Eurosport to Air Championship Gaming Series in Europe
Sports-Multimedia Firm Reaches Deal with British Sky Broadcasting
By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/22/2008 12:27:00 PM
Sports-multimedia firm Eurosport Group signed a deal with British Sky Broadcasting for exclusive continental European broadcast rights to the video-game-competition Championship Gaming Series.
Highlights of the debut 2007 season will air April 28-May 3, and the 2008 season will run later this year, bringing video-game coverage to 41 nations in Europe.
"CGS is the right professional-gaming partner for Eurosport as it shares our belief in high production values and passion in sports,” Eurosport general manager of distribution and development Jean-Thierry Augustin said, “and combines this with an infrastructure that will turn competitive video gaming into a major spectator sport across the globe.”
The CGS action -- featuring franchises like Dallas Venom and New York 3D playing games such as “Counter-Strike: Source” -- airs on DirecTV in the United States. CGS is one of a handful of professional video-gaming competitions, such as Major League Gaming.
“With this latest announcement we at CGS are increasing the level of mainstream exposure for our teams and professional players,” CGS CEO and commissioner Andy Reif said. “Our broadcast production values are, by far, the best in pro gaming, and this distribution deal with Eurosport will introduce CGS to more than 30 million new European households and raise the profile of our sport with the television audience throughout Europe.”
