X Marks Spot For DirecTV's E-Sports

By ( Broadcasting & Cable ) published

DirecTV is forming a new pro video gaming sports league in league with a big name in the game-playing arena" Microsoft's X-Box.

Starting in 2007, DirecTV, co-owned Fox Interactive Media, IGN Entertainment, Mountain Dew and Best Buy will kick off the Championship Gaming Series, with teams battling in regular contests for the Dew Cup and prize money.

DirecTV will also carry three gaming tournamients in 2006, but the league is meant to regularize what the companies now describe as "scattered gaming events."

The "e-sports" effort will be spearheaded by David Hill, DirecTV President of Entertainment and formerly with Fox Sports.

John Eggerton
John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.