SPORT1 has announced a partnership with ESL to bring esports events to German television.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The ESL One event will be held at Hamburg’s Barclaycard Arena, which can host up to 16,000 fans.[/perfectpullquote]

The partnership will feature a broadcast of ESL One Hamburg on free television across Germany. The event is a Dota 2 major tournament with a $1 million USD prize pool, and begins on October 28.

The deal also means that SPORT1 will broadcast other ESL events. These include the finals of both the ESL Summer Championship and ESL Winter Championship, featuring League of Legends and FIFA 17.

Michael Bister, Head of Pro Gaming at ESL Germany, gave a statement on the partnership:

“We are delighted to have found SPORT1 a strong partner for the ESL One Hamburg as well as the FIFA and League of Legend finals of the ESL Cup. We want to bring esports in Germany even more in the public eye and look forward to showing at least three outstanding events for television audiences.”

SPORT1 is a leading sports media company in Germany. Its outlets include television, radio, and digital platforms. The company provides live streaming services to German-speaking audiences through its website. Since 2015, the channel has produced esports content, which now sits side by side with other sports coverage on its website.

[perfectpullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]SPORT1 will also broadcast other ESL events, including the finals of both the ESL Summer and Winter Championships.[/perfectpullquote]

Robin Seckler, Director of Digital Products at SPORT1, gave his own statement on the move:

“With the TV broadcasts for ESL One Hamburg as well as the finals of the ESL Summer and Winter Championship 2017, we offer our viewers absolute top events in the German esports calendar. Together with the ESL we present the esports fans in German-speaking countries continued high-class live esports – among other attractive esports offerings on TV as the six-part documentary, Inside eSports special about VfL Wolfsburg – and thus strengthen our position as the leading esports destination in Germany.”

Media broadcasters across the world have taken at an increasing rate to showcasing esports events on television. Such media giants as ESPN and Turner have established themselves as destinations for big esports events, and Disney entered the space in July.

ESL One Hamburg will feature eight of the world’s best Dota 2 teams. Two teams will be invited, with a further six coming in from regional qualifiers across the globe. The major is the first in Valve’s new circuit structure for Dota 2, and will be the first big event following The International, making it a prime testing ground for teams that have undergone roster changes following the year’s richest single esports event.

The event will be held at Hamburg’s Barclaycard Arena, which can host up to 16,000 fans.