UK TV Channel Plans Pro Gaming Shows

Representatives from the UK Extreme Sports Channel have announced that the channel is creating a series of live video game events, starting with a four and a half hour live broadcast from the Adidas World of Football in Berlin on July 1st. The Pro Videogaming: Xbox Cup event will be followed by a second show produced by British fashion and event organizer Joystick Junkies. This show will focus on a Project Gotham Racing 3 tournament at the Ripseed Donny car show on August 13th in England, with four 30 minute broadcasts scheduled over the course of the day. The event will be the UK’s first live televised pro-racing games tournament, as sixteen finalists play the Xbox 360 title on an open air 20ft x 15ft LED screen in front of an audience of 20,000. On the day, entrants will be able to compete for one of the final eight slots in the tournament in the morning, whilst visitors will also be able to try out new and forthcoming video game releases and take part in or watch special events. The level of involvement from Microsoft in sponsoring the programs, which feature only Xbox 360 software, is unclear, but no doubt The Extreme Sports Channel will be monitoring audience figures closely when considering future shows, especially since professional gaming is less established in the UK than in North America.