esportsTV, 1st Western 24/7 esports channel, will launch in May

ESL has announced the launch of the first Western 24/7 esports TV channel, called esportsTV. The channel will launch in May in Nordic and Baltic countries on MTG's Viasat platforms, per an ESL release. ESL says it is currently in talks with other TV distributors around the world.

"We have always dreamt of making esports the world’s most popular sport, and it’s the opportunities like this one that bring us one step closer to making that dream come true" said ESL’s Managing Director, Ralf Reichert, in the release. "Bringing new and existing content to more screens worldwide is key to further accelerating the growth and popularity of esports, and we’re on a mission to reach every gamer in the world."

ESL says esportsTV will deliver 2,000 live hours of content from the ESL One, Intel Extreme Masters and Pro League circuits. That would mean broadcasting League of Legends, DOTA 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive and Starcraft II, among other games. EsportsTV will also operate with existing ESL partners Twitch, Azubu, Hitbox and Yahoo.

Arnd Benninghoff, CEO of parent company MTGx, and Peter Nørrelund, CEO of MTG Sport, said in the release:

"This is fantastic because it will bring esports to an even broader global audience. Esports is a global sport played all year round so there is so much content to share. The channel is all about building awareness and growing the gaming community and fan base. We have seen an explosion of interest in esports and we want to make more and more content available on as many screens as possible."

EsportsTV will not be the first esports channel globally, as South Korea has the very successful OGN broadcasting esports.