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Facebook have signed a livestreaming deal with ESL that will see Facebook streaming over 5,500 hours of esports via its Facebook Live service, including their IEM and ESL One events.
Spotted by PCGamesN, Facebook will partner with ESL to create unique esports content for the platform, including backstage Q&A’s with commentators and players during their stadium events. This will also see Facebook as the primary home for hte ESEA’s ‘Rank S’ stream, where players can watch high-level CS:GO matches from high up on NA and European ladders. Interestingly, these streams will feature team audio mixed in, meaning developing players and teams can see high level play in its entirety, listening to every call and its impact on the game.
In addition to the weekly streams, there will also be Rank S talk show, hosted by Mark ‘Boq’ Wilson, a 30 minute program exclusive to Facebook Live that will go over who said what and who shot who in the world of competitive Counter-Strike.
ESL have made similar deals with microblogging site Twitter, but both platforms having their own exclusive content shows that ESL are colonising regular social media channels, spreading away from gamer specific sites like Twitch. Facebook have been on a run of sponsorship and events deals in esports this year, announcing deals with Dignitas and G2 Esports to get them to stream for Facebook Live, while they’ll also be hosting this year’s Heroes of the Dorm tournament in partnership with Blizzard.
