The BBC is showing live eSports coverage for the first time, the broadcaster announced. Accordingly, BBC Three – in conjunction with BBC Sport – will air four hours of coverage each weekend for the next six weeks. Central to the coverage is the Gfinity Elite League Series One.
60 seconds of @StreetFighter FIRE🔥 from the first week of the #EliteSeries 🥊
The story continues on Friday night: https://t.co/aTdHWwyXy0 pic.twitter.com/CkWRfGnpKU— Gfinity (@Gfinity) July 13, 2017
The event boasts a number of competitive games, including CS:GO, Street Fighter V, and Rocket League. Furthermore, the channel will include editorial content which delves into the lives of the competitors themselves.
For the first time ever, eSports are coming to the BBC Three m8. #bbcesports pic.twitter.com/s7XGEIvEEK
— BBC Three (@bbcthree) July 28, 2017
The league pits 160 professional gamers against each other, all fighting for a £225,000 prize fund.
Live eSports Coverage – Gfinity Elite League
The BBC says:
“The teams themselves are a mixed bag – plucky up-and-comers rubbing shoulders with established orgs such as Method, Endpoint and the delightfully named Team EnVyUs. All are required to draft, at least in part, from Elite’s feeder competition: Challenger Series.
Challenger is a recurring season of free online knockout competitions allowing anyone to rack up points in the hopes of catching the eye of one or more of the Elite teams. Do well and you might get drafted. Get drafted and you’ll be mixing it up with the big boys on the Elite stage in the following season.”
INCREDIBLE @StreetFighter #EliteSeries match from @Epsilon_eSports & @team_infused w/ both teams playing their hearts out
GGWPs all round 👏 pic.twitter.com/wHvofhPZXT
— Gfinity (@Gfinity) July 21, 2017
The Event
Coverage begins on BBC Three this weekend. Shows begin on 8:45pm on Friday, 9pm on Saturday, and 5pm on Sunday. Henceforth, coverage follows for six weeks. However, since BBC Three is now an online channel, coverage is available via BBC iPlayer or the BBC website.
