ESPN, Disney XD, and Blizzard pen deal to bring Overwatch matches to primetime TV

Disney-owned ESPN has picked up the rights to air live television coverage of the Overwatch League, marking the first time ESPN has aired esports events on television during primetime hours. 

Thanks to that partnership with Activision-Blizzard, the playoffs and finals of the 2017-2018 season will broadcast exclusively on ESPN and Disney XD starting this week. However, the companies note that the exclusive telecast agreement is a multiyear deal, so it’s likely the Overwatch League events will become a regular event for the sports network over the next two years. 

So far, the companies involved have only detailed plans for the concluding matches of the 2017-2018 season, starting with playoff coverage today and expanding to cover quarter- and semi-final matches until the end of July. The grand finals alone have 10 hours of coverage planned across ESPN and Disney XD networks across 3 days.