Major League Gaming, ESPN Sign Content Deal

ESPN has entered into a content agreement with professional videogame league Major League Gaming.

The deal will see EPSN become a primary MLG news provider, with extensive competition coverage, exclusive streamed matches, interviews, statistics and more. The sports news network will cover each 2008 Major League Gaming Pro Circuit Competition, and will also take part with MLG in co-branded online tournaments. ESPN.com will begin offering a competitive videogaming section, offering the latest news and information about the pro gaming scene.

"ESPN is committed to serving our fans, and we recognize the growing popularity of pro videogaming," said ESPN Digital Media Senior Vice President John Kosner. "Adding MLG content to our already comprehensive offering will help us continue to deliver the best news, information and entertainment to our growing gaming audience."

Major League Gaming CEO Matthew Bromberg added, "Pro videogaming offers sports fans everything they love about sports - great teams, break-out personalities and stars, and exciting competition. MLG's digital properties now reach over four million fans a month, and millions more follow the League on TV, mobile devices and Xbox Live. We're excited to build upon that audience with ESPN."

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It sounds good in theory, but if I ever hear "Norriskick23 is cooler than the other side of the pillow", then I will begin to fear for my gaming livelihood.

I begin to suspect that we'll be seeing this on ESPN2 at 3 AM.

I hope they're willing to actually commit to this, and not sitck the shows in the last 2 minute bit of time before the end of the newscast, with the actual shows airing past midnight and having no real commerentary or coverage behind "it's happening, and that guys winning."

I'm sorry, but I really do think that at some point we need to start narrowing down our definition of "sport." I cannot for the life of me imagine caring in the least about so-called "professional gamers," much less watching them on television. If we like games so much, wouldn't it make more sense to actually play the damned things, rather than watch them being played? The whole concept is repugnant.

Malygris:
I'm sorry, but I really do think that at some point we need to start narrowing down our definition of "sport." I cannot for the life of me imagine caring in the least about so-called "professional gamers," much less watching them on television. If we like games so much, wouldn't it make more sense to actually play the damned things, rather than watch them being played? The whole concept is repugnant.

I happen to disagree with you; I very much like watching people who are really are better than me play games at a level I wouldn't have a chance of keeping up with. I mean, I regulerly watch YouTube Guitar Hero clips, cause man, those guys are scary good and just as dedcatded to perfecting their game as any "professional" sports player is.

It's also comforting in a weird way to know that somebody, somewhere, really can hit every single note in Jordan on Expert.... scary, but true.

Anyway, saying you don't like watching "professional gamers" is just like saying you don't like watching "professional sports." And however true that may be on both counts, that doesn't change the fact that their are people who do like watching these games, rooting for one side vs. the other, and keeping up with the stats instead of playing the game (be it video or otherwise) themselves.

Come on. It's like being a professional cross-stitcher or crossword-solver. Maybe there's enough of a niche audience there to support it, but to trumpet it as though it's actually some kind of sport is a joke.

Watching pro-gaming tv and stuff for competative games like Starcraft and Halo is quite fun atualy, problem is when they try to host tournaments in games with poor competative posibilities that are extremely popular. Like WoW Arena being a 24k dollar tournament in the largest lan in sweden. >_>

Malygris:
Come on. It's like being a professional cross-stitcher or crossword-solver. Maybe there's enough of a niche audience there to support it, but to trumpet it as though it's actually some kind of sport is a joke.

Behold, the world cup stacking championships 2007: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxokrklbcdw&feature=related