Torque Esports has entered a broadcast partnership with ESPN for live coverage of its sim racing tournaments.
From April 11th, ESPN will broadcast The Race All-Star Series‘ All-Star Cup and Legend Trophy live on ESPN2.
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As well as being aired live on ESPN2, The Race All-Star Series has now been expanded as to become a “full championship series” featuring professional racers and sim racers. Points will be distributed each week, with the eventual victor winning $30,000 (GBP24,054) for a charity of their choice.
Darren Cox, President and CEO of Torque Esports, spoke on the partnership in a release: “For more than 40 years, ESPN has been the leader in sports with its groundbreaking coverage, and we’re immensely proud to have The Race All-Star Series – Fully Charged by ROKiT Phones now shown live on the network.
“When we debuted our esports racing events, our live streaming numbers were off the charts, and now our agreement with ESPN along with our entire international broadcast package is taking virtual racing to an unprecedented global audience.”
RELATED: Torque Esports enters broadcast agreement with Blake Broadcasting
Earlier this week, ESPN entered a similar partnership with League of Legends developer Riot Games to broadcast the LCS Spring Split Playoffs. ESPN2 will air the matches live as part of the deal.
Torque Esports recently entered a programming syndication agreement with Blake Broadcasting to broadcast its content across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America. It’s stated that Torque Esports’ sim racing push was driving factor in the deal.
Esports Insider says: It’s no surprise to see ESPN continue to turn to esports in a time where it’s almost the only sport that’s still going on. Torque Esports cleverly spotted the opportunity with sim racing at the right time and is now reaping the rewards.