eSports has slowly but surely been breaking ground into American mainstream culture. From ESPN2 airing a college tournament of Heroes of the Storm to popular documentary series Vice airing a special dedicated to the large phenomenon of eSports in the East, more and more people are becoming aware of its presence whether they like it or not.
In the latest step towards eSports becoming a part of American culture, Turner Broadcasting System and WME | IMG have recently announced their partnership to create an eSports competitive gaming league.
So far details are few in between but Valve was announced as the first publisher to sign on. Valve’s popular shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive will be the game featured in the series’ first season. Teams of five will go head to head for a chance at a monetary prize which is yet to be revealed. Qualifying rounds for the main show will be streamed online.
The series is planned to be aired on Fridays over 20 weeks consisting of two 10-week tournaments which includes regular-season play, playoffs and a championship match. Turner Studios in Atlanta will serve as the headquarters for the new league and primary operations facility for the live gaming experience.
Additional online coverage will be happening during tournament weeks from Tuesday to Friday and will include behind-the-scenes event coverage and profiles on the eSports teams and competitors. Coverage can also be accessed via Bleacher Report’s Team Stream App.
So if you’re a gamer tired of watching re-runs of Family Guy and Big Bang Theory on TBS you’ll have something new to look forward to. If you’re into that kind of thing of course.