ESL, the world’s largest esports company, announced that their esportsTV will launch soon on the pioneering Internet-based live TV service, PlayStation™Vue, from Sony Interactive Entertainment. This is the first time esportsTV will be available in the U.S., broadening the esports audience to mainstream consumers and highlighting esports’ growing popularity in the U.S.
Later this month, PlayStation Vue users will have access to 24/7 esports content through the very first linear channel dedicated solely to esports in the U.S. The launch comes just in time for the first stop in the already 12th season of the Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) tour, IEM Sydney, which begins on May 4th in Sydney, Australia.
“EsportsTV is the perfect complement to the PlayStation Vue offering and represents just another step for esports as a form of mainstream entertainment,” said Steven Roberts, Executive Chairman, ESL US. “ESL is in a unique position to significantly expand the reach and impact of premium esports content and we are thrilled to bring eSportsTV to the U.S. market.”
ESL launched esportsTV in Europe in May 2016 to bring the very best of esports to fans around the world. The channel’s 24/7 content represents ESL’s ongoing commitment to increasing content accessibility for the rapidly growing esports community on a global level. After launching in Europe, esportsTV grew to reach over 5 million households.
The esports industry continues to grow in the U.S. through competition, viewership and sponsorship activations. By 2020, esports viewership will exceed 10% of all U.S. sports viewing, and will attract more viewers than the finals of other major U.S. sports, like the MLB, NHL and NBA, according to Activate’s Tech and Media Outlook 2017.
EsportsTV will be part of PlayStation Vue’s Elite plan. PlayStation Vue is available to TV audiences nationwide, and is accessible through popular devices such as PlayStation®4, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, PC/Mac, mobile devices and more. With PlayStation Vue’s powerful cloud DVR, users can record hundreds of shows at once with conflict-free recording. Additionally, a single PlayStation Vue subscription allows users to simultaneously stream content across different devices.