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 Welcome to
the News desk.
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Ginx eSports TV becomes the first
24
hour eSports Channel in the UK |
21/06/2016 |
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 Editor |
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• ITV is also
expected to invest in Ginx eSports TV, which will air tournaments including
Turner’s ELeague no its own Sky Sports Channel
The UK is set to get its first 24-hour eSports TV channel as
the world of competitive computer game playing takes its next step towards
mainstream popularity.
The new channel, Ginx eSports TV, will get a
major boost at launch with Sky and ITV expected to take minority stakes in the
business.
“GINX eSports TV aims to add significant mainstream TV
exposure to the fast growing eSports ecosystem,” said Ginx TV chief
executive Michiel Bakker. |
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“I am also
delighted about the prospect of Sky and ITV joining our shareholder roster, it
goes without saying that the combined media footprint and expertise of both
presents a significant opportunity for us to make a bigger impact,
faster.”
The channel, which will launch in the sports section of
Sky’s electronic programme guide, will air tournaments including
Turner’s ELeague, which includes the world’s biggest competitive game
Counter Strike: Global Offensive.
Once considered a niche pastime
eSports is becoming big business, with star players earning salaries and prize
pots of up to $12m (£8.5m).
Broadcasts, to date mostly over the
internet, have attracted more than 70 million live and on-demand
viewers.
A sign of the growing popularity in the UK is a major live
event, part of FACE IT’s eSports Championship Series which is also a
Counter Strike competition, which is expected to pack out Wembley Arena this
month.
Ginx TV is airing the competition live from its new studio in
King’s Cross, London.
“eSports is experiencing phenomenal
growth and Ginx’s vision is to bring together two incredibly popular forms
of entertainment – gaming and television – to create a unique, global
proposition,” said Simon Pitts, ITV’s managing director of online,
pay and interactive.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with
Ginx and Sky as part of our strategy to target younger audiences, develop new
programming genres and expand internationally.”
Outside the UK and
Ireland the channel will be distributed to an additional 23m households, giving
it a total reach of 37m households.
Ginx TV says this will make it the
biggest eSports TV channel in the world.
“We look forward to
working with Ginx and ITV on developing a channel which will capture the
growing appetite for eSports,” said Emma Lloyd, director of business
development and strategic partnerships at Sky.
Ginx TV was previously
only available on Virgin Media’s TV platform. |
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