There’s more good news for esports fans in the UK, as BT is joining BBC Three in broadcasting pro gaming action from the Gfinity Elite League Series One, which is currently in mid-season.
BBC Three (which is now an online channel, as you’re probably aware) began broadcasting live action from the league last Friday, with a programme featuring bouts of Street Fighter V – and BT will kick off its own coverage tonight at 9:30pm on BT Sport 3.
The show will run for one hour and feature head-to-head Street Fighter V combat, so presumably this is highlights of the matches from last Friday (seeing as there aren’t any Gfinity Elite League games scheduled for tonight – matches take place Friday through Sunday).
Gaming goodness
The league consists of eight esports franchises (with 160 pro gamers) duking it out in not just Street Fighter, but also Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Rocket League.
The competition happens in front of a live crowd in London, with the finals taking place on the weekend beginning Friday September 1 (it’s Friday evening, so technically the weekend).
Andy Haworth, managing director of content and strategy at BT, enthused: “This fantastic tie-up with Gfinity marks our latest move to support and engage with the passionate and extensive gaming community here in the UK. The popularity of competitive gaming is growing rapidly and we are excited to announce that the inaugural season of the Elite Series will be broadcast on BT Sport.”
Sky also began covering pro gaming last year, and it’s certainly a case of the more, the merrier, as far as we’re concerned. More widespread eSports coverage should stoke a bigger overall audience, and greater exposure for these competitive games.
- Pro gamers should equip their PC with one of the best graphics cards
