ESPN, Disney XD, and Blizzard Entertainment have announces a multi-year telecast deal for Overwatch League. The Disney owned networks will partner with Blizzard to provide exclusive live coverage of the esports events.
What’s happening:
- Beginning today, July 11th, ESPN and Disney XD will telecast exclusive live coverage of the Overwatch League Playoffs.
- Fans can tune in to watch their favorite teams compete in special esports events.
- A recap show highlighting the biggest moments of the 2018 Grand Finals will air July 29th on ABC. The Grand Finals telecast on ESPN marks the first time live competitive gaming has aired on the flagship network in primetime, and will be the first broadcast of an esports championship on ABC.
- All coverage also will be available for ESPN and Disney network subscribers to stream live on the ESPN App and DisneyNOW.
- The Grand Finals is the ultimate showdown for the championship: the first team to win two best-of-five matches at Barclays Center will take home the Overwatch League trophy and the lion’s share of the $1.4 million Grand Finals prize pool.
- Grand Finals begin Friday, July 27th at 7 pm EDT with the first best-of-five match on ESPN, and continues Saturday, July 28th at 4:30 pm EDT with the second and potential third series on Disney XD.
- This broadcast will air alongside the primary digital viewing experience on Twitch, with the Overwatch League also available via MLG.com. The full telecast schedule, from the playoffs through the Grand Finals, is below.
Overwatch League 2017–2018 Playoffs and Grand Finals Telecast Schedule (all times Eastern):
| Date | Time (EDT) | Event | Network(s) |
| Wed, July 11 | 8 p.m. | Day 1 of Quarterfinals | Disney XD, ESPN3 |
| Fri, July 13 | 8 p.m. | Day 2 of Quarterfinals | Disney XD, ESPN3 |
| Sat, July 14 | 4 p.m. | Day 3 of Quarterfinals | Disney XD, ESPN3 |
| Wed, July 18 | 8 p.m. | Day 1 of Semifinals | Disney XD, ESPN3 |
| Fri, July 20 | 7 p.m. | Day 2 of Semifinals | ESPNEWS |
| Sat, July 21 | 7 p.m. | Day 3 of Semifinals | ESPN2 |
| Fri, July 27 | 7 p.m. | Day 1 of Finals | ESPN |
| Sat, July 28 | 4:30 p.m. | Day 2 of Finals | Disney XD, ESPN3 |
| Sat, July 28 | 9 p.m. | Day 2 of Finals | ESPN2 (re-air) |
| Sun, July 29 | 3 p.m. | Highlights Recap | ABC, ESPN3 |
What they’re saying:
- Justin Connolly, Executive Vice President, Affiliate Sales and Marketing, Disney and ESPN Media Networks: “The Overwatch League Grand Finals is by far our most comprehensive television distribution for an esports event over a single weekend: 10 total hours over four networks and three days. This overall collaboration with Disney/ABC, ESPN and Blizzard represents our continued commitment to esports, and we look forward to providing marquee Overwatch League coverage across our television platforms for fans.”
- Marc Buhaj, Senior Vice President, Programming and General Manager, Disney XD: “We are pleased to partner with Activision Blizzard to bring Overwatch esports to our audience. The Blizzard team has created a genre-leading esport and a premium professional franchise system in the Overwatch League. “We are kicking off the agreement by showcasing the inaugural season playoffs and Grand Finals live across our linear footprint. Together with our telecast partners at ESPN, we look forward to growing a legion of new Overwatch fans across the next two years.”
- Pete Vlastelica, President and CEO of Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues: “We’re excited to be working with ESPN and DisneyXD to bring Overwatch esports to an even wider audience. We’ve seen incredible passion and support from fans during the inaugural season of the Overwatch League, and we’re looking forward to capping it off for them with an epic Grand Finals at Barclays Center later this month.”