Collaboration on eSports for television broadcasts announced.
Recently, the television channel eSPORTS1 signed a partnership with the games manufacturer Blizzard Entertainment, indicating the fast-paced growth of eSports in Germany.
Broadcasting Live eSports Events
eSPORTS1 plans to collaborate with Blizzard Entertainment for the next two years, with an aim to broadcast live and highlight coverage of the Overwatch League in German-speaking countries. The Overwatch League is a popular eSports event where teams from Asia, Europe, and North America compete in the shooting game Overwatch. With a prize pool totaling $5 million USD, this league has gained a lot of attention.
"Our partnership with Blizzard Entertainment aligns perfectly with our goal of promoting Overwatch League and Hearthstone eSports among German fans." - Jaime Pollack, Vice President of Business Development and Media Rights, Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues
As of January 24, eSPORTS1 offers a wide range of competitions in League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike, FIFA 19, and now Overwatch League. The channel, a part of SPORT1, can be accessed by telecommunications companies like Vodafone and Telekom.
"Blizzard Entertainment is an ideal partner for our new channel eSPORTS1, given their strong global reputation in game development and distribution." - Daniel von Busse, Member of the Management Board of Sport1 GmbH
eSports Integration into Gambling
With eSports gaining popularity, providers such as SpinPalace and 888sport started including Overwatch in their sports betting programs. Online casinos such as Betsson, pixel.bet, 22BET, and Mr. Green have also started taking bets on the outcomes of Overwatch matches. Virtual sports have started overshadowing some traditional sports with simulated competition events.
Loot boxes, a recent addition to computer games - where players buy items blindly without knowing what they'll get - are the subject of a debate regarding their gambling nature. While Belgium considers them to be gambling, others have their reservations. The Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK) admits:
"Are loot boxes gambling? It's a difficult question."
Schalke 04 and the German Bundestag
The football club Schalke 04 established an eSports department in 2016, not limited to the soccer simulation FIFA but including strategy games like League of Legends. The team has participated since last summer in the eFootball.Pro virtual league.
The German Bundestag's Sports Committee received a notice from the Green parliamentary group that states:
"In Germany, over 100 clubs now offer eSports, and eSports is of increasing importance in university sports. A community around the common playing of video games on computers, consoles, or devices has begun to form, which is worth supporting." - Katrin Göring-Eckart, Dr. Anton Hofreiter, Alliance90/The Greens parliamentary group in the Bundestag
The eSports Association Germany has existed since 2017 and underscores this claim in a statement to the Bundestag committee. They note:
"16.5 million Germans consider eSports important. More than 3 million people watch eSports matches at least once a month or participate in amateur eSports leagues in Germany. 75% of these people are under 35. 23% of gamers in Germany would like to participate in eSports on a club level, with a third of them being under 35."
eSports and Health
A study by the German Sport University Cologne, "How healthy is gaming in Germany", indicates that most computer gamers are young, well-educated, and physically active. Yet, the study shows they should incorporate more physical exercise in their routine. eSports injuries - mainly affecting the wrists - have been reported among professionals.
With so many similarities to traditional sports, it's only natural that calls for including eSports in the Olympics have emerged. Demonstration matches are planned during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, with plans to officially include eSports in the 2022 Asian Games. Even the Greens are considering measures to combat doping in eSports in their Bundestag motion.
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Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
