Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center has hosted disappointing seasons from the Nets and Islanders the past few seasons. But this summer, the venue will host a very different sports event.
The inaugural season of Overwatch League will see its champion crowned at the venue over a two-day Grand Final running July 27-28. The event will follow two weeks of playoffs among a six-team field at Blizzard Arena in L.A. (The regular season ends nearly a month earlier, on June 17.)
The ultimate winner will receive the Overwatch Trophy and a cut of $1.4 million in cash.
For the first-ever event, Barclay’s Center will be transformed into an esports fan mecca. The action will begin at 8 p.m. on July 27 and continue through the evening of June 28 in a best-of-three-matches competition.
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SportTechie Takeaway
The choice of venue for the Overwatch League’s championship event underlines the fact that esports is gaining significant momentum in the United States. While increasing numbers of esports events have taken place in large-scale venues, those venues haven’t been located in a prime location such as New York City. With plenty of buzz leading up to this summer’s Grand Final, expect a large crowd to pack the Atlantic Avenue venue.
The event’s timing also couldn’t be much better. With hockey and basketball in the dog days of their respective off-seasons, football just beginning its training camps, and baseball’s playoff race not yet full steam ahead, the event won’t be competing with any of the four major U.S. sports for attention.