‘ELEAGUE’ Commences With $1.4M Prize Pot At Stake

The ELEAGUE has finally begun, with team “Luminosity Gaming” coming out on top, beating both the “Renegades” and “Team Liquid” on the first day. The league was hosted by “Turner Sports”, though “Super Sports” announced in a press release that they too will be broadcasting the ELEAGUE. The prize money at the end of the tournament will be $1.4 million, which will go to the team who has proven their superiority in “Counter Strike: Global Offensive” or “CS:GO.”

According to an article by Forbes, the “sweet spot” for the target audience of the program will be those in the 24-25 year old demographic. This is what chief content officer of Turner Sports Craig Barry said, at least:

“If you gave it its due, it would probably be something for everyone, but the fact is, the audience is younger,” Barry said. “We’re interested in an authentic audience. Sure, we’re interested in anybody who is interested, but I’m not sure we can force it to a cynical or skeptical audience who has zero interest in the competitive nature of video games.”

The ELEAGUE is set to last for 10 weeks, with “Turner” awarding rights to broadcast the program to networks in over 80 countries. It seems that much of the things that casual viewers will see through the broadcasts will have less to do with actual “CS:GO” action and more about the teams and the people involved in the league, along with their stories. Supposedly, this is meant to be more viewer-friendly and appeal to a broader audience.

For those who want to only focus on the nitty-gritty details, they will be streamed on “Twitch” on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Viewers will see the competition up close through the video game streaming site where they can root for their favorite teams.

As for the overall atmosphere of the launch, The Daily Dot observed that “Turner” kept much of the many charming aspects of traditional e-Sports coverage, from the banter among hosts to the honesty of their observations. It should be interesting to see just how well this trend holds, with major sponsors of the league already counting big brands like Arby’s and Credit Karma.