ESPN launches site devoted to eSports

He began his career volunteering time at Leaguepedia (now Esportspedia), quickly rising through the ranks before jumpstarting the League of Legends news section for onGamers. Earlier this month Activision CEO Bobby Kotick announced that he wanted to build “the ESPN of eSports”, after the company purchased Major League Gaming.

ESPN.com has launched a new esports vertical that will deliver comprehensive coverage surrounding the world of competitive gaming.

That’s not to say that ESPN has shied away from eSports up until now. Although they haven’t confirmed everything they have planned for the section, they’ll have dedicated segments dedicated to news and coverage on various competitive games. Most recently, ESPN3 carried live coverage of BlizzCon and The International Dota 2 Championships over the past two years as well as the 2014 League of Legends tournament.

The Los Angeles Times reports that ESPN has even hosted its own broadcasts on the gaming channel Twitch as well.

“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 rigor we cover the National League Football or other sports”.

Competitive gaming is now a mainstay at ESPN.

“The business of watching gamers play has grown so fast that up to 200 players are making at least $40,000 in prize winnings as professional gamers, according to Tobias Sherman, who heads up WME/IMG’s esports operation”, ESPN.com senior writer Darren Rovell notes in his latest column.

Milan added: “Right now, we think the best opportunity is online, and that’s why we’re implanting ourselves in this space”.