Sports are more fun when those playing the game have exuberant personalities. This is exactly why Odell Beckham Jr. has garnered such a following. Sure, he’s a bit controversial, but there’s no denying how fun he is to watch on and off the field; as evidenced by his 10.4M followers on Instagram.
As esports grows, we’re starting to discover a new, unique set of characters and personalities. That’s why ELEAGUE is debuting its first-ever reality tv show centered around Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition.
ELEAGUE The Challenger: Street Fighter V is set to make its debut on April 20 at 11 p.m. ET on TBS. The show will follow around seven gamers living in an Atlanta-area home as they simultaneously battle for one spot in the Street Fighter V Invitational 2018.
Get The Latest Sports Tech News In Your Inbox!
What you need to know:
- New episodes will air on a weekly basis each Friday on TBS at the same time. TBS has slowly, yet surely, established itself as the premier destination for esports coverage. (How Turner got into the gaming realm is pretty interesting in itself.)
- Two hosts, Steve “Tasty Steve” Scott and Stephen “Sajam” Lyon will lead contestants through various ‘challenges.’ These will determine which contestants move forward with a chance at qualifying into the Invitational, which offers a $250,000 prize pool.
- Turner and IMG combined to form the esports brand that is now known as ELEAGUE. It is now arguably the most innovative esports brand in the world.
SportTechie Takeaway:
ELEAGUE sure knows how to get the word out about its brand. In the last year, they’ve associated themselves with some of the bigger names in traditional sports. In April of 2017, Shaq & Reggie Bush faced off in the ‘Street Fighter V Invitational Celebrity Showdown.’ The two, along with rapper Lupe Fiasco, competed for a prize pool that would go to a charity of the winner’s choosing. Current Oklahoma City Thunder center, Steven Adams, also recently expressed his interest in esports, and ELEAGUE in particular.
Now that esports have caught fire, it will be interesting to see the different personalities arise. ELEAGUE’s reality show is a start, as is the new NBA 2K league which held its official draft on Wednesday.
