ESPN in Overwatch eSports Deal

ESPN and Disney XD have reached a deal with Blizzard Entertainment to deliver live coverage in the U.S. of the Overwatch League, a professional eSports league that has teams across Asia, Europe and North America.

The exclusive multiyear agreement kicked off this week with playoff coverage and culminates with the Grand Finals live from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on July 27 and 28. The pact also covers live streaming on the ESPN app and DisneyNOW.

“The Overwatch League Grand Finals is by far our most comprehensive television distribution for an eSports event over a single weekend: 10 total hours over four networks and three days,” said Justin Connolly, executive VP of affiliate sales and marketing at Disney and ESPN Media Networks. “This overall collaboration with Disney/ABC, ESPN and Blizzard represents our continued commitment to eSports, and we look forward to providing marquee Overwatch League coverage across our television platforms for fans.”

“The Blizzard team has created a genre-leading eSport and a premium professional franchise system in the Overwatch League,” said Marc Buhaj, senior VP of programming and general manager of Disney XD. “We are kicking off the agreement by showcasing the inaugural season playoffs and Grand Finals live across our linear footprint. Together with our telecast partners at ESPN, we look forward to growing a legion of new Overwatch fans across the next two years.”