The channel will launch in May on MTG’s Viasat platforms in the Nordic and Baltic countries, and it aims to feature ESL’s core competitions and tournaments. ESL and its parent company MTG are in talks with other TV distributors and platform operators to make the channel available around the world.

With over 2,000 live hours of gaming and esports content delivered each year and reaching new territories, esportsTV will add to ESL’s current audience of over 100 million digital viewers. The launch of esportsTV and its distribution on new channels will tap into the audience of more than 2 billion gamers and 250 million esports fans that the industry will have by the end of next year.

esportsTV shall feature ESL’s competitions and broadcasts from the ESL One, Intel Extreme Masters and Pro League circuits. This channel will enable partnerships with local linear and digital broadcasters and distributors, to better cater to local audiences with the most attractive esports content offering. esportsTV will operate alongside already existing partnerships ESL has in place with Twitch, Azubu, Hitbox and Yahoo. 

“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” said ESL’s Managing Director, Ralf Reichert. “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.“