North American esports organisation Ghost Gaming has announced a partnership with Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB), a public broadcaster in the United States.
The media company will become the official content distribution partner for Ghost Gaming’s Georgia Esports League, the state’s college esports competition. The partnership includes a content series and in-person activations.
The partnership claims to be one of the first times that a public broadcast network is directly partnering with an esports brand. As a result of the partnership, the GPB will distribute GEL’s biweekly “State of Esports” web series through its channels, and partner with the esports brand on activations and educational initiatives.
The partnership will focus on the Georgia Esports League, a collegiate esports league and education initiative held in the state of Georgia which includes 14 member institutions, including Georgia Tech, Emory University and the Columbus State University. The League is also a partner of the Georgia Film Academy, with whom it produces gaming and esports college curricula.
The Georgia Public Broadcasting is a company that operates public radio and television stations in Georgia. The network operates more than 20 television and radio stations that are members of the PBS and NPR, respectively.
Todd Harris, CEO of Ghost Gaming, commented: “GPB’s broadcasting reach extends across the entire state, as does their reputation for high-quality educational programming. So we are thrilled to partner with GPB to create and distribute esports educational content from the Georgia Esports League.”
The state of Georgia will also welcome its first DreamHack esports and gaming festival later this year. The festival will feature high-profile CS:GO and StarCraft 2 tournaments and a large expo area. Georgia is one of the first states in the United States to heavily invest in varsity esports programmes. Currently, more than 170 high schools in Georgia have their own esports programmes.