Canadian tournament organiser and broadcaster Northern Arena has partnered with television production and distribution studio Sony Pictures Television.
The deal will see Northern Arena’s flagship show, SQUAD, be broadcast in Europe for the first time.
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From March, SQUAD will be broadcast in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia on Sony Pictures Television’s lineup of channels, including AXN Black, AXN Now, AXN Spin, and VIASAT6.
SQUAD is an hour-long show dedicated to esports and gaming culture which covers the event results and big plays, feature pieces, and guest appearances from esports professionals, streamers, and game developers.
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Carl-Edwin Michel, Founder and CEO of Northern Arena discussed the partnership in a release: “Northern Arena and the SQUAD family are thrilled about this great collaboration with Sony Pictures Television. We want to set the standard for esports content in Canada and around the world by producing and telling compelling esports stories with high production value. We think that Sony Pictures Television and its AXN channels are the perfect place for Eastern European gamers and non-gamers to see what our community is all about.”
Esports Insider says: Putting together a partnership with the likes of Sony Pictures Television should be a boon for Northern Arena. What will be interesting to see though is whether there will be any changes to the formula SQUAD has going at the moment. Could there be a shift in tone or content to cater to new audiences, or will the show simply be exported and rely on the cultural capital afforded to North American and English-speaking broadcasts?