Just when one thought The International 2014 couldn't be any bigger, we are graced with yet another piece of warming news. Few hours back, Valve has announced its collaboration with ESPN that will air TI4 live on its multi-screen sports channel, ESPN3.
Valve announced it is partnering with ESPN - one of the most prominent sports broadcasting networks worldwide, to broadcast The International Dota 2 Championships 2014 that starts July 18th at Key Arena, Seattle. The four day main event will be aired live on ESPN3 and will have an exclusive preview show before the event begins.
Besides the exclusive preview, ESPN3 will also include highlights, analysis, player interviews and an interview with Valve's founder Gabe Newell - amidst other things. The grand finals will receive an upgrade and be aired on ESPN2; a sign that only signals the rise in popularity of eSports.
Valve's Erik Johnson mentioned in a statement, "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."
The entire event will be available to watch on WatchESPN and will be readily accessible on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. The event will also be streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
ESPN3 will start its broadcast of The International at 3 p.m. ET (18.00 CEST) on Friday. Previously, ESPN partnered with Major League Gaming to host a Call of Duty tournament during the X Games in Austin in June.
Headline image by voorhes.com
Source: Steam
Highlight clips are aviailable on our YouTube channel. You can also visit our wiki page for more information on The International 4.
