The production value of this league should prove to be great as Turner Productions has provided a “state-of-the-art facility specifically created to showcase the live game competitions.” With all this publicity and money put into Counter-Strike by the Turner partnership, many people are asking what this will bring for CS:GO.
With CS:GO being in the top 5 most purchased game of 2015 it’s no wonder there is such a buzz around it. Organizations and companies all over are jumping at the chance to expand into the deep waters that is Counter-Strike. With Turner’s new partnership other companies are going to see first hand what kind of money can be made through this game and without a doubt will start to invest their own money into the game. This means a lot more money is going to be put into tournaments, and player salaries. Turner alone will be giving away $2.4 million dollars in winnings in their two 10 week seasons this year.
With the plethora of tournaments now available for teams to compete I expect there to be an uprise in the scene as many players who previously questioned playing CS:GO professionally due to the low salaries now have less of an excuse and might emerge from the shadows. New players will also come to the game as it expands into people who were previously unaware that eSports even existed. Whether they’re good or bad players, it’s going to add a new level of diversity to the game.
Turner undoubtedly will not be the only big time company joining Counter-Strike. The smell of money is in the air and it surrounds eSports as a whole. “eSports is one of the fastest growing entertainment genres among young adults around the world,” said Lenny Daniels, president of Turner Sports. “We’re looking forward to creating a tremendous live event atmosphere, leveraging the infrastructure and expertise within Turner Studios, and presenting the competitions in an innovative way throughout our portfolio of leading brands.” and because of this huge growth, everyones looking for their piece of the pie.
Along with the influx of money and players we can all expect a better production. Counter-Strike has had their fair share of poorly ran tournaments where computers don’t work, players don’t get their winnings or games are delayed for some other technical reason, but tournaments ran by these lower end producers will soon have to upgrade or be squeezed out of the scene by their new competitors. Turner has announced their state of the art facility out in Atlanta and as others join the scene they will follow in providing this unmatched production quality.
“We are proud to establish a leadership position in this rapidly growing arena, which I see as a tent pole for the next chapter of TBS,” said Kevin Reilly, president of TBS and TNT, chief creative officer for Turner. “The level of rabid fandom and engagement that we see in this world is extraordinary and we aim to up the experience for both the players and fans alike and provide a cutting-edge live experience on both linear and digital TBS platforms.”
People who are concerned about the conflict between Turner’s matches and matches of other tournaments and leagues have little to worry about as Turner will be working with many eSports organizations along with Valve to ensure that schedules for these matches will fit in with the already busy schedule of these players.
Lastly, how could we forget to mention the publicity this means for Counter-Strike. Set aside the money, players, and production Counter-Strike is about to get a huge boost in viewership. Turner reports “global eSports viewership is more than 226 million people with the total expected to climb to 323 million by 2018.” With the millions of viewers Turner entertains, CS:GO is going to seduce many of them as CS:GO will be broadcasted after many comedy shows and the ever so popular Major League Baseball.
CS:GO is making a name for itself and while not everyone may understand it or appreciate it, in upcoming years it will make its way to the same level as professional sports are today. CS:GO is now on TV. This is a huge step in the right direction for Counter-Strike and eSports.
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