“Next up on SportsCenter, you won’t believe this penta-kill from last night’s League match.”
This fictional phrase is more likely to happen than ever, as ESPN joins the world of competitive gaming coverage by devoting writers, editors and a section of its website to esports.
ESPN’s esports section launched Thursday morning. The vertical brings veteran esports writers and editors to the sports media giant, including Rod “Slasher” Breslau, who has covered the field for more than a decade, Darin Kwilinski and Tyler Erzberger.
“Today’s launch … is our latest push to reach and connect with this growing and passionate audience,” said Chad Millman, editor-in-chief of ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine, in a press release. “Fans will find the same level of quality content and journalism that users of ESPN.com have come to expect, including in-depth looks at the competitive gaming world and on-site reporting from the major tournaments.”
ESPN’s esports page launched with a mix of content, aimed at both the casual viewer (a guide to League of Legends) and the serious fan (a League off-season report card). It’s written to be comfortable for fans, but not insidery, based on the handful of pieces available Thursday.
To read more visit Mashable where this article was originally published
Jason Barrett is the Founder and CEO of Barrett Media. The company launched in September 2015 and has provided consulting services to America’s top audio and video brands, while simultaneously covering the media industry at BarrettMedia.com, becoming a daily destination for media professionals. Prior to Barrett Media, Jason built and programmed 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He was also the first sports programmer for SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, which later became 97.5 The Fanatic. Barrett also led 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and worked on-air and behind the scenes at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years at ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT producing ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and ‘GameNight’. JB can be reached on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
