The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has left sports networks to redefine their television and online lineups, so ESPN2 is now bringing Rocket League, NBA 2K20, and other video games to a massive 12-hour esports coverage marathon. Esports has long fought for an image of legitimacy in the sporting world and has largely succeeded, but this is still a major victory for esports teams and fans everywhere.
Since blanket orders to self-isolate and practice social distancing were issued in March, professional sports leagues at every level have ground to and remained at a halt. That included esports organizations, whose tournaments rely on close contact and crowds just as much as that of their real-world counterparts. Some crafty teams and athletes, like the Phoenix Suns, turned to streaming digital versions of their sports well before it occurred to their leagues and broadcasters, who have since run with the idea as seen in esports concepts like the NBA 2K Players Tournament, in which NBA stars face off as themselves on the courts of NBA 2K20.
Despite its very real hurdles, the competitive gaming scene is recovering far more quickly than in-person sports. ESPN2, no doubt desperate for content with which to fill its 24-hour airtime, has taken notice and will be dedicating an entire 12-hour block to live esports coverage and other footage. Running from 12 AM - 12 PM EST on April 5, the major network will dedicate the day to esports. Viewers can catch real-world Formula 1 drivers face off in the F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix at 3 PM EST, the Season 8 Rocket League World Championship at 4:30 PM EST, and the first round of the NBA 2K Players Tournament at 6 PM EST. The esports marathon kicks off with recaps of this year's biggest Madden NFL 20 tournaments and will be capped off by a rebroadcast of the star-studded EXP Apex Legends Pro-Am.
Just as esports teams and organizers have been left to recontextualize how scrimmages, tournaments, and more must work in order to overcome the global COVID-19 crisis, major in-person sports franchises and leagues are scrambling to keep audiences entertained and their bottom line from falling out. Record concurrent player counts across the board indicate that more people are gaming than ever before, so it makes perfect sense that giants of sports entertainment like ESPN are turning to esports to hold the attention of sports-deprived viewers.
Esports are, of course, not a completely new thing on TV, as major virtual contests like Dota 2's The International have been televised and garnered increasing mainstream attention over the past decade. However, these are extraordinary times, and ESPN2's prime time esports spotlight might be a dry run for a larger esports presence on the Disney-owned network family moving forward.
Source: ESPN Press Room