Activision Blizzard to create the 'ESPN of gaming'

Activision Blizzard is responsible for some of the biggest games in the world and publishes titles like Call of Duty, Guitar Hero and Warcraft.

Now the company wants to help fans watch others playing too.

The company has bought e-sports organisation Major League Gaming (MLG) with the intention of making competitive gaming more accessible.

Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard boss, wants to "create the ESPN of e-sports".

ESPN is the American sports TV channel that covers everything from the Premier League to skateboarding.

The network claims to be the worldwide leader in sports coverage. And that's what Activision Blizzard wants to emulate in the gaming world.

MLG was founded nearly 15 years ago and the MLG Pro Circuit is the longest running e-sports league in North America.

Super Smash Bros is one of the games played by Major League Gaming professionals

Professional players compete in a wide range of games like Halo, Dota 2 and Super Smash Bros in tournaments that people can watch in person or online.

Activision Blizzard made its first move into e-sports in October 2015 when it set up a division purely on focus e-sports.

The firm is likely to combine its powerful position in the gaming market with the live broadcasting skills that MLG has developed over the past decade.

The idea is to create competitive gaming content that more casual gamers are willing to watch.

League of Legends is one of the most popular e-sports titles. Last years World Championship winning team took home $1,000,000 in prize money

"Together, we will create new ways to celebrate players and their unique skills, dedication and commitment to gaming," says Kotick.

Activision Blizzard says that with over 100 million unique viewers, more people are watching e-sports than many real-world sports leagues.

They also think that number will rise to 300 million by 2017.

Call of Duty has become one of the most popular console based e-sports titles and has helped attract a more mainstream audience

There's obviously some serious cash up for grabs too.

"Creating premium content for these audiences will provide significant opportunities in ticket sales, advertising, sponsorships, licensing, and merchandising," Activision say.

If their prediction turns out to be right then the £30m investment in MLG could be worth every penny.

If they don't then it could be an expensive experiment.

The co-founder of MLG Mike Sepso, who now works for Blizzard Activision, says the move will "bring e-sports into the mainstream".

"By creating and broadcasting premium e-sports content, organizing global league play, and expanding distribution," he added.

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