. But I seriously hope their goals aren’t to be like G4/Attack Of The Show. Something in the middle would be welcome… obviously (personally thinking).

    3. another_jakhole

      Ugh. This IS ESPN we’re talking about. They don’t cover racing like other networks or other countries do. Only NBC seems to get it, somewhat. The main NBC channel does cover the U.S. Grand Prix, Mexican, Canadian and the race in Monaco. With that said, the NBC sports channel is so scrambled in its coverage of anything and everything racing-oriented. Man, this could backfire on us. GT/FM fans shouldn’t expect anything, while gamers (whether they’re hardcore or casual) should not expect an ideal representation of their favorite games. We shouldn’t have to settle for the idea that we’re heading in a direction toward having “something”. Another TechTV or G4 will not happen. I’d be more hopeful once another tv giant announces a network to take the reins of what we have in consideration as “more than acceptable.”

    4. another_jakhole

      Crap. Forgot to mention one thing: NASCAR does get the respect that a racing series deserves. Still, ESPN only covers it twice as much as soccer. TBS would have been my guess as the first network to cover gaming in some fashion other than game award shows; usually, those award shows are broadcast on Spike TV which isn’t the most reliable station considering its lack of identity.

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