Esports tournament organiser ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has announced an extension of its existing partnership with German television broadcaster SPORT1.
The extension will see the broadcaster’s dedicated esports channel, eSportsONE, broadcast a range of ESL tournaments in 2023.
SPORT1 will offer German and English coverage of the ESL Pro League, ESL StarCraft II Masters, ESL One, the DreamLeague Dota 2 circuit, and Intel Extreme Masters events.
The channel first launched in 2019 alongside a two-year licensing deal with ESL for coverage of its events. Since the launch of eSportsONE, the channel broadcasts a range of competitions including the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) and the Overwatch League (OWL).
2023 continues to be a year of expansion for ESL FACEIT Group. In March, it acquired esports technology and infrastructure company Vindex alongside revealing a revamped Dota 2 ESL Pro Tour circuit which introduces a new event known as the Riyadh Masters.
Founded in 1993, SPORT1 specialises in free-to-air coverage of a wide range of sporting events including football, basketball, and tennis in addition to eSportsONE.
The extension marks the fourth year of ESL collaborating with SPORT1. It follows the partnership’s previous expansion which was in October 2020.
According to a release, the tournament organiser hopes the “continued partnership will help to inspire many more to get involved in esports and help to grow our community even further.”
