The 2019 Overwatch League™ championship will be decided on September
29th and livestreamed on Twitch and broadcast
on ABC
Tickets will be available for sale to the public on Friday, June 7th
via the Wells Fargo Center
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2019--
The Overwatch League™ today announced the date, venue, and ticketing
availability for the 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals. The Grand
Finals, which will determine the league champion, will be held at the
Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, September 29th.
The two teams that qualify for the Grand Finals will compete for the
League’s championship trophy and a share of the US $1.7 million prize
pool—with the winning team getting $1.1M and the runner-up taking home
$600K.
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https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190508005272/en/
The 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals will take place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia (Graphic: Business Wire)
“Philadelphia is a legendary sports town with amazing fans and the Wells
Fargo Center is the perfect venue to crown our next champion,” said Nate
Nanzer, Overwatch League Commissioner. “The 2018 Grand Finals in
Brooklyn was epic but we’re looking to up the ante for our season finale
in Philly. We have 20 teams in the League now, so the path to the
championship is going to be extremely competitive and very entertaining.”
The 2019 Grand Finals will be livestreamed on Twitch in 190 countries,
and broadcast in the U.S. on ABC from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. EDT on September
29. It will also be available on the ESPN app, overwatchleague.com, and
the Overwatch League app. Additionally, the Grand Finals will air in the
following countries via additional platforms: Canada (TSN), China
(Zhanqi, NetEase CC, Bilibili and Huya) France (Mediawan), Germany
(Sport1), and Russia (E Terra TV).
Tickets for the 2019 Grand Finals go on sale June 7th, for
more information visit overwatchleague.com.
The Wells Fargo Center, one of the busiest arenas in the world hosting
more than 250 events each year, is home to the NHL’s Philadelphia
Flyers, NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, NLL’s Philadelphia Wings, and the
Arena Football League’s Philadelphia Soul. With more than 2.6 million
fans walking through its doors each year, the Wells Fargo Center has
hosted a long list of nationally-recognized events, including the
Republican National Convention (2000), NBA All-Star Weekend (2002), ESPN
X Games (2001 and 2002), Stanley Cup Finals (1997 and 2010), NHL Entry
Draft (2014), NCAA Men’s Frozen Four (2014), and the Democratic National
Convention (2016).
“Last year we witnessed thousands of passionate Overwatch® fans at the
Grand Finals and we can’t wait to bring this electric event to
Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center,” said Dave Scott, Chairman and CEO,
Comcast Spectacor. “Overwatch League fans will be some of the first
guests to enjoy the arena’s new advancements and we look forward to
hosting an international audience for premier programming. We are
thrilled to bring world-class gaming to Philadelphia’s expanding
technology, esports, and entertainment scene.”
The arena is currently in the midst of a multi-year, $250-million
renovation initiative—Transformation 2020—which is aimed at reinventing
every aspect of the fan experience within the venue. The Overwatch
League Grand Finals will be the first major event hosted at the facility
following a summer of major upgrades and advancements, including an
overhaul of the main concourse, brand-new lower bowl seating, and the
installation of the world’s first kinetic 4K center-hung entertainment
system.
The Grand Finals represents the culmination of the 2019 Overwatch League
season playoffs, which will feature 12 of the League’s 20 teams. For the
postseason, the two division winners along with the next best four teams
by record, regardless of division, will automatically qualify. Two
additional teams will qualify through a play-in tournament between the
seventh- through 12th-place teams. Those eight teams will compete in a
double-elimination bracket. The final two teams that advance out of the
bracket will compete in the Grand Finals.
Additional Grand Finals event details—including ticket pre-sale
availability and match times—will be announced at a later date. Visit www.overwatchleague.com/email
to receive the latest Grand Finals news and ticketing updates.
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-two #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.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®,
Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo®
franchises, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm®, Blizzard
Entertainment, Inc. (https://www.blizzard.com),
a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer
and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of
the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s
track record includes twenty-two #1 games[1] and multiple
Game of the Year awards. The company's online gaming service, Blizzard
Battle.net®, is one of the largest online-gaming services in the world,
with millions of active players.
About Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues
Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues (ABEL) is responsible for the
development and operation of premier Activision Blizzard professional
gaming properties including the Overwatch League™ and the Call of Duty®
World League, as well as the commercialization of the entire Blizzard
Esports portfolio. Launched in 2017, the Overwatch League is the world’s
first major global esports league with city-based teams, with 20 teams
across Asia, Europe, and North America. In 2019, the Call of Duty World
League Presented by PlayStation®4 will deliver five vs. five team play
featuring Call of Duty®: Black Ops 4. It is ABEL’s vision to be the most
innovative, scalable, and valuable developer of global competitive
entertainment.
About Comcast Spectacor
Comcast Spectacor is a professional sports and live entertainment
company that is part of Comcast Corporation, a global media and
technology leader that operates Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal and Sky.
Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast Spectacor owns and operates the
Wells Fargo Center arena and complex, as well as a portfolio of
professional sports teams that includes the National Hockey League’s
Philadelphia Flyers, the Overwatch League’s Philadelphia Fusion, the
National Lacrosse League’s Philadelphia Wings and the Maine Mariners of
the ECHL. Comcast Spectacor also holds strategic interest in several
partner companies spanning the sports and entertainment landscape,
including Spectra, Learfield IMG College, Xfinity Live! Philadelphia and
N3rd Street Gamers. Visit us at ComcastSpectacor.com
for more information.
© 2019 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. OVERWATCH, OVERWATCH LEAGUE,
BLIZZARD, and BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT are trademarks of Blizzard
Entertainment, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. All
other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective
owners.
[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 ticket availability, distribution channels, and the
dates and locations of 2019 Overwatch League season events, including
the 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals, 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/20190508005272/en/
Source: Activision Publishing, Inc.
Mark Van Lommel
Overwatch League
949-955-1380 x61147
MVanLommel@overwatchleague.com
Shannon Rostick
Public Relations Manager | Wells Fargo Center
267-240-3790
Shannon_Rostick@comcastspectacor.com
Kelsey Rowley
Publicist | Comcast Spectacor
215-389-9462
Kelsey_Rowley@comcastspectacor.com