Esports promotion company ESL will "produce two original" esports TV series for Disney XD in a deal that "marks the first time" content from the company will air on linear TV in the U.S., according to Annlee Ellingson of the L.A. BUSINESS JOURNAL. “ESL Brawlers,” premiering Thursday, will "test the limits of the most skilled players of Capcom’s 'Street Fighter V' to determine the best player." "ESL Speedrunners," scheduled for August, is a "race against the clock to complete a game in the shortest amount of time." The programs will "run seven episodes each." The shows will "air on D|XP -- a new daily summer programming block dedicated to gaming on Disney XD" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/17). ENGADGET.com's Steve Dent wrote though the shows are "appearing in a very nichey spot on Disney XD, their arrival heralds a mainstream breakthrough" for esports. D|XP debuted Saturday, with a "programming block running between" 9:00pm-3:00am ET every Saturday night. That is "not exactly prime-time, but it does let Disney air some content not appropriate for younger kids." The network will "no doubt keep its on the ratings and possibly expand it if things are looking good -- pushing gaming" and esports "further into the mainstream" (ENGADGET.com, 7/17).
