Blizzard and Disney are partnering up to bring the Overwatch League to Disney's stable of channels including ESPN, ESPN 2, ABC and Disney XD, all considered "traditional TV channels". This comes after the League's first season debuted exclusively on streaming channels such as Twitch.
The two year agreement begins today with the League's inaugural season playoffs. ESPN, ESPNEWS, ESPN 2 and ESPN 3 will all be hosting the playoffs, which will also be viewable on Disney XD and via the DisneyNOW and ESPN apps.
"The deal is historic as it will mark the first live telecast of esports on ESPN in primetime and also the first broadcast of a competitive gaming championship on ABC." (link)
Justin Connolly, Executive VP at Disney, wrote:
The Overwatch League Grand Finals is by far our most comprehensive television distribution for an e-sports event over a single weekend: 10 total hours over four networks and three days. This overall collaboration with Disney/ABC, ESPN and Blizzard represents our continued commitment to e-sports, and we look forward to providing marquee Overwatch League coverage across our television platforms for fans.
Read more at the Hollywood Reporter.
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