ESPN2 will air the finale of Electronic Arts’ (EA) Madden NFL 16 Championship June 14, the network announced just a day before, marking another nod to the growing importance of eSports competitions.
The event, taking place in Los Angeles, will also be streamed live via WatchESPN, beginning at 6 p.m. ET. The winner will take home $20,000.
“At Electronic Arts our vision for competitive gaming is simple: We want to make stars of all our players,” Peter Moore, chief competition officer for EA, wrote in a blog post. “Whether you’re an elite player competing for cash and prizes in global eSports events, or you’re taking your first steps to play online, we want everyone to feel the thrill of competition.”
The ESPN announcement comes a day after Moore and EA shared that the company would open up new opportunities for competitive gaming. In addition to giving novice players the ability to host their own competitions, EA will organize large-scale, live eSports events, broadcast worldwide.
