Sport1 to Launch Dedicated Esports TV Channel in Germany

German commercial sports broadcaster Sport1 takes an opportunistic view on launching a dedicated esports channel.

The network confirmed their intentions to bring esports coverage onto a traditional broadcasting platform, despite most viewership for esports being online.

“It is correct that we are pushing ahead with the development of an esports channel, and we are also talking to potential partners in this regard,” a spokesperson for Sport1 told German media-focused magazine DWDL.

Currently, Sport1 has a rights to Italian soccer’s Serie A, French top-flight Ligue 1 and the National Basketball League (NBA).

Sport1 began covering esports with ESL One Frankfurt 2016, ESL One Hamburg, a Dota 2 major and has also aired coverage of the European League of Legends Championship Series, including various Counter-Strike events.

It was not disclosed whether the esports channel would be free-to-air, but more details would be announced: “in due course.”

Along with producing its own online content and dedicated esports Twitter feed,

work on any prospective esports channel would come alongside plans for Sport2, a free-to-air secondary sports channel announced by Sport1 in November 2016.