eSports is a pretty big deal, even though we guess there are some people out there who don’t really think of its as a “sport”, at least not the traditional sense like football, golf, rugby, basketball, and so on. However if the DotA 2 The International’s $10 million prize pool is any indication, it seems that there are many out there who believe that it is more than just a video game.
So much so that it has been revealed that the final match of The International 2014 will be broadcasted lived on ESPN3. In fact an exclusive preview along with an interview with Valve’s Gabe Newell will be broadcasted on ESPN2 ahead of the finals. This is a pretty big deal as ESPN is a channel that many associate with sports, so for The International to get recognized is another feather in Valve’s cap.
According to Valve’s Erik Johnson, “From the success of the Compendium to the collaboration with ESPN, this year’s International really demonstrates how much competitive gaming has grown to rival traditional sports. We believe the teams have also pushed to a new level of play this year and will further demonstrate the incredible advances made across this tournament since it first began three short years ago.”
So if you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, you can check out The International’s schedule on the DotA 2 website, and if you’re already subscribed to ESPN, be sure to tune in to check out the final matches which will no doubt prove to be extremely exciting.