Astro Launches eSports, Gaming Channel

BALI: Astro is set to roll out eGG, Southeast Asia’s first eSports and gaming entertainment channel.

The channel will showcase eSports tournaments like League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm and StarCraft II. The service will be available on Astro’s linear, on demand and OTT platforms in Malaysia. It will also be carried in the region on Tribe, Astro’s OTT video service.

Lee Choong Khay, VP of sports at Astro, said, “From trendy to mainstream, eSports is a growing global phenomenon among the Millennials and is expected to reach over 218 million audience worldwide by year end 2016. Enjoying booming popularity among a growing community of eSports fans, we believe that a dedicated 24/7 eSports channel will be a big hit in ASEAN. Via Tribe regional OTT, eGG aspires to play a pivotal role in bringing together a connected ASEAN community of eSports fans through the showcase of major global live eSports tournaments and gaming entertainment in HD. eGG plans to partner with main game organizers and developers to bring live top-tier global tournaments and on-demand content featuring pubstomps, gaming walkthrough, expert guides, documentaries, game house tours and weekly highlights.”

Lee continued, “Astro was the first in ASEAN to broadcast live on television The International 5 Dota 2 Championship in 2015. The broadcast of Ti5 was hugely popular with the younger demographics thus encouraging us to broadcast more eSports tournaments and capturing millions of viewers. We believe that eSports viewing is best suited on bigger screens so that the fans can enjoy their favorite events live in full HD together with fellow fans just like watching a live football match. Unlike traditional sports where fans follow specific teams and players, eSports fandom and loyalty are tied to the content and game itself; building a community of connected fans, adding an element of social engagement and buzz online.”