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Facebook acquires exclusive rights on two major ESL tournaments

Facebook acquires exclusive rights on two major ESL tournaments

This year saw Twitch bag the rights to the the popular Overwatch League, but another platform is now making their way in to the esports space. 

Social media giant Facebook announced today that it will exclusively host ESL One and CS:GO Pro League. CS:GO Pro League will begin on February 13, 2018, will be streamed exclusively on the platform for four seasons, until December 2019.

The first ESL One event to be streamed exclusively via Facebook is ESL One Genting 2018, a Dota 2 Minor tournament with a $400,000 prize pool and qualifying points for The International 2018. That takes place January 23-28. 

Upcoming ESL One events include ESL One Katowice 2018 (For Dota 2) and ESL One Cologne 2018 (for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive).

“We look at Facebook as the best of both worlds,” Commissioner of the World Esports Association Ken Hershman told Wired.

“It’s a tremendous streaming platform, but it’s obviously a social and engagement platform.”

While Twitch reigns as the premier streaming platform, Facebook's 2bn monthly users is hard to ignore. Facebook introduced their creator tools in 2017, which has made it easier than ever for influencers - particuarly gamers - to utilise Facebook as a streaming platform.

 

 


Editor

Danielle Partis is editor of PocketGamer.biz and former editor of InfluencerUpdate.biz. She was named Journalist of the Year at the MCV Women in Games Awards 2019, as well as in the MCV 30 under 30 2020. Prior to Steel Media, she wrote about music and games at Team Rock.