Australia has become the latest to get its own 24 hour esports and gaming channel via Fetch TV.
This is thanks to a partnership with the Malaysian based eGG (Every Good Game) and the timing couldn’t have been much better as the finals of the Dota 2 Boston Major just came to a close. Tournament winners, OG, have Australian player Anatham ‘Ana’ Pham in its ranks.
Speaking to WA Today, Danelie Purdue, an esports commentator and eGG Australian co-host, said: “Esports in Australia doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. It has a lot of passionate followers but unfortunately it tends to fly under the radar even though there are plenty of tournaments in Australia.
“Sometimes it feels like Australian esports fans have resigned themselves to the fact that it won’t go mainstream but I don’t think that’s true – it perhaps needs a bit of a kickstart and hopefully eGG coming to Australia can play a part in that.”
Purdue works alongside former competitive Call of Duty player Toby ‘TobiWan’ Dawson and Australian esports promoter David ‘GoDz’ Parker who was one of the first esports casters to offer English coverage of the Asian Dota 2 scene.
Aussie gaming fans will now be able to get live coverage of international esports tournaments, in addition to highlight reels. The broadcaster also does stuff outside of esports for pure gaming fans such as game reviews, coverage of conventions and on the couch talk show style content.
Esports Insider says: In the UK we have Ginx TV, and now the Aussies have their own channel in eGG thanks to Fetch. Such a presence on television isn’t make or break for the local scene but it should help bring it more into the mainstream there. This means more awareness of esports, and hopefully more acceptance of its legitimacy too, which can only be a good thing.