SuperSport started broadcasting eSports this week, calling them "the next frontier of international sport".
Short for "electronic sports", eSports refers to the burgeoning arena of competitive video gaming, which has already broken into mainstream sports broadcasts overseas, including the BBC and US-based ESPN.
SuperSport is debuting its eSports coverage with broadcasts of highlights of the Intel Extreme Masters World Championship, which took place at the Spodek arena complex in Katowice, Poland, from 2-6 March. Highlights of the championship will be shown daily until 13 March, and again on 23 March.
Because most major eSports events can be viewed free via popular online streaming platforms such as Twitch, SuperSport is unlikely to draw new users specifically for its eSports offering.
The broadcasts will, however, appeal to existing SuperSport users who struggle to view high-quality eSports streams online due to poor Internet connectivity.
eSports are growing steadily in SA, which ranked 12th in the International eSports Federation's 7th eSports World Championships in 2015.
Mind Sports SA will on 16 April host the 2016 MWEB On-line Dota 2, CounterStrike:GO, and League of Legends Championship. Having the same status as a provincial championship, the event will give local players the opportunity to earn provincial colours and qualify for National Team Trials.
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