The world championships of the popular online game League of Legends will be broadcast on British television. The four-day event will be shown live on BBC Three starting on Thursday October 15th.
The live broadcast will be hosted by Radio 1 DJ and casual gamer Dev Griffin. Gaming experts Leigh “Deman” Smith and James “Stress” O’Leary will provide expert commentary.
The BBC said in a statement, “BBC Three and BBC Sport are teaming up to deliver all the action using the platform previously used for live sporting events and Glastonbury coverage, where live video, pre-recorded video, text, audio and social commentary can sit side by side.”
The BBC made the decision to broadcast the world championships of League of Legends in order to attract a wider audience.
Controller of BBC Three Damian Kavanagh said, “I think this is an exciting way to cover something millions of young Brits love.”
More than 27 million people play League of Legends on a daily basis. Last year, fans from across the globe watched more than 70 million hours of coverage of the world championships using online streaming services.
Tournaments for video games have become much more popular in recent years. Gfinity opened a dedicated eSports arena in London. Bookmakers have even started accepting bets on major eSports events.
No announcements have been made to feature the event on television in the United States.
League of Legends was released in 2009. In the game, players compete as teams strategizing to take control of opposition territory. Players work to power-up their characters as a match progresses, becoming stronger over time. The game features several different maps that players compete on. The first world championship for the game took place in 2011. The game is available for free online.
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