Let’s talk Overwatch League. The hit first-person shooter is one of my all-time favorite games, and I used to be a hardcore Twitch viewer. I would bounce between watching Hearthstone and Overwatch, especially when the Overwatch League debuted. One of the most-anticipated esports broadcasts during its first season, there’s now a new way to watch the games of season 2 and beyond.
Disney has signed a multi-year contract with Blizzard’s game and the Overwatch League so that broadcasting of the games will be covered and televised live. This deal is a huge step in getting esports into the spotlight and for them to be respected as an actual sport. The amount of skill and precision necessary to compete in these leagues is unparalleled, but for so long esports has been shunned since its not a “physical sport.”
The playoffs began July 11th, and can be watched on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN 3, Disney XD, ABC and associated streaming services. Just a month ago, the debut matches brought in over 300,000 viewers. There’s a definite interest in fans watching the pros battle it out, so the future of esports might be way more mainstream than we officially anticipated. So much so, that there are now video game curriculums at certain video game schools.
I’m all for this forward movement in esports to be recognized as a sports platform on the levels of basketball, baseball, and maybe even one day the NFL.
