ABC's broadcast of the Overwatch League last Saturday "marked a significant step forward for pro gaming's push towards mainstream awareness," though it also "earned the ire of some mainstream sports fans," according to Jacob Bogage of the WASHINGTON POST. The mixed reaction "demonstrates the complicated challenge the esports industry faces as it attempts to broaden its audience and TV networks experiment with the potential of broadcasting live gaming competitions." Traditional TV distributors like Turner and ESPN see an opportunity to "break into esports content and the lucrative advertising revenue around gaming leagues." However, esports broadcasts "present a number of questions that neither leagues nor networks appears immediately capable or willing to answer." Bogage: "What is the true value of non-exclusive broadcast rights to properties like the Overwatch League or the League of Legends Championship Series? And also, how do esports leagues, with a burgeoning and passionate fanbase entrenched in online streaming sites like Twitch, and networks ... produce a broadcast that can appeal to both groups?" Industry analysts "remain unconvinced that both publishers and distributors have yet found a method to appeal to both a more general and unfamiliar television audience and a more passionate and game-savvy group streaming online." A telecast "full of jargon and gaming strategy might pull fans from online platforms, but won't help nonnative audiences understand the action or players," while a presentation "full of explanations about the game's basics risks condescending to the league's most devoted fans" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 3/28).
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