Xbox One owners can now stream and compete in eSports via ESL app

The eSports League has teamed up with Microsoft to launch its first-ever console app -- on Xbox One, in Europe and North America. This is the first time the industry has seen the launch of a dedicated eSports app for modern consoles, though it's not the first move by a major platform owner to court eSports enthusiasts; last week, Sony launched its own official eSports platform for the PlayStation 4 in Spain. Starting this week, League competitors can use the ESL Xbox One app to sign up for ESL tournaments and directly connect with one another via Xbox Live to set up official matches. Newcomers can enter the League by using the app to sign up for open tournaments, and anyone can use it to stream ESL matches of people competing in games like Call of Duty: Ghosts and NBA 2K15. It's not a niche audience, either; earlier this year, 3 million people tuned in to watch the ESL Counter-Strike finals at Gamescom in Germany.