The first Overwatch League championship was witnessed by a sold-out
live audience at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and an estimated
global average minute audience of 861,205
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 31, 2018--
The crowd roared and confetti cannons boomed on Saturday, July 28, as
the Overwatch League, the world’s first global professional city-based
esports league, completed its inaugural season with the Grand Finals at
Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. In front of a sold-out live
audience, the London Spitfire captured history—and the first Overwatch
League championship—in a 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Fusion.
“I can't put into words how proud I am of this team,” said London
Spitfire owner and CEO Jack Etienne. “The players, the coaches, Robin
Lee, Susie Kim—all of them have shown such resilience to bring us to
this triumph. A lot of people wrote us off, but no one on this roster
and staff stopped working on getting better and they’ve shown that with
this phenomenal playoff run. Thank you to our fans that never gave up
and supported us, sometimes watching in the middle of the night. The
support we’ve had has been overwhelming and we’re thrilled to have
rewarded that support. Thank you to Bobby Kotick, Nate Nanzer, Pete
Vlastelica, Mike Morhaime, Jeff Kaplan, and everyone on the Overwatch
League team for putting together such an incredible inaugural season. I
know none of us will ever forget it. Aces High!”
The Overwatch League Grand Finals on July 27–28 were streamed worldwide
via the primary digital viewing experience on Twitch, as well as on MLG;
in China on ZhanQi TV, NetEase CC, and Panda TV; and broadcast to
domestic audiences on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, and Disney XD, along with a
highlights show on Sunday, July 29, on ABC. The ESPN broadcast was the
first time live competitive gaming had aired on ESPN’s flagship network
in primetime, while the ABC program was the first esports championship
ever shown on that network.
Inclusive of these TV networks and streaming platforms, the estimated
global average minute audience across both days of the Grand Finals was
861,205. The U.S. average minute audience was 289,175, with an estimated
45% of that total, or 129,792, falling into the 18–34 demographic.
Worldwide, the 18–34 average minute audience was 605,013.
“Having cross-platform success, especially among the coveted 18–34
demographic, showcases the Overwatch League’s strong fanbase. Marketers
seeking to capitalize on the growth of esports among the mainstream
population should take note of the league’s multi-platform approach to
broadening reach,” said Nicole Pike, managing director of Nielsen
Esports.
“Overwatch League started as one of the most ambitious projects in
esports history,” said Twitch cofounder Kevin Lin. “We worked together
with Blizzard on many new innovative experiences, including a Cheering
rewards program, the All-Access Pass, exclusive Twitch chat emotes, a
feature-packed interactive Extensions overlay, and more. Seeing our
efforts draw an impressive and passionate audience on Twitch for the
Grand Finals reflects a promising future for the league.”
“Congratulations to the London Spitfire, who had an unforgettable season
and championship run,” said Pete Vlastelica, president and CEO of
Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues. “We had a number of ambitious goals
for the inaugural season of the Overwatch League, and all of these came
together during the Grand Finals at Barclays Center: we showcased the
pinnacle of esports competition, we created value for our partners, and
we reached millions of fans. I can’t think of a better position to be in
as we look ahead to the 2019 season of the Overwatch League.”
The regular season may have ended, but the fun isn’t over yet: the
Overwatch League returns to Blizzard Arena Los Angeles Aug. 25–26 for
the action-packed All-Star
Weekend. Saturday will feature a series of custom skill matches,
while Sunday will see the Atlantic
and Pacific All-Stars go head-to-head in the official All-Star Game
Powered by Intel®. The 2019 Overwatch League schedule will be announced
at a later date.
About the Overwatch League™
The Overwatch League™ is the first major global professional esports
league with city-based teams across Asia, Europe, and North America.
Overwatch® was created by globally acclaimed publisher Blizzard
Entertainment (a division of Activision Blizzard—Nasdaq: ATVI), whose
iconic franchises have helped lay the foundations and push the
boundaries of professional esports over the last 15 years. The latest
addition to Blizzard’s stable of twenty-one #1 games,[1]
Overwatch was built from the ground up for online competition, with
memorable characters and fast-paced action designed for the most
engaging gameplay and spectator experiences. To learn more about the
Overwatch League, visit www.overwatchleague.com.
© 2018 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. OVERWATCH, OVERWATCH LEAGUE,
BLIZZARD, and BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT are trademarks of Blizzard
Entertainment, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries.
[1] Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and
reports from key distribution partners.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in
this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment's expectations,
plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including
statements about the dates, events and features of the Overwatch League,
including the All-Star Weekend, are forward-looking statements that are
not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that
could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results to differ
materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set
forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other
factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s
most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly
reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are
based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and
Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard
Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update
any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed
to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These
statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard
Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks,
uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control
and may cause actual results to differ materially from current
expectations.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180731005802/en/
Source: Activision Publishing, Inc.
Overwatch League
Mark Van Lommel
949-955-1380 x61147
MVanLommel@overwatchleague.com