In a first for the region, California broadcaster NBC Bay Area will be bringing Street Fighter V to local TV screens. The cable station has partnered up with Esports Arena and Capcom Media Ventures to announce Saturday Fight Night Live.
The Saturday Fight Night Live tournament is set to showcase some of California’s best Street Fighter V players, with competitors coming from Oakland and Santa Ana to duke it out in a NorCal vs. SoCal rivalry. The hype is not lost on Tyler Endres, CEO of Esports Arena, who commented “what an incredible opportunity to finally settle the long debate of which is better in the fighting game community, Norcal or SoCal. I’m looking forward to watching the best from both regions battle it out over some intense games of Street Fighter.”
The broadcast will be hosted by NBC Bay Area’s Mike Inouye alongside gaming reporter Kelly Link. The action kicks off at the Esports Arena in Oakland, with live coverage from 9pm PT, and the championship round taking place at 1am. The tournament will also be streamed live on multiple Twitch channels, including Esports Arena, Level|Up, nbcbayarea.com and will also air in the LA market on NBC 4 Southern California / KNBC making it a statewide event.
NBC Bay Area will also debut “The Evolution of Games,” the latest instalment of their “Bay Area Revelations” series. The documentary will premiere at 10pm as a feature of the event and will investigate how the growth of the Bay Area has helped video games become the worldwide phenomenon it is today.
Esports Insider says: Saturday Fight Night Live looks like a cool mix of what people from all ranges of experience with esports can enjoy. The communal nature of SFV makes it a good fit, and the local rivalry adds a bit of spice that can get new people interested. It makes a lot of sense considering the three parties who are working together. The fact that NBC Bay Area is getting in on some esports action and willing to commit some of its own staff and broadcast time should not go unnoticed. As cable stations continue to lose viewers to alternative mediums, it is a clear sign of the company attempting to adjust it’s content to newer audiences.